Loneliness

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈloʊnlinəs/

Definitions

1. The feeling or condition of being alone and separated from others
2. A sense of isolation that comes from lacking companionship or social connections
3. The experience of solitude combined with emotional disconnection or absence of fellowship

Etymology: "Loneliness" is a plain formation: the adjective "lonely" with the suffix "-ness" added, which turns a quality into a noun. "Lonely" itself began as "lonely" meaning "alone" or "solitary," and it came from "lone" with the suffix "-ly" attached. Over time the sense shifted from simply being by oneself toward the painful feeling of isolation that the word carries today. The suffix "-ness" is one of the oldest and most productive ways English builds nouns from adjectives. It comes from Old English, where "-nes" or "-nys" attached to adjectives to name a state or condition. Because it works on almost any adjective, speakers can create abstract nouns freely, and "loneliness" is one of countless examples, sitting alongside words like "kindness" and "darkness."

Synonyms: isolation, solitude, seclusion, emptiness, desolation

Antonyms: companionship, friendship, togetherness, connection, community