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
Sam MosesMany rowers will agree that sculling is a sport for loners who relish the more quixotic elements of the sport.—D. C. Churbuck
D. C. Churbuck… she found that the image of the scientist as an antisocial loner is a myth …—Warren E. Leary
Warren E. Leary
b
: a typically solitary animal
Black bears are loners and usually wander by themselves in search of food.—Mark Carwardine
Mark CarwardineDespite the fact they are loners, cats do have a well-organized social system based on scent marks and mutual avoidance.—Fiona Sunquist
Fiona SunquistSynonyms
Examples of loner in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Directed by newcomer Abhinandan Banerjee, the film tells the story of Manik, a loner in Kolkata who forms an unlikely bond with a cloud.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Aug. 2024
In this case, the gunman was a loner who had researched the Democratic National Convention, President Biden and Trump, Rowe said.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 30 July 2024
Wray also said Wednesday that many people described Crooks in interviews as a loner.
—Chris Kenning, USA TODAY, 27 July 2024
Trump sustained an injury to his right ear before a counter sniper took out Crooks at the July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Crooks, 20, has been described as a loner and an avid gamer without clear political loyalties.
—Rebecca Rosenberg, Fox News, 20 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for loner 
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Aug. 2024
In this case, the gunman was a loner who had researched the Democratic National Convention, President Biden and Trump, Rowe said.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 30 July 2024
Wray also said Wednesday that many people described Crooks in interviews as a loner.
—Chris Kenning, USA TODAY, 27 July 2024
Trump sustained an injury to his right ear before a counter sniper took out Crooks at the July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Crooks, 20, has been described as a loner and an avid gamer without clear political loyalties.
—Rebecca Rosenberg, Fox News, 20 July 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.
Dictionary Entries Near loner
Cite this Entry
“Loner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loner. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
loner
noun
lon·er
ˈlō-nər 
: one that avoids others
especially
: individualist sense 1
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