recluse

1 of 2

adjective

re·​cluse ˈre-ˌklüs  ri-ˈklüs 

ˈre-ˌklüz

: marked by withdrawal from society : solitary

recluse

2 of 2

noun

: 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.

Synonyms of recluse

Noun

• hermit

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

Noun

For the last six years, Six has lived as a recluse in Amsterdam, lying in bed and going out twice a day for decaf coffee (the regular brew is too hard on his shattered nerves). — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, previously known as Prince Andrew, has become a recluse since he was arrested on his 66th birthday back in February. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 10 Aug. 2026

Not surprisingly, playing a Mormon missionary, even one being psychologically tortured by a creepy English recluse, was not a huge stretch for Thatcher. — Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026

Guardians players struggle to understand how Clase, a bit of a recluse, kept it cool. — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 28 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French reclus, literally, shut away, from Late Latin reclusus, past participle of recludere to shut up, from Latin re- + claudere to close — more at close entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing recluse

• brown recluse spider

Rhymes for recluse

• abstruse
• abuse
• adduce
• atreus
• caboose
• cayuse
• conduce
• deduce
• diffuse
• disuse
• excuse
• footloose

Kids Definition

recluse

noun

re·​cluse

ˈrek-ˌlüs, 

ri-ˈklüs

: a person who lives away from others

reclusive

ri-ˈklü-siv, 

-ziv

adjective