solitude
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the state of being alone, especially when you choose it because you want to be quiet or peaceful.
the state of being alone or solitary; often implies a voluntary and desirable condition of peaceful isolation.
Simple“After a busy week at work, she enjoyed the solitude of her garden.”
In context“The writer retreated to a remote cabin in the mountains, seeking the solitude necessary to finish her final chapters without interruption.”
PitfallHe felt very solitude in the big house. He felt very lonely in the big house.Solitude is a noun, not an adjective. Use 'lonely' or 'solitary' to describe a feeling or a person.
Antonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
a place that is far away from other people and very quiet.
a lonely, unfrequented, or deserted place. Often used in literary contexts to describe vast, empty landscapes.
Simple“The explorer wandered through the vast solitudes of the Arctic.”
In context“The poem describes the traveler's journey through the deep solitudes of the desert, where no bird sang and no water flowed.”
Synonyms
“As the astronauts pass behind the Moon they will experience a moment of silence and solitude as communication with the Earth is blocked.”
From Middle English solitude, from Old French solitude. By surface analysis, sole + -itude.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.