alone 1 of 2

adverb

Definition of alonenext
1
as in independently
without aid or support completely new to the big city, she nevertheless managed to find her way home alone

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in only
for nothing other than would willingly play professional baseball for the sheer enjoyment alone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

alone

2 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈlōn How to pronounce alone (audio)
1
as in lonely
not being in the company of others no one realized the boy was alone in his room so they all left for the movies without him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in one
being the one or ones of a class with no other members he is alone among the actors of his generation in his exceptional ability to play both comedic and serious parts

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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an alone time
a solitary time
a private time
a secluded time
a personal time
an alone group
a solitary group
an individual group
a separated group
a singular group
a separate group
an alone entity
a solo entity
a complete entity
a sole entity
an unique entity
a single entity
an alone system
a solo system
a solitary system
an individual system
an independent system
a separate system
an alone product
a single product
a complete product
a separate product
an independent product
a whole product

Synonym Chooser

How is the word alone distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of alone are desolate, forlorn, lonely, lonesome, lone, and solitary. While all these words mean "isolated from others," alone stresses the objective fact of being by oneself with slighter notion of emotional involvement than most of the remaining terms.

everyone needs to be alone sometimes

When can desolate be used instead of alone?

The meanings of desolate and alone largely overlap; however, desolate implies inconsolable grief at loss or bereavement.

desolate after her brother's death

When is forlorn a more appropriate choice than alone?

In some situations, the words forlorn and alone are roughly equivalent. However, forlorn stresses dejection, woe, and listlessness at separation from one held dear.

a forlorn lost child

How does the word lone relate to other synonyms for alone?

Lone may replace lonely or lonesome but typically is as objective as alone.

a lone robin pecking at the lawn

How do lonely and solitary relate to one another, in the sense of alone?

Lonely adds to solitary a suggestion of longing for companionship.

felt lonely and forsaken

In what contexts can lonesome take the place of alone?

The words lonesome and alone can be used in similar contexts, but lonesome heightens the suggestion of sadness and poignancy.

an only child often leads a lonesome life

When could solitary be used to replace alone?

While in some cases nearly identical to alone, solitary may indicate isolation as a chosen course, but more often it suggests sadness and a sense of loss.

glorying in the calm of her solitary life
left solitary by the death of his wife

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of alone
Adverb
More than 20,000 shoppers have snapped up the bags up in the past month alone. —Isabel Garcia, People.com, 25 Apr. 2025 Although food has a lot to do with overall health, cholesterol control doesn't happen in the kitchen alone. —Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
The medication is approved for use alone or alongside other COPD treatments. —Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 18 Apr. 2025 Buffalo Trace isn’t alone in needing to rethink what long-term preparedness really looks like. —Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for alone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alone
  1. only
  2. lonely
  3. one
  4. separately
  5. solely
  6. lone
  7. just
  8. single
Adverb
  • This time, though, the satellites have not only been significantly upgraded, but represent the largest deployment for Amazon, the company said.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2025
  • That destroys trust, not only in the company but also in the technology as a whole.
    — Shep Hyken, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Definition of only
Adjective
  • Community service for an increasingly lonely, isolated society?
    — Nate Rogers, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
  • According to recent Gallup data, approximately 20% of U.S. adults report feeling lonely every day.
    — Dominique Fluker, Essence, 21 Apr. 2025
Definition of lonely
Adjective
  • Drinkwater didn't make one appearance in a Chelsea shirt last season, whilst Bakayoko spent the season in Italy on loan at AC Milan.
    — SI.com, SI.com, 3 Aug. 2019
  • Decisions made by engineers today, in other words, will determine not how one car drives but how all cars drive.
    — Johannes Himmelreich, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Mar. 2018
Definition of one
Adverb
  • Hegseth's wife Jennifer, a former Fox News producer, has also reportedly attended sensitive meetings with foreign military counterparts, the Wall Street Journal has separately reported.
    — Valerie Volcovici, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
  • The only real difference, between the one here and the one there, is that the onions at Danny & Coop’s are mixed in with the beef on the griddle, while in Philly they’re cooked and added separately.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2025
Definition of separately
Adverb
  • Saylor also wrote that the student's record record wouldn't be updated based solely on an unspecified finding in the National Crime Information Center that resulted in her termination.
    — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
  • For example, in 2023, imaging giant Adobe took an unusual step by training its Firefly AI models solely on licensed stock photos and public domain works, demonstrating that alternative approaches are possible.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025
Definition of solely
Adjective
  • Eichel’s lone hat trick of the season came on March 25 at Xcel Energy Center in a 5-1 win over the Wild.
    — Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Coogler wrote Remmick as an empathetic and charismatic villain — so much so that IndieWire critic David Ehrlich’s lone knock on the film is that, by design, the darkness of the vampires is more about the fun of being alive than the usual horror movie terror.
    — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 19 Apr. 2025
Definition of lone
Adverb
  • But the Heat then scored just 21 points while shooting 1 of 6 (16.7 percent) on threes in the fourth quarter.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2025
  • By episode 2, the former Fireflies make it to an area just outside Jackson and see how heavily fortified the city is.
    — Eliana Dockterman, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
Definition of just
Adjective
  • Each plane has four single suites and four side-by-side suites, two of each at the front of each business class cabin.
    — Zach Wichter, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
  • And others fear the learning curve will slow them down during critical production phases or that relying too heavily on technology creates single points of failure.
    — Allison Begalman, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2025
Definition of single

Phrases Containing alone

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aloft
alone
aloneness
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Cite this Entry

“Alone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alone. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.

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