1
as in lonely
sad from lack of companionship or separation from others
a lonesome kitten left at the pound by its hard-hearted owners
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lone
not being in the company of others
a lonesome cypress tree on a rocky, windswept point
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
the playground seems especially lonesome now that there are no young children in the neighborhood
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lonesome
This has often been a lonesome endeavor, but Trump’s assault on democracy, financed by some of America’s richest people, has fortified the group’s arguments.
—
Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
It’s filled with gorgeous, serene shots of tastefully stately locales, from giant towers to simple rooms (even what looks like the inside of a fast food restaurant has a kind of lonesome grandeur to it).
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 11 Apr. 2025
Outside, Archer Avenue is lonesome in the daylight, austere Resurrection Cemetery stretching along one side and depressed dusty parking lots and industrial-looking buildings lining the other side.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
The quintet collides influences — flourishes of glitchy industrial electronic flourishes, lonesome country-western instrumentation, ornate chamber pop — and tinker with all sorts of pop-rock conventions.
—Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lonesome
Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
It’s filled with gorgeous, serene shots of tastefully stately locales, from giant towers to simple rooms (even what looks like the inside of a fast food restaurant has a kind of lonesome grandeur to it).
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 11 Apr. 2025
Outside, Archer Avenue is lonesome in the daylight, austere Resurrection Cemetery stretching along one side and depressed dusty parking lots and industrial-looking buildings lining the other side.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
The quintet collides influences — flourishes of glitchy industrial electronic flourishes, lonesome country-western instrumentation, ornate chamber pop — and tinker with all sorts of pop-rock conventions.
—Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lonesome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lonesome
Adjective
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While Bowie envisioned an Earth careening toward apocalypse in a flamboyant, theatrical cry, Drake’s five leaves are quieter, lonelier — more like the end of a season than the end of a world.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
5 July 2025
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By January, Musk had transitioned to lieutenant, making up DOGE, complete with cringey swag, like a lonely preteen dreaming up a secret club in his tree house.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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Veteran closer Aroldis Chapman is expected to be the lone Red Sox player to take part in Tuesday’s game, which will be played at Truist Park in Atlanta starting at 8 p.m.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
13 July 2025
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While Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and Mark Wahlberg — the lone cast member to be Oscar-nominated here — get the showier roles, Leo gives a more internal performance as Billy Costigan Jr., a rookie cop who was broken long before going undercover.—
Derek Lawrence,
EW.com,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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Some traders said the numbers were less severe than analysts' bleak forecasts.—
Sabrina Valle,
USA Today,
3 July 2025
-
No one is as funny and as bleak in the same sentence, or maybe even the same word.—
Literary Hub
July 1,
Literary Hub,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
Keep a distance from tall, solitary trees or other elevated structures.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 July 2025
-
They are known to be solitary and nocturnal, but can sometimes be found in small family groups.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
Look for bronze or dark spots on the foliage or prominent purple veins.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 July 2025
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Michigan is home to six dark sky state parks, three international dark sky parks and an international dark sky sanctuary.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
Support individual stems with single bamboo stakes; multiple stems may benefit from a grow-through grid or tomato cage.—
Rita Pelczar,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 July 2025
-
Machado began the bottom of the sixth with a single grounded through the middle of the infield on the first pitch of his at-bat.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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Griffith also describes in vivid detail the desolate Hopi landscape and the villages atop the three mesas.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
13 July 2025
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Despite its desolate appearance, Bouvet is surprisingly rich in bird life.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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Prince Louis may be spending a solo day at home with the family's beloved longtime nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, or his grandparents, Carole and Michael Middleton.—
Stephanie Petit,
People.com,
13 July 2025
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Big Beat electronica pioneer The Crystal Method, now a solo project for co-founder Scott Kirkland, began in 1993, has released seven album and has influenced a generation of film and TV scores.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lonesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lonesome. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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