: marked by withdrawal from society : solitary
: a person who leads a secluded or solitary life
Did you know?
Greta Garbo and Howard Hughes were two of the most famously reclusive celebrities of modern times. She had been a great international star, called the most beautiful woman in the world; he had been an aircraft manufacturer and film producer, with one of the greatest fortunes in the world. It seems that Garbo's reclusiveness resulted from her desire to leave her public with only the youthful image of her face. Hughes was terrified of germs, though that was the least of his problems.
Examples of recluse in a Sentence
Noun
My neighbor is a recluse—I only see him about once a year.
he was sick of cities and crowds, so he decided to go live by himself in the woods as a recluse
Recent Examples on the Web
Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 June 2025
This includes brown and black widows and brown recluse.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 14 June 2025
Now a recluse with only the company of a maid and a tutor, Kyle becomes infatuated with a former classmate, Lindy Taylor (Vanessa Hudgens).
—Francesca Gariano, People.com, 1 May 2025
Summit, June 10 Image So Far Gone by Jess Walter
Rhys Kinnick, a journalist and a recluse, is living off the grid in the woods near Spokane, Wash., when his grandchildren are kidnapped by thugs.
—Laura Thompson, New York Times, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for recluse
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Noun
Even in the best of times the 31-year-old is a bit of a recluse, and rather shy.
—Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 June 2025
This includes brown and black widows and brown recluse.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 14 June 2025
Now a recluse with only the company of a maid and a tutor, Kyle becomes infatuated with a former classmate, Lindy Taylor (Vanessa Hudgens).
—Francesca Gariano, People.com, 1 May 2025
Summit, June 10 Image So Far Gone by Jess Walter
Rhys Kinnick, a journalist and a recluse, is living off the grid in the woods near Spokane, Wash., when his grandchildren are kidnapped by thugs.
—Laura Thompson, New York Times, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for recluse
Cite this Entry
“Recluse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recluse. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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