From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
lonely
adj 1: lacking companions or companionship; "he was alone when
we met him"; "she is alone much of the time"; "the lone
skier on the mountain"; "a lonely fisherman stood on a
tuft of gravel"; "a lonely soul"; "a solitary traveler"
[syn: {alone(p)}, {lone(a)}, {lonely(a)}, solitary]
2: marked by dejection from being alone; "felt sad and lonely";
"the loneliest night of the week"; "lonesome when her husband
is away"; "spent a lonesome hour in the bar" [syn: lonely,
lonesome]
3: characterized by or preferring solitude; "a lone wolf"; "a
lonely existence"; "a man of a solitary disposition"; "a
solitary walk" [syn: {lone(a)}, {lonely(a)}, solitary]
4: devoid of creatures; "a lonely crossroads"; "a solitary
retreat"; "a trail leading to an unfrequented lake" [syn:
lonely, solitary, unfrequented]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Lonely \Lone"ly\, a. [Compar. Lonelier; superl. Loneliest.]
[Shortened fr. alonely.]
1. Sequestered from company or neighbors; solitary; retired;
as, a lonely situation; a lonely cell.
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2. Alone, or in want of company; forsaken.
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To the misled and lonely traveler. --Milton.
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3. Not frequented by human beings; as, a lonely wood.
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4. Having a feeling of depression or sadness resulting from
the consciousness of being alone; lonesome.
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I am very often alone. I don't mean I am lonely.
--H. James.
Syn: Solitary; lone; lonesome; retired; unfrequented;
sequestered; secluded.
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