alone
adjective /əˈləʊn/
/əˈləʊn/
[not before noun] adverbIdioms - without any other people
- not alone in Tom is not alone in finding Rick hard to work with.
- be alone with somebody/something She did not want to be alone with him.
- He was afraid of being alone with his thoughts.
- He lives alone.
- She was sitting all alone in the hall.
- Finally the two of us were alone together.
- I don't like going out alone at night.
Which Word? alone / on your own / by yourself / lonely / lonealone / on your own / by yourself / lonely / lone- Alone, and on your own/by yourself (which are less formal and are the normal phrases used in spoken English), describe a person or thing that is separate from others. They do not mean that the person is unhappy:
- I like being alone in the house.
- I’m going to London by myself next week.
- I want to finish this on my own (= without anyone’s help).
- Lone/solitary/single mean that there is only one person or thing there; lone and solitary may sometimes suggest that the speaker thinks the person involved is lonely:
- a lone jogger in the park
- long, solitary walks
- Lonely (North American English also lonesome) means that you are alone and sad:
- a lonely child
- Sam was very lonely when he first moved to New York.
- a lonely house
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- sit
- stand
- …
- very much
- all
- completely
- …
- with
- without the help of other people or things
- It's hard bringing up children alone.
- The assassin said he had acted alone.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- sit
- stand
- …
- very much
- all
- completely
- …
- with
- lonely and unhappy or without any friends
- Carol felt all alone in the world.
- I've been so alone since you went away.
Extra ExamplesTopics Feelingsb1- He felt lost and completely alone.
- I felt vulnerable and very much alone.
- I've never felt so alone as I do now.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- sit
- stand
- …
- very much
- all
- completely
- …
- with
- used after a noun or pronoun to show that the person or thing mentioned is the only one
- You can't blame anyone else; you alone made the decision.
- used after a noun or pronoun to emphasize one particular thing
- The shoes alone cost £200.
More Like This Adjectives that do not come before a nounAdjectives that do not come before a noun- afloat
- addicted
- afraid
- alike
- alive
- alone
- ashamed
- asleep
- awake
Word OriginMiddle English: from all + one.
Idioms
go it alone
- to do something without help from anyone
- Andrew decided to go it alone and start his own business.
leave/let somebody alone
- to stop annoying somebody or trying to get their attention
- She's asked to be left alone but the press photographers follow her everywhere.
- Don't touch me! Leave me alone!
leave/let something alone
- to stop touching, changing, or moving something
- I've told you before—leave my things alone!
let alone
- used after a statement to emphasize that because the first thing is not true or possible, the next thing cannot be true or possible either
- There isn't enough room for us, let alone any guests.
- I didn’t have any clothes, let alone a passport.
stand alone
- to be independent or not connected with other people, organizations or ideas
- These islands are too small to stand alone as independent states.
- The problems that research is designed to solve do not stand alone, but are part of a wider context.
- to be not near other objects or buildings
- The arch once stood alone at the entrance to the castle.
time (alone) will tell | only time will tell
- (saying) used to say that you will have to wait for some time to find out the result of a situation
- Only time will tell if the treatment has been successful.