The idea of living alone is a horror to most people. You may be one of them. However, there are people who not only live alone but choose to do so. Some even avoid people.
There are several reasons for a person to want to live alone and avoid people. Some of them have valid reasons. Some don’t seem to have a choice. Some, however, are driven by their beliefs which may be absurd to other people.
One of the best words for a person who lives alone and avoids other people is ‘Troglodyte’. We have similar words, formal and informal, for people who choose to be by themselves and shun the company of other people.
15 Words for Someone Who Lives Alone and Avoids People
A person who lives alone and avoids other people may naturally be that way. There are names for people who generally do this, irrespective of their reasons for doing so.
There are also words for people who do this for certain reasons. We have compiled 15 of the many words for a person who lives alone and avoids other people.
- Troglodyte
- Recluse
- Loner
- Solo
- Introvert
- Hermit (Eremite)
- Misfit
- Individualist
- Reactionary
- Reserved
- Offbeat
- Misanthrope
- Solitary
- Lone wolf.
- Nonconformist
Troglodyte
This is one of the best words that sum up living alone and avoiding people. However, it may be too extreme for the person you want to refer to. This word has several meanings.
One of them is for computer geniuses who stick with old-school technology rather than updating their software and staying in touch with technological advancements.
Another meaning of the word is for a caveman; a member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in holes and caves. The third meaning is for your friend who has decided to stay by himself or herself.
A Troglodyte is a reclusive person who is withdrawn from society. This refers to all persons who stay away from people. He/she is likely to live alone and avoid the company of others.
Example:
- Troglodytes are boring. How do they survive?
Recluse
If you have a friend who has decided to live alone, you can call him/her a recluse. This kind of person, however, doesn’t necessarily avoid people but this may be part of his/her characteristics.
This word is not as extreme as troglodyte but can be used to refer to extreme situations too. A recluse may be living alone for any reason.
As long as he/she has chosen to be isolated from society, you can call the person a Recluse. The word can also be used as an adjective for a person in temporary isolation.
A Recluse is a person who has isolated himself or herself from society. This is the kind of person who chooses to live alone and avoids the company of people. This can be either by choice or for a reason.
Example:
- He tried connecting with the Recluse but it was a waste of time.
Loner
This is another one of the few words that sum up living alone and avoiding the company of people, just like Troglodyte.
If you have a friend who enjoys being alone, you can call him/her a Loner. Just like a Recluse, a Loner doesn’t have to be extreme.
A loner may stay alone because he/she doesn’t have a choice. He/she may also do so only because he/she is used to the living conditions.
A loner is a person who is alone, lacking, or avoiding the company of others. This refers to a person who is in this situation with or without choice. When such a person gets used to being alone, He/she can be called a loner.
Example:
- All through my years in the city, I was a loner.
Solo
Here is an adjective for your friend who is doing things alone. This word is rarely as extreme as the others. Being an adjective, it is mostly used for temporary situations but can also refer to a person who has chosen to always be alone and without a companion.
This is mostly used during the performance of an activity i.e. a person is doing something solo. However, you can also call a person solo if he simply has no one to help him out or doesn’t accept help or companionship from others.
Solo refers to when a person works alone or does something alone. A solo person may not live alone. However, being solo means doing things alone. Therefore, he/she will most likely avoid people.
Example:
- He decides to be solo once in a while. Just give him time.
Introvert
You may be familiar with this word or with the people that it refers to. This kind of people are not extreme in their choices but they often avoid the company of others. They don’t necessarily live alone.
This has more to do with a preference which they can hardly control. Unlike extroverts who enjoy the company of people and are more vibrant in public, introverts would rather stay indoors and alone.
An Introvert is a person with a personality that is more inwardly than outwardly directed. This kind of person is considered more thoughtful than social, therefore it is natural for such a person to live alone and avoid the company of people.
Example:
- Leave him be. He is an Introvert.
Hermit (Eremite)
This is another word for a recluse. However, it is more specific than the word, ‘Recluse’. While Recluse can refer to every person who has chosen to live alone and isolate himself or herself from others, a Hermit is a word for a recluse who does so for religious reasons.
However, you can always use Hermit as an alternative name for a Recluse, even if the person being referred to isn’t religious at all.
A Hermit is a person who lives alone for religious reasons. This is also used as a metaphorical reference to a Recluse. Consider this a positive metaphor for referring to a person who avoids others.
Example:
- He is a Hermit. He can’t let us in his home till dusk.
Misfit
While referring to people who seclude themselves from society by choice, we can also acknowledge the existence of people who have been ostracized by society because of their behaviors.
We should also note that there are people who believe they can’t conform to society. If you have a friend who makes it seem as though he/she is hated by everyone, you can call him/her a misfit.
A misfit is a person who is set aside by society due to his/her absurd habits or behaviors. The word may also refer to a person who acts as though he/she is rejected by society.
This kind of person doesn’t fit in and will want to avoid the company of people.
Example:
- I am not a misfit. I just like to be alone.
Individualist
This is a different kind of person and can be compared to someone who goes solo by choice. An individualist may not live alone. He/she may also not avoid the company of others.
