lonely

lonely — adjective

1. feeling sad and wanting to be with other people because you are on your own or d

1.形容詞B1
釋義

feeling sad and wanting to be with other people because you are on your own or do not have anyone to spend time with

例句

Élise felt lonely at the party even though she knew almost everyone there.

feel + lonely in a social situation

Linh's grandfather became lonely after all his old friends moved away or passed on.

become + lonely after losing connections

同義詞
  • alone

    Neutral factual term — describes being without others, without the sadness that lonely implies

  • lonesome

    More emotional and somewhat informal than lonely; common in American English, often expressing longing for a specific person

  • isolated

    Suggests being physically or socially separated from others, often by circumstances rather than by choice

反義詞
  • accompanied

    Having someone with you; the opposite emotional state

  • connected

    Feeling part of a group or community

文法句型

feel + lonely

look + lonely

be + lonely

lonely + noun (period of time)

用法筆記

Unlike alone, which is a neutral fact about being by yourself, lonely always carries a feeling of sadness or longing. Frequently used with verbs of sensation such as feel, look, become, and get.

常見錯誤

❌I enjoy being lonely sometimes; it helps me think.
✅I enjoy being alone sometimes; it helps me think.
💡Lonely always implies unhappiness, so if the state is welcome, use alone or by myself.
❌He is a lonely wolf who prefers his own company.
✅He is a lone wolf who prefers his own company.
💡The fixed idiom is lone wolf, not lonely wolf.
❌She felt very alone after her husband died.
✅She felt very lonely after her husband died.
💡When describing the sad emotion of wanting company, use lonely. Alone states only the physical fact of being without others.

2. used to describe a place that is situated far from any town or city, where very

2.形容詞B2
釋義

used to describe a place that is situated far from any town or city, where very few people live or travel through

例句

Adina stopped at a lonely petrol station on the desert highway with nothing nearby.

lonely + building in an isolated spot

Chidi and his cousins camped on a lonely stretch of beach where only seabirds came.

lonely + stretch of [landscape]

同義詞
  • remote

    Focuses on distance from civilisation without the emotional overtone of emptiness

  • isolated

    Emphasises separation from other places; can be used for both places and people

  • desolate

    Stronger than lonely, suggesting emptiness, abandonment, and often a bleak feeling

反義詞
  • crowded

    Full of people, the opposite of a place few visit

  • bustling

    Lively and full of activity, the opposite of a quiet, empty place

  • populated

    Having many inhabitants, the opposite of a place with few people

文法句型

lonely + noun (place, road, stretch, hill, farmhouse)

be + lonely (with a place as subject)

用法筆記

Only describes places and locations, not people. When applied to a place, lonely emphasises the feeling of emptiness and remoteness rather than just distance. For a neutral description of distance, use remote or faraway instead.

常見錯誤

❌She felt lonely in the countryside.' (when meaning the place was remote)
✅The countryside she visited was lonely and wild.
💡Lonely for places describes the location itself; for a person's emotion use feel lonely.
❌We stayed at a lonely hotel in the city center.
✅We stayed at a lonely hotel in the mountains.
💡A place in a busy area cannot be described as lonely; use quiet or secluded instead.