as in reserved
inclined or tending to avoid other people
The reclusive woman was more than happy to spend her day off reading and writing at home.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of reclusive
When layabout postman Jesper gets assigned to the frozen town of Smeerensburg with an ultimatum to process 6,000 letters, a reclusive toymaker might be his only hope.
—
K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 15 May 2026
Though many people come to far West Texas for its isolation—the Unabomber’s slightly less reclusive brother did a stint here in the eighties, living at first in a crude underground shelter—Miller said that immigration-enforcement agents have been an intrusive presence for many years.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
The film follows an unlikely angel who is sent from heaven to convince a reclusive man to give up his life for the greater good.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 13 May 2026
In the six-year break between shows, Castle became even more reclusive and unstable.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for reclusive
K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 15 May 2026
Though many people come to far West Texas for its isolation—the Unabomber’s slightly less reclusive brother did a stint here in the eighties, living at first in a crude underground shelter—Miller said that immigration-enforcement agents have been an intrusive presence for many years.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
The film follows an unlikely angel who is sent from heaven to convince a reclusive man to give up his life for the greater good.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 13 May 2026
In the six-year break between shows, Castle became even more reclusive and unstable.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for reclusive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reclusive
Adjective
-
Sprinkle with the reserved hazelnuts and the parsley, and drizzle with the pul biber oil.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
16 May 2026
-
The audiences there were more reserved and showed their appreciation at the end.—
Zama Magudulela,
Travel + Leisure,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
If the spring season is too dry, flowers and trees cut back on nectar production, causing bees to go hungry.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
20 May 2026
-
Whipping winds can quickly spread the flames, and with the dry brush blanketing hills across South Orange County, minutes matter.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
The film centers on a pickpocket who survives by exploiting the desires of closeted men, until his detached worldview is upended when one of his marks returns seeking closeness rather than settling scores.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 May 2026
-
This is one reason why a partner of someone with avoidant attachment may perceive their partner as emotionally unavailable, overly self-sufficient, detached or distant or resistant to commitment.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
There’s the youngest, most freewheeling son’s habit of swilling cold coffee while watching The Gong Show.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
Historically, extremely cold temperatures, near absolute zero, were used to put them in a quiet state, which required bulky and expensive systems.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Stanford-within-Stanford Baker exposes matters to you even if this exclusive core feels impossibly distant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
-
If all goes to plan, that prototype, known as Version 3 (V3,) will be the one to reach orbit and be capable of refueling midflight – a capability that will allow for distant missions into space.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
An introverted young boxer with incredible ability and skill who battles to overcome low confidence, high anxiety and stage fright in pursuit of her potential.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
19 May 2026
-
This reductive view of the world—women things bad, men things good—is the mirror image of the worst excesses of 2010s Tumblr feminism, when introverted teenage girls posted hashtags like #KillAllMen and drank from mugs that read MALE TEARS.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
His is a more enlightened era, but Hannes, lonely and withdrawn, doesn’t share his classmates’ interest in campus sit-ins and free love.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
-
Lost was the fact that a grid-connection request is just the start of a multiyear process that involves permitting and legal review and often ends in withdrawn or downsized projects.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Your favorite team probably doesn’t use them much, if at all, because they’re considered extremely difficult and most GMs are timid babies who are afraid of getting yelled at.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
That bill is a direct response to a Supreme Court that handed the executive branch a dangerous blank check and a Congress too timid to push back.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reclusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reclusive. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
