| Main Entry: |
reclusive
|
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | unsociable |
| Synonyms: | antisocial, ascetic, cloistered, eremitic, hermetic, hermit-like, isolated, misanthropic, monastic, recluse, reserved, retiring, secluded, secluse, seclusive, sequestered, solitary, standoffish, withdrawn |
| Antonyms: | gregarious, sociable |
| Main Entry: | antisocial |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | nonparticipating; avoiding company |
| Synonyms: | alienated, ascetic, asocial, austere, cold, cynical, eremetic, hermitlike, introverted, misanthropic, reclusive, remote, reserved, retiring, solitary, standoffish, uncommunicative, unfriendly, unsociable, withdrawn |
| Notes: | to be antisocial is to be hostile to or disruptive of the established social order, marked by or engaging in behavior that violates accepted mores; while being unsociable means one is not disposed to seek the company of others or is reserved |
| Antonyms: | friendly, fun-loving, participating, sociable |
| Main Entry: | cloistered |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | secluded |
| Synonyms: | cloistral, confined, hermitic, hidden, insulated, recluse, reclusive, restricted, secluse, seclusive, sequestered, sheltered, shielded, shut off, withdrawn |
| Antonyms: | free, open, unsecluded |
| Main Entry: | introverted |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | reserved |
| Synonyms: | bashful, cautious, close-mouthed, cold*, collected, cool, demure, introspective, modest, offish, quiet, reclusive, restrained, secretive, shy, soft-spoken, solitary, standoffish, uncommunicative, withdrawn |
| Main Entry: | lonely |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | feeling friendless, forlorn |
| Synonyms: | abandoned, alone, apart, by oneself, comfortless, companionless, deserted, desolate, destitute, disconsolate, down, empty, estranged, forsaken, godforsaken, homeless, isolated, left, lone, lonesome, outcast, reclusive, rejected, renounced, secluded, single, solitary, troglodytic, unattended, unbefriended, uncherished, unsocial, withdrawn |
| Notes: | lonely adds to solitary a suggestion of longing for companionship, while lonesome heightens the suggestion of sadness; forlorn and desolate are even more isolated and sad |
| Antonyms: | befriended, loved, unlonely |
| Main Entry: | misanthropic |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | unsociable, cynical |
| Synonyms: | antisocial, egoistic, egotistical, eremitic, hating, inhumane, malevolent, misanthropical, reclusive, reserved, sarcastic, selfish, solitary, standoffish, unfriendly |
| Antonyms: | humanitarian, philanthropic, sociable |
| Main Entry: | reserved |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | silent, unsociable; constrained |
| Synonyms: | aloof, backward, bashful, cautious, ceremonious, close, close-mouthed, cold*, collected, composed, conventional, cool, demure, diffident, distant, eremitic, formal, frigid, gentle, icy*, mild, misanthropic, modest, noncommittal, offish, peaceful, placid, prim, quiet, reclusive, restrained, reticent, retiring, secretive, sedate, self-contained, serene, shy, soft-spoken, solitary, standoffish, taciturn, unapproachable, uncommunicative, uncompanionable, undemonstrative, unresponsive, withdrawn |
| Antonyms: | extroverted, friendly, outgoing, sociable |
| Main Entry: | retiring |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | shy, undemonstrative |
| Synonyms: | backward, bashful, coy, demure, diffident, humble, meek, modest, nongregarious, not forward, quiet, rabbity, recessive, reclusive, reserved, restrained, reticent, self-effacing, shrinking, timid, timorous, unaffable, unassertive, unassuming, unexpansive, unsociable, withdrawing, withdrawn |
| Antonyms: | demonstrative, extroverted, outgoing, self-confident |
| Main Entry: | secluded |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | isolated, sheltered |
| Synonyms: | abandoned, alone, aloof, beleaguered, blockaded, cloistered, close, closet, confidential, covert, cut off, deserted, hermetic, hidden, incommunicado, insular, isolate, lonely, lonesome, off the beaten track, out-of-the-way, personal, private, quarantined, quiet, reclusive, remote, removed, reserved, retired, screened, secluse, seclusive, secret, segregated, sequestered, shut off, shy, singular, solitary, tucked away, unapproachable, unfrequented, uninhabited, unsociable, withdrawn |
| Antonyms: | joining, mingling, open, public, sociable, socializing |