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View synonyms for alone

alone

[ uh-lohn ]

adjective

  1. separate, apart, or isolated from others:

    I want to be alone.

    Synonyms: unattended, unaccompanied, solitary, single

  2. to the exclusion of all others or all else:

    One cannot live by bread alone.

  3. He is alone among his peers in devotion to duty.



adverb

  1. solitarily; solo:

    She prefers to live alone.

  2. You alone hold the key to your happiness.

  3. without aid or help:

    The baby let go of the side of the crib and stood alone.

alone

/ əˈləʊn /

adjective

  1. apart from another or others; solitary
  2. without anyone or anything else

    one man alone could lift it

  3. without equal; unique

    he stands alone in the field of microbiology

  4. to the exclusion of others; only

    she alone believed him

  5. leave alone or leave be or let alone or let be
    to refrain from annoying or interfering with
  6. leave well alone or leave well enough alone or let well alone or let well enough alone
    to refrain from interfering with something that is satisfactory
  7. let alone
    much less; not to mention

    he can't afford beer, let alone whisky

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Usage Note

See leave 1.
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Other Words From

  • a·lone·ness noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of alone1

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English al one all (in the sense “wholly”) one
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Word History and Origins

Origin of alone1

Old English al one, literally: all (entirely) one
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. leave / let well enough alone, to be satisfied with the existing situation; refrain from attempting to change conditions:

    Marriages are often destroyed by relatives who will not let well enough alone.

  2. leave alone. leave 1( def 18 ).
  3. let alone. let 1( def 16 ).

More idioms and phrases containing alone

see go it alone ; leave someone alone ; leave well enough alone ; let alone .
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Synonym Study

Alone, lone, lonely, lonesome all imply being without companionship or association. Alone is colorless unless reinforced by all; it then suggests solitariness or desolation: alone in the house; all alone on an island. Lone is somewhat poetic or is intended humorously: a lone sentinel. Lonely implies a sad or disquieting feeling of isolation. Lonesome connotes emotion, a longing for companionship.
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Example Sentences

He will explain that the UK is not alone in having this problem, which he says also affects other parts of Europe, but notes that the US has "a better story to tell".

From BBC

International recruitment has also fallen, with overall visa applications down by about 16% this year, and 20% fewer applications from India alone.

From BBC

On a business trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in February 1989, she was unnerved to find she had been booked to travel alone with Al Fayed and to stay in his hotel suite, while the rest of his entourage were staying in a separate accommodation.

From BBC

He said Mr Stockton called 999 shortly after he was left alone with Charlie in a "trusted position of responsibility" on the morning of 12 January, to say the boy had become "lifeless and floppy".

From BBC

The minister said the government was committed to protecting the most vulnerable through the 25% discount on council tax for people who live alone and other support schemes.

From BBC

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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