loner

noun

lon·​er ˈlō-nər How to pronounce loner (audio)
1
: one that avoids others: such as
a
: a person who is often alone or likes to be alone : someone who usually avoids the company of others
He is a moody loner who doesn't become chummy with anyone.Sam Moses
Many rowers will agree that sculling is a sport for loners who relish the more quixotic elements of the sport.D. C. Churbuck
… she found that the image of the scientist as an antisocial loner is a myth …Warren E. Leary
b
: a typically solitary animal
Black bears are loners and usually wander by themselves in search of food.Mark Carwardine
Despite the fact they are loners, cats do have a well-organized social system based on scent marks and mutual avoidance.Fiona Sunquist
2

Examples of loner in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But they’re expertly threaded in, suggesting how a creative loner can experience flare-ups of imagination when the world reveals itself. Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2024 While having an anti-social personality can be a trait serial killers display, a common myth is that all serial killers are loners. Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for loner 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'loner.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of loner was in 1947

Dictionary Entries Near loner

Cite this Entry

“Loner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loner. Accessed 29 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

loner

noun
lon·​er ˈlō-nər How to pronounce loner (audio)
: one that avoids others
especially : individualist sense 1

More from Merriam-Webster on loner

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