alone

[uh-lohn] /əˈloʊn/
adjective, (used predicatively)
1.
separate, apart, or isolated from others:
I want to be alone.
2.
to the exclusion of all others or all else:
One cannot live by bread alone.
3.
unique; unequaled; unexcelled:
He is alone among his peers in devotion to duty.
adverb
4.
solitarily; solely:
She prefers to live alone.
5.
only; exclusively.
6.
without aid or help:
The baby let go of the side of the crib and stood alone.
Idioms
7.
leave alone,
  1. to allow (someone) to be by himself or herself:
    Leave him alone—he wants to rest.
  2. to refrain from annoying or interfering with:
    The youngsters wouldn't leave the dog alone, and he finally turned on them.
8.
let alone,
  1. to refrain from annoying or interfering with.
  2. not to mention:
    He was too tired to walk, let alone run.
9.
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.
Origin
1250-1300; Middle English al one all (wholly) one
Related forms
aloneness, noun
Synonyms
1. single, solitary; unaccompanied, unattended. 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.
Antonyms
1. accompanied.
Usage note
7, 8. See leave1.
Examples from the web for alone
  • To be ill and alone requires far more advanced planning than is required of those who live with their families.
  • Technology is taking away our privacy and our concentration, but it is also taking away our ability to be alone.
  • They may be tempted to go it alone and pump even more oil in order to keep prices in check before a rise in seasonal demand.
  • What happens afterwards is your business and yours alone.
  • If the aroma of sweet loaves baking in a warm kitchen during the holidays stirs happy memories, you aren't alone.
  • Nor, if the expansion stumbles, can they prop it up alone.
  • Tigers live alone and aggressively scent-mark large territories to keep their rivals away.
  • We're not going to have any search for scapegoats the final responsibilities of any failure are mine, and mine alone.
  • Hunt suspected that humans alone could not destroy the forests this quickly.
  • When the seasonal bounty is this gorgeous, it's best to leave well enough alone.
British Dictionary definitions for alone

alone

/əˈləʊn/
adjective, adverb (postpositive)
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, leave be, let alone, let be, to refrain from annoying or interfering with
6.
leave well alone, leave well enough alone, let well alone, 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
Word Origin
Old English al one, literally: all (entirely) one
Word Origin and History for alone
adj., adv.

c.1300 contraction of all ane, from Old English all ana "unaccompanied, all by oneself," from all "all, wholly" (see all) + an "one" (see one). Similar compounds are found in German (allein) and Dutch (alleen).

Slang definitions & phrases for alone

alone

Related Terms

go it alone


Idioms and Phrases with alone

alone

see: