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loner

loner

79 4.2
A person who prefers to be alone and avoids spending time with others
  • noun
  • /ˈloʊnər/
translation icon : solitario
  • Roy was a real loner.
  • described as a loner
  • loner or gang member

Cats being antisocial, cats being loners, solitary, all a myth.

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Examples

  • You seem to be kind of a loner.

  • Michael Tillman was a loner, something of a recluse; he always had been and always would be.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Do you become kind of a loner where you be careful who you trust?

  • Sky was probably a loner who lost it.

  • I can be a little bit of a loner, OK?

  • And maybe you find another loner, and you look after each other.

  • I was a bit of a loner at that time.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • I am naturally a loner and not gregarious.

  • I'm sorry, Daisy, but I'm a loner, and a loner's got to be alone.

  • She has always considered herself a loner, preferring to spend her weekends reading rather than socializing.

Synonyms

hermit
vsloner
35 6.1

A person who lives alone away from other people, often for religious reasons

prefers being alone for everyday comfort rather than for spiritual retreat
recluse
vsloner
22 7.8

A person who lives alone and avoids other people

prefers solitude but is less extreme about leaving society entirely
introvert
vsloner
21 5.1

A person who prefers being alone or small groups and feels tired by social activity

chooses solitude by preference rather than because of an inward temperament
lone wolf
vsloner
19 5.0

A person who prefers to do things alone rather than with others

prefers solitude in daily life and avoids social support or company
solitary
vsloner
1 7.2

A person who lives alone and avoids the company of others

prefers being alone and also avoids asking for help or company
lone hand
vsloner
7.7

A person who prefers to act or be alone without help

prefers solitude generally and avoids both company and assistance
withdrawer
vsloner
9.0

A person who avoids social contact and prefers being alone

prefers being alone but not necessarily as a habitual social withdrawal
solitudinarian
vsloner
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who chooses to live alone away from other people

prefers being alone more generally rather than formally choosing social exile
cave dweller
vsloner
7.4

A person who lives alone and avoids meeting other people

prefers solitude in a neutral sense rather than as a nickname or label

Antonyms

29 6.7

A person well known in high society who often goes to parties

1 3.5

A person who works with others to reach a shared goal

How Solitary

hermit
35 6.1
recluse
22 7.8
loner
79 4.2
introvert
21 5.1

Surface Forms

loner singular
loners plural

Morphology

loner = lone (transparent) = lone + er

Formed by adding the agentive suffix '-er' to the adjective 'lone'; the meaning 'a person who is solitary' follows directly.

Etymology

Loner comes from the word lone, meaning 'alone', plus the ending -er, meaning 'one who'. So a loner is someone who prefers to be by themselves and avoids being with others.