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
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Actually, everyone in the movie talks that way, but Brendan is still an outsider, a moody loner who cares more about cracking the case of his missing ex-girlfriend than fitting in at school. Ew Staff, EW.com, 3 Apr. 2025 Director David Ayer teams again with Statham after last year’s successful violent actioner, The Beekeeper, and the screenplay comes from him and none other than Sylvester Stallone, who no doubt likes the Rambo-ish loner-style resemblance to Cade. Pete Hammond, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2025 But as Elijah Bynum’s movie attests, being an isolated loner fits into the bodybuilding lifestyle as neatly as nesting dolls. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2025 The loner that everyone feels distrustful toward? Roya Backlund, StyleCaster, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for loner

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of loner was in 1947

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Cite this Entry

“Loner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loner. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

loner

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

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