Loneliness Meaning
/ˈloʊnlinəs/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA feeling of depression resulting from being alone or from having no companions.
nounThe condition or state of being alone or having no companions.
Sentence Examples
The worst loneliness is to not be comfortable with yourself.
His loneliness was as deep as the blue of the ocean around his dugout canoe.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
After moving to a new city without friends, she felt a deep sense of ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Many elderly people suffer from a deep sense of ____ after their children move away to start lives today.
Word Origin & History
From lonely + -ness.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Cecilia proposed to her the society of Henrietta, which, glad to catch at any thing that would break into her loneliness, she listened to with pleasure […]"
— 1782, Frances Burney, Cecilia, London: T. Payne, et al, Volume 5, Book 10, Chapter 5, p. 274:
"We […] feel deep pity for a man who is condemned to the loneliness of being remarkable […]"
— 1948, Alan Paton, chapter 21, in Cry, the Beloved Country, New York: Scribner, page 154:
"Loneliness got a mind of its own
The more people around, the more you feel alone"
— 1997, Bob Dylan, “Marchin’ to the City”, in The Bootleg Series Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs: Rare and Unreleased 1989–2006:
"But if the point of living lies in relationships with other people, then it’s hard to think of A.I. assistants that imitate humans without nervousness. I don’t think they’re going to solve the loneliness epidemic at all."
— 2024 May 20, Alissa Wilkinson, “What We Lose When ChatGPT Sounds Like Scarlett Johansson”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 16 Jun 2024:
"Hitherto all things that have bin nam’d, were approv’d of God to be very good: lonelines is the first thing which Gods eye nam’d not good […]"
— 1645, John Milton, Tetrachordon, page 7:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
After moving to a new city without friends, she felt a deep sense of ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Many elderly people suffer from a deep sense of ____ after their children move away to start lives today.