lone

lone — 形容詞

1. placed before a noun to describe a person or thing that is not accompanied by an

1.形容詞B1
釋義

獨自的

單獨一人，沒有同伴

placed before a noun to describe a person or thing that is not accompanied by anyone or anything else — for example, a lone runner on a beach or a lone lamp glowing in an empty street.

例句

A lone figure stood at the bus stop in the pouring rain.

雨中，一個獨自的身影站在公車站旁。

attributive lone + noun for a solitary person

Naoko spotted a lone bicycle parked outside the closed shop.

Naoko 注意到一輛獨自停放在關閉商店外的腳踏車。

同義詞
  • solitary

    more formal and often suggests deliberate choice, whereas lone is neutral

  • single

    broader than lone; single can mean 'one' in many contexts, while lone always emphasises being without company

  • unaccompanied

    more formal and mainly used for travel or performance contexts

反義詞
  • accompanied

    with someone else; the opposite of being without company

  • together

    describes a group acting as one, versus acting alone

文法句型

lone + noun (for a solitary person or thing)

用法筆記

This is the broadest and most frequent sense of lone. It describes physical aloneness without implying any emotional state — the person or thing simply happens to be the only one present.

常見錯誤

❌She felt lone in the big city.
✅She felt lonely in the big city.
💡lone is attributive (before a noun) and describes a fact, not a feeling. For the emotion of sadness from being alone, use lonely.

2. used before a noun such as 'parent', 'mother', or 'father' to describe someone r

2.形容詞B2
釋義

單親的

獨自撫養子女的家長

used before a noun such as 'parent', 'mother', or 'father' to describe someone raising their children with no spouse or domestic partner living in the household.

例句

The school offers after-class activities for children of lone parents.

這所學校為單親家庭的孩子提供課後活動。

lone parent — a common fixed phrase

Christopher works two jobs as a lone father raising three children.

Christopher 身為單親父親，做兩份工作來養育三個孩子。

同義詞
  • single

    the more common term in American English; single parent is preferred over lone parent in the US

  • solo

    less formal and sometimes used in journalism ('solo dad'), but not standard in official contexts

文法句型

lone + parent / mother / father

用法筆記

This sense is used mainly in British English. In American English, single parent is the standard term. The word lone does not suggest anything about the parent's feelings — it only describes the family structure.

常見錯誤

❌He is a lone father to his two cats.
✅He is a lone father to his two children.
💡lone parent/father/mother refers specifically to raising human children, not pets.

3. used before a role noun like 'voice', 'critic', or 'dissenter' to indicate that

3.形容詞B2
釋義

唯一的

唯一表達特定觀點的人

used before a role noun like 'voice', 'critic', or 'dissenter' to indicate that a single individual holds or voices a certain viewpoint while everyone else disagrees or stays quiet.

例句

Femi was the lone voice arguing against the new policy at the meeting.

Femi 是會議上唯一反對那項新政策的人。

lone voice — fixed phrase for a solitary opinion

The journalist became the lone critic of the government's decision.

那位記者成了唯一批評政府決策的人。

lone critic — the only person expressing disapproval

同義詞
  • sole

    more formal and simply means 'the only one'; lone adds a nuance of isolation and risk

  • only

    neutral and everyday; lone is more dramatic and emphasises standing apart from others

反義詞
  • unanimous

    when everyone agrees, nobody is a lone voice

文法句型

lone + voice / critic / dissenter / vote

用法筆記

This sense carries the implication of courage or isolation — the person is standing apart from the majority. It is almost always followed by a human role noun (voice, critic, dissenter) or a countable outcome (vote).

常見錯誤

❌He was a lone person who thought the plan was bad.
✅He was the lone voice criticising the plan.
💡this sense requires a specific role noun (voice, critic, dissenter), not a generic one (person).

4. placed before a noun to describe a person whose nature or habit is to be by them

4.形容詞B2
釋義

喜獨處

偏好獨處不喜群聚的個性

placed before a noun to describe a person whose nature or habit is to be by themselves, often because they enjoy their own company more than the company of others.

例句

Kian has always been a lone traveller, preferring to explore cities on his own.

Kian 向來是個喜歡獨自旅行的人，偏愛自己探索城市。

lone + role noun describing a solitude-seeking person

Brian is a lone worker who finishes his best projects without interruptions.

Brian 是那種喜歡獨自工作的人，不受干擾時能完成最好的作品。

同義詞
  • solitary

    overlaps heavily with lone in this sense but is more common for describing both people and animals

  • unsociable

    has a slightly negative tone (does not like others), whereas lone in this sense can be neutral or positive

  • independent

    broader and more positive; focuses on self-reliance rather than aloneness

反義詞
  • sociable

    someone who enjoys being with others

  • gregarious

    formal word for someone who loves company and groups

文法句型

lone + role noun (traveller, hiker, worker, soul)

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 describes a situation (being alone at a moment in time), while sense 4 describes a personality trait or lifestyle (choosing to be alone habitually). The noun that follows is typically a role the person has chosen (traveller, worker, resident), not a neutral identifier.

常見錯誤

❌My cat is a lone animal.
✅Cats are solitary animals.
💡lone is almost never used for animals; use solitary or alone instead.