loneliness

Noun

loneliness (usually uncountable, plural lonelinesses)

1. (usually) A feeling of depression resulting from being alone or from having no companions.
   • The loneliness resulting from the loss of loved ones, lack of purpose in life, and social discrimination is a real inner hell.
   • Cecilia proposed to her the society of Henrietta, which, glad to catch at any thing that would break into her loneliness, she listened to with pleasure […]1782, Frances Burney, Cecilia, London: T. Payne, et al, Volume 5, Book 10, Chapter 5, p. 274

   Synonyms:

   ellingness, lonesomeness

2. (usually) The condition or state of being alone or having no companions.
   • Hitherto all things that have bin nam’d, were approv’d of God to be very good: lonelines is the first thing which Gods eye nam’d not good […]1645, John Milton, Tetrachordon, page 7
   • [I] was designing a piece of Landscape […] wherein I meant to expresse […] the beauties of the Vegetables, that do adorn that place, in the highest perfection I could: But presently after, being cast into Prison, I was deprived both of light and lonelinesse, two main helpers in that Art […]1657, Richard Ligon, A True & Exact History of the Island of Barbados, London: Humphrey Moseley, Dedicatory letter to the Bishop of Salisbury

   Synonyms:

   aloneness, friendlessness, isolation, loneness, onehead, oneship, onlyhood, onliness, seclusion, solitariness

3. (usually) The state of being unfrequented or devoid of human activity (of a place or time).
   • […] as she sat at her bed-side, indulging melancholy reveries, which the loneliness of the hour assisted […]1794, Ann Radcliffe, The Mysteries of Udolpho, London: G.G. & J. Robinson, Volume 4, Chapter 3, p. 50
   • In addition, the very loneliness of the road had its charm for him; since only at rare intervals is house seen by its side, and rarer still living creature encountered upon it.1877, Mayne Reid, chapter 4, in Gwen Wynn: A Romance of the Wye, volume 3, London: Tinsley Bros, page 34

   Synonyms:

   unfrequentedness

4. (obsolete, usually) A desire to be alone; disposition to solitude.
   • […] I see
     The mystery of your loneliness, and find
     Your salt tears’ head: now to all sense ’tis gross
     You love my son […]c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...