rhizoverbBeta
DictionarylornAbandoned and lonely
adjective

lorn

LORN/lɔrn/

Left alone and feeling desolate.

The lorn woman sits alone on the long, empty bench.

Woman alone on long empty bench.
Etymology
lornOld Englishto lose

Lorn comes from the past participle of leosan, 'to lose,' and originally meant 'lost' or 'ruined.' Being lost developed into being abandoned or left alone, giving the adjective its lonely, desolate sense.

More examples

  • The abandoned dog looks lorn beside the locked gate.
  • Without her closest friend, she feels utterly lorn.
  • He gives me a lorn look as I leave.

Forms

lorn

Similar words

forlorn
Forlorn more commonly describes someone pitifully lonely or abandoned.
lonely
Lonely emphasizes missing companionship, without necessarily suggesting abandonment.
desolate
Desolate suggests deeper emptiness and can also describe places.