alone

a|lone

W1S2 [əˈləun US əˈloun] adj, adv [not before noun]

[Date: 1200-1300; Origin: all one 'wholly one']

1.) if you are alone in a place, there is no one with you

= ↑by yourself

▪ She lives alone .

▪ You shouldn't leave a child alone in the house.

▪ My wife and I like to spend time alone together away from the kids.

2.) without any friends or people you know

▪ It was scary being all alone in a strange city.

▪ She was all alone in the world (=she had no family or friends to help her or look after her) .

3.) feeling unhappy and lonely

▪ I cried like a child because I felt so alone .

4.) without any help from other people

▪ He was left to raise their two children alone.

5.) without including anything else

▪ The case will cost thousands of pounds in legal fees alone.

6.) you/he etc alone

used to emphasize that there is only one person who knows, can do something etc

▪ Julie alone knew the truth.

7.) go it alone

to start working or living on your own, especially after working or living with other people

▪ After years of working for a big company I decided to go it alone.

8.) leave sb alone

let sb alone old-fashioned

to stop annoying or interrupting someone

▪ 'Leave me alone!' she screamed.

9.) leave sth alone also let sth alone old-fashioned

to stop touching an object or changing something

▪ Leave those cakes alone. They're for the guests.

leave well (enough) alone

(=not change something that is satisfactory)

▪ In economic matters, they should leave well alone.

10.) be yours/hers/his etc alone

used to emphasize that something belongs to someone

▪ The responsibility is yours and yours alone.

11.) not be alone in (doing) sth

to not be the only person to do something

▪ You're not alone in feeling upset, believe me.

12.) stand alone

a) to be strong and independent

▪ the courage to stand alone

b) to be at a distance from other objects or buildings

▪ The house stood alone at the end of the road.