solo
solo — adjective
1. done or experienced by one person without anyone else being present, helping, or
done or experienced by one person without anyone else being present, helping, or sharing the activity.
Romi decided to start a solo career after spending ten years in a band.
collocation: solo career
The solo traveler booked a room in a quiet guesthouse near the coast.
Élise prefers solo hiking trips because they let her set her own pace.
Karim gave a solo presentation to the board without any rehearsal.
Living alone for the first time felt like a quiet solo adventure.
- alone
predicative only — 'she is alone' but not 'an alone traveler'; solo works attributively
- solitary
more literary; suggests long-term isolation rather than a chosen independent activity
- unaccompanied
formal; used especially for travel or music, implying no companion or escort
- group
as in group activity or group trip
- accompanied
formal antonym; used especially for travel or performances
用法筆記
Common in compound nouns such as solo artist, solo traveler, and solo parent — all describing someone who does something alone that is usually done with others.
常見錯誤
2. written or intended for a single musician or singer to play or sing, with the re
written or intended for a single musician or singer to play or sing, with the rest of the group staying in the background.
Michael learned a solo piece by Bach for the spring recital.
collocation: solo piece
The choir director asked for a solo voice to sing the opening line.
Yumi practiced the solo passage in the violin concerto every evening.
The cellist prepared a solo sonata for her audition at the conservatory.
- unaccompanied
specifies no instrumental accompaniment at all, whereas solo may allow background support
- recital
only as noun — a recital is a whole concert of solo pieces
常見錯誤
3. in baseball, describing a home run that scores exactly one run because no other
in baseball, describing a home run that scores exactly one run because no other batter is on base when the ball is hit.
Christopher hit a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning.
collocation: solo home run
The pitcher gave up a solo shot in the seventh, but his team stayed ahead.
informal: solo shot = solo home run
Three solo homers in one game is unusual even for a power hitter.
With two outs and nobody on base, the batter crushed a solo homer into left field.
- solo homer
shortened, informal form
- solo shot
informal baseball jargon
用法筆記
The noun home run is often dropped in informal baseball writing: 'He hit a solo in the fifth.'
solo — noun
1. a piece of music or a section within a larger work that is performed by a single
a piece of music or a section within a larger work that is performed by a single singer or instrumentalist, whether with or without background accompaniment.
Sana performed a piano solo at the school concert last Friday.
collocation: piano solo
The trumpet solo in the jazz piece brought the crowd to their feet.
After the duet, Faisal played a short solo on the oud.
Mayumi practiced the violin solo until her fingers were sore.
Each band member took a solo during the final song of the night.
用法筆記
The noun is often modified by the instrument name: guitar solo, drum solo, vocal solo. In popular music, a solo usually involves improvisation.
常見錯誤
2. an action, flight, or performance carried out by one person without help, partne
an action, flight, or performance carried out by one person without help, partners, or supervision — especially a student pilot's first unaided flight.
After twenty lessons with the instructor, Karim finally completed his first solo.
pattern: first solo (student pilot)
The mountaineer attempted a solo of the north face without a support team.
pattern: a solo of [mountain/route]
Christopher's solo as a trainee pilot lasted only forty-five minutes but felt like hours.
Nia announced her intention to attempt a solo across the Atlantic in a small sailboat.
- unaided effort
emphasises doing something without equipment or support, not just without people
- team effort
an activity requiring multiple people
- group outing
casual; an activity done together socially rather than alone
用法筆記
Frequently used in aviation ('my first solo') and mountaineering ('a solo of Everest') where the activity normally involves a team or instructor.
solo — verb
1. to perform a solo section of music while the rest of the band, orchestra, or rhy
to perform a solo section of music while the rest of the band, orchestra, or rhythm section plays behind you.
Nia soloed on the saxophone during the middle section of the jazz piece.
pattern: solo on [instrument]
The bassist rarely solos at live shows, but when she does, the crowd goes quiet.
Yumi soloed brilliantly on the koto during the festival concert in Kyoto.
When the drummer soloed, the guitarist and bassist stopped playing and watched.
- improvise
not all solos are improvised, but in jazz and rock the two terms often overlap
- take a solo
periphrastic verb phrase; 'take a solo' is more common in conversational English
文法句型
solo + on + instrument
用法筆記
Commonly followed by on + instrument ('soloed on the trumpet') or left unspecified when the instrument is obvious from context.
2. to do something demanding alone or without the help that is normally expected —
to do something demanding alone or without the help that is normally expected — especially flying an aircraft without an instructor or climbing without a team.
Eli soloed across the Atlantic in a small sailboat at the age of twenty-two.
After months of training, Trang soloed the mountain via the north-east ridge.
transitive use: soloed the mountain
The young pilot soloed for the first time on a clear Tuesday morning.
Dahlia soloed the entire hike along the rugged coastal trail without a guide.
- go it alone
idiomatic; broader — can apply to business or life, not just physical challenges
- team up
to join others to accomplish a task together
文法句型
solo (intransitive)
solo + noun phrase (transitive: fly a plane, climb a mountain)
用法筆記
As a transitive verb ('soloed the mountain') the object is the challenge itself (mountain, route, ocean). As an intransitive verb ('soloed for the first time') it most often refers to a student pilot's first unaided flight.
常見錯誤
solo — adverb
1. in a way that involves doing something alone, without anyone else present or off
in a way that involves doing something alone, without anyone else present or offering help.
After three sessions with the instructor, Mayumi flew solo for the first time.
collocation: fly solo
The artist prefers to work solo, without any assistants in the studio.
Christopher traveled solo across Southeast Asia for six months after university.
Kasia decided to go solo and start her own design company.
The old fisherman had spent most of his life working solo on the open ocean.
- alone
similar meaning but placed after the verb; 'travel alone' vs 'travel solo' — solo sounds more intentional and positive
- independently
formal; emphasises the freedom of action rather than the absence of others
用法筆記
Go solo is a very common fixed expression used both literally (travel alone) and figuratively (start a business independently).
常見錯誤
2. in a musical performance, singing or playing without any other voices or instrum
in a musical performance, singing or playing without any other voices or instruments accompanying you.
The choir sang the final verse solo, without the organ playing behind them.
For the bridge of the song, the bassoon played solo over a quiet string section.
The soprano sang solo during the most dramatic moment of the opera.
After the orchestra fell silent, Asher continued to play solo for eight bars.
- unaccompanied
more formal; common in classical music scores and programme notes
- with accompaniment
with other instruments or voices providing support
用法筆記
When used in musical contexts, solo as an adverb is positioned after the main verb: sing solo, play solo, perform solo. Distinguish from the adjective use (a solo passage) where the word comes before the noun.