friendless
/'frendlis/
Definition
Adjective: - Lacking friends; having no friends: Describes a person who does not have any friends or companions. - Socially isolated; excluded from companionship or society: Describes a state of being alone and not included in social groups or activities.
Usage
The adjective "friendless" is used to describe a person's social condition. It often carries a tone of pity, loneliness, or social exclusion. It typically follows a linking verb like "be," "feel," or "seem." - She felt utterly friendless in the new city. - The old man lived a friendless existence.
Examples
- After moving to a new school, the shy boy was friendless for several weeks.
- The novel's protagonist is a friendless wanderer searching for connection.
- He realized, with a pang of sadness, that he was friendless in his hour of need.
Advanced Usage
- "to be left friendless": to be abandoned or end up without friends.
- After the scandal, he was left friendless by his former associates.
- "a friendless state/condition": a situation or period characterized by having no friends.
- The memoir detailed his descent into a friendless state after his retirement.
Variants and Related Words
- Friendlessness (noun): The state or condition of having no friends.
- The friendlessness of the elderly in big cities is a growing concern.
Synonyms
- Alone: Being by oneself, but not necessarily unhappy about it.
- Lonely: Sad because one has no friends or company. (Emphasizes the emotional state.)
- Forsaken: Abandoned or deserted. (Stronger, implies betrayal.)
- Isolated: Separated from others, often physically or socially.
- Companionless: Without a companion. (More formal/literary)
Antonyms
- Popular: Liked, admired, or enjoyed by many people.
- Sociable: Willing to talk and engage in activities with other people.
- Gregarious: Fond of company; sociable.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- A friendless soul: A person who has no friends. (Often used in a literary or sympathetic context.)
- The charity aims to help friendless souls in our community.
- To die friendless: To pass away with no friends or loved ones.
- It was his greatest fear to die friendless and forgotten.
Adjective
-
excluded from a society
Khám phá thêm
Các từ liên quan
Từ đồng nghĩa
Từ tương tự
Từ chứa "friendless"