The point of being an individualist is to avoid situations where others can influence him/her. This is easier for him/her when alone and away from other people.
An individualist is a person who has a free spirit and refuses to be influenced by other people. This is a person who will most likely do things solo to avoid being disrupted by other people.
However, an individualist doesn’t necessarily live alone or avoid people.
Example:
- The young man is individualist but you can trust him to deliver.
Reactionary
A person who avoids the company of others may be a Reactionary. While the word isn’t for people who live alone or choose to be alone, this word is for a feature that may make a person want to be solo.
If you have a friend who is an individualist and refuses to adhere to changes in society, you can call him/her a Reactionary.
A Reactionary is a person who sticks to old rules and practices and refuses to conform to the changes in society.
This is a person who chooses to stick with himself or herself rather than join the civilization in society. This kind of person will likely avoid the company of people and may live alone.
Example:
- I have never met such a Reactionary. How can you be opposed to growth?
Reserved
Just like the words, ‘Introvert’ and ‘Reactionary’, ‘Reserved’ doesn’t encompass the act of living alone and avoiding the company of others. It refers to a characteristic in most people who live alone and avoid the company of people.
It is a major feature in Introverts but they are not necessarily the same. While introverts act freely when they are alone and no one is watching, Reserved people simply control their emotions and opinions in public.
A reserved person is one who is slow to reveal his/her emotions and opinions. A reserved person can be compared to an introvert who deals more with his/her thoughts before spewing them.
While a reserved person doesn’t necessarily live alone and avoid people, a person who lives alone and avoids people will most likely be reserved.
Example:
- He is more than just reserved. He seems to hate everyone in the neighborhood.
Offbeat
We have people who live alone because they have no choice. We also have people who would never choose to live with a person if the choice was available to them.
This is the right word for people who don’t want to stay up-to-date with societal trends. Not only is an Offbeat person against societal advancements but an Offbeat person can seclude himself or herself from society totally.
Meaning:
Offbeat is slang for a person who is unconventional and refuses to conform in whatever society he/she is in.
This kind of person secludes himself or herself to avoid being influenced by the people around him/her.
Example:
- I’ve known him for years and he has always been an offbeat. Somehow, the rules have never been comfortable for him.
Misanthrope
Have you ever wondered why people choose to be alone when they can have fun with others? If you are an introvert, you probably haven’t asked this question. Not only introverted people choose to be alone.
From the words clarified earlier, you may have learned several reasons for a person to choose a solitary life. However, there is another unpopular reason for some people to avoid the company of others.
This set of people are called Misanthropes and they abhor hatred for humanity.
A Misanthrope is someone who hates humanity or mankind. This person abstains from all humans due to his/her hatred for this. This hatred can be due to the cynic belief that all humans have a dark side.
His/her cynicism makes it hard to get along with other people. It is therefore more comfortable for him/her to live and do things alone.
Example:
- He’s the first and only Misanthrope I’ve met but he’s a really nice person. He just won’t let me in his home.
Solitary
You may consider this a longer word for Solo but it is popularly used differently. Solo is popularly used to refer to certain actions that are done without a team and without help from anyone.
Solitary is popularly used for a person who is forced to stay alone in a place. Both words however mean much more than that. Solitary can be used to refer to the choice of a recluse to stay indoors and away from other people.
A Solitary is a person who lives alone by choice or by force. Solitary often refers to a prisoner who is confined alone. However, Solitary can refer to anyone who is alone. He/she can choose to live alone. The word also refers to Hermits and Recluses.
Example:
- Is that the Solitary hanging out with the children? That is unlike him.
Lone wolf
This may be a longer term for a Loner. There are actual lone wolves i.e. a wolf that doesn’t move with a pack. This term is however used metaphorically to refer to a person who deliberately avoids the company of others. ‘Lone wolfer’ is an informal word for such person who acts alone. Both terms are informal.
A lone wolf is a person who is alone, without a team, and without a helper. A lone wolf is known to survive without help from others. He/she may have no choice but to work alone. He/she may also choose to stay away from others and accept help from no one. A person who does things alone is also called a ‘Lone wolfer’.
Example:
- He acts like a lone wolf, always shunning every offer of help. He is good at what he does, though.
Nonconformist
Here is another word for a person who is refusing to accept beliefs and practices that are publicly accepted. This characteristic is popular among people who choose to stay alone and avoid the company of others.
This word is often used for Christians who refuse to conform to the doctrine of an established church but it can be used for others too.
A nonconformist is a person who refuses to conform to accepted beliefs, customs, and practices. This kind of person avoids the company of others and can choose to live alone.
Example:
- He is a nonconformist. He makes his own rules.
Living alone can sound absurd to many but some people embrace this idea for certain reasons. There are several reasons a person may want to avoid the company of others. They include; religious reasons, cynicism, preference, etc.
A person who lives alone for religious reasons is called a Hermit. A person who lives alone due to cynicism can be called a Misanthrope.
A person who prefers to be alone rather than with other people can be an Introvert, Loner, or Solitary.
