Lovelorn
/ˈlʌv.lɔːrn/noun
Deeply sad or forlorn because of unreturned or lost love.
Did you know?Lovelorn is a poetic compound from Old English roots, and its second element is the same ancient word behind *forlorn*—originally meaning abandoned, ruined, or utterly forsaken.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
lufu
“love, affection, desire”
Old English
OE
forloren
“lost, ruined, abandoned”
Middle English
ME
lovelorn
“forsaken in love; love-sick”
16th Century
English
lovelorn
“deserted or forsaken by a lover; suffering from unreturned love”
Modern English
English
lovelorn
“deeply sad because of lost or unreturned love”