alone, solitary, lonely, lonesome, lone, forlorn, desolate mean isolated from others.

alone stresses the objective fact of being by oneself with slighter notion of emotional involvement than most of the remaining terms.

solitary may indicate isolation as a chosen course

but more often it suggests sadness and a sense of loss.

lonely adds to solitary a suggestion of longing for companionship.

lonesome heightens the suggestion of sadness and poignancy.

lone may replace lonely or lonesome but typically is as objective as alone.

forlorn stresses dejection, woe, and listlessness at separation from one held dear.

desolate implies inconsolable grief at loss or bereavement.

dismal, dreary, bleak, gloomy, cheerless, desolate mean devoid of cheer or comfort.

dismal indicates extreme and utterly depressing gloominess.

dreary, often interchangeable with dismal, emphasizes discouragement resulting from sustained dullness or futility.

bleak suggests chill, dull, and barren characteristics that utterly dishearten.

gloomy often suggests lack of hope or promise.

cheerless stresses absence of anything cheering.

desolate adds an element of utter remoteness or lack of human contact to any already disheartening aspect.