Alone vs lonely
Alone means by yourself and usually says nothing about feelings, though feel alone means lonely. Lonely means sad because you lack company or closeness, even in a crowd. Alone is not used before a noun: say a boy who was alone, not an alone boy.
Feeling lonely means feeling sad, but you can be alone and still be happy.
alone adjective
By yourself, with no other people with you or near you. Usually it does not say how you feel, but feel alone means feeling lonely.
- After everyone left the party, she was alone in the house.
- He likes to travel alone so he can change his plans anytime.
lonely adjective
Feeling sad because you are alone, or because you have no one to talk to or be with.
- After moving to a new city, she felt lonely and missed her friends.
- My grandmother gets lonely when nobody visits her for a few weeks.
Watch out
- Lonely can also describe a place that is far from people, where almost no one ever goes.They walked along a lonely beach with no one else in sight.
- Lonely can sometimes just mean being by yourself with no companions, close to the meaning of alone, as in a lonely life.The lighthouse keeper led a lonely life on the rocky island.
- Right after a noun, alone can mean only that one thing, or that just that one thing is enough.The cost of repairs alone was a good reason to buy a new car.
Test yourself
My grandfather lives blank, but he is happy and has many friends nearby.
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alone. No one lives with him, but he is happy. There is no sad feeling.
The blank boy wished someone would sit with him at lunch.
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lonely. He feels sad and wants company. That feeling is lonely.
Please leave me blank for an hour so I can finish this report.
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alone. You just want no one with you while you work.
We drove for hours down a blank road without seeing another car or house.
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lonely. Lonely can describe a place far from people, where almost no one goes.