loneliness
painful feeling of being alone
A sad feeling you have when you are alone or feel that no one is close to you.
feel [loneliness]; [someone]'s loneliness
- After the breakup, she was surprised by the intense loneliness she felt in her own apartment.
- He tried to stay busy so the loneliness wouldn’t hit him at night.
- Moving to a new country brought excitement, but also a deep loneliness he hadn’t expected.
- The old man’s eyes showed a loneliness that words could not describe.
- Fame did not protect her from the crushing loneliness she felt offstage.
- She felt great loneliness after her best friend moved away.
- At night, his loneliness was very strong.
- Talking to a pet can help reduce loneliness.
- Loneliness can be very hard for people who live alone.
- He joined a club to escape his loneliness.
state of lacking relationships
A situation where someone does not have close friends or enough social contact, often for a long time.
[someone] lives in loneliness; problem of [loneliness]
- Researchers warn that long-term loneliness can increase the risk of heart disease and depression.
- Governments are starting to treat loneliness as a major public health issue.
- The report highlighted the loneliness experienced by many older adults living in cities.
- Online groups were created to reduce loneliness during the lockdowns.
- Her project focuses on loneliness among new parents who lack family support.
- Loneliness is a big problem for many old people.
- Some doctors say that loneliness can be bad for your health.
- The city is trying to reduce loneliness with free community events.
- The survey shows high levels of loneliness among students.
- He studies loneliness and how it affects society.
emptiness or remoteness of a place
The empty and quiet feeling of a place where there are almost no people.
the loneliness of [a place]
- They drove for hours through the flat, endless loneliness of the desert.
- She loved the loneliness of the beach in winter, when almost no one else was there.
- The film captures the bleak loneliness of the Arctic landscape.
- After sunset, the loneliness of the mountain village became intense.
- The writer describes the loneliness of the open sea in vivid detail.
- He enjoyed the loneliness of the empty beach.
- The loneliness of the long road made him think a lot.
- They were afraid of the loneliness of the forest at night.
- The loneliness of the small island was beautiful but also scary.
- We could feel the loneliness of the wide, empty land.
- Base: loneliness
- Plural: loneliness
a sense of loneliness
1a feeling of being lonely
The feeling that you are lonely or socially alone.
- Living abroad, she often had a sense of loneliness even when surrounded by people.
- After his children moved out, a sense of loneliness filled the house.
- He couldn’t shake the sense of loneliness that came every Sunday evening.
die of loneliness
1suffer greatly from loneliness
To suffer very strongly from loneliness, sometimes used literally but often as a strong way to say someone is extremely lonely.
- She joked that she would die of loneliness if she had to live in the countryside.
- Some people say their pets would die of loneliness without regular attention.
- The story is about an old man who almost dies of loneliness after his wife passes away.
loneliness and isolation
1being lonely and cut off
A situation where someone feels lonely and is also very cut off from other people.
- The report links loneliness and isolation to higher rates of illness.
- Loneliness and isolation are major problems for people who work from home and live alone.
- The charity was founded to fight loneliness and isolation among older adults.
overwhelmed by loneliness
1strongly affected by loneliness
To feel loneliness so strongly that it is hard to manage your emotions.
- On some nights he was overwhelmed by loneliness in his small apartment.
- She suddenly felt overwhelmed by loneliness at the party.
- After the call ended, he sat in silence, overwhelmed by loneliness.
struggle with loneliness
1have difficulty because of loneliness
To find life hard because you often feel lonely.
- Many university students secretly struggle with loneliness in their first year away from home.
- He has struggled with loneliness since his wife died.
- Support groups can help people who struggle with loneliness feel less alone.