cave dweller
1
7.4
- noun
- /keɪv ˈdwɛlər/
- He is a true cave dweller!
Examples
-
Many cave dwellers prefer living away from the city.
-
After years of isolation, he became a true cave dweller, rarely venturing out to meet anyone.
-
After moving to the remote village, he lived as a cave dweller, rarely visiting the town.
-
During the pandemic, she joked that she had become a cave dweller and barely talked to anyone.
-
My friends tease me for being a cave dweller because I enjoy spending weekends alone at home.
-
Many people consider him a cave dweller because he prefers to spend his nights alone at home rather than going out.
-
She identified with the cave dwellers in literature, valuing solitude over social gatherings.
Synonyms
67
4.2
A person who prefers to be alone and avoids spending time with others
30
6.1
A person who lives alone away from other people, often for religious reasons
20
7.8
A person who lives alone and avoids other people
15
5.1
A person who prefers being alone or small groups and feels tired by social activity
12
9.6
A person who spends most of their time alone and has little social life
9
9.9
A person who lives in a cave or who lives apart from others and is old-fashioned
7
5.5
A person who likes to stay at home rather than go out
1
7.2
A person who lives alone and avoids the company of others
1
8.2
A person who stays indoors, often in a basement, and spends much time gaming on the internet
1
9.9
A person who lives alone for religious reasons, often in the Christian faith
1
9.9
A person who spends most time online and has little social life
1
9.0
A person who avoids social contact and prefers being alone
A person who chooses to live alone away from other people
A person who spends most time alone and does not go out with friends
Antonyms
How Reclusive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally built from 'cave' (a subterranean chamber) + 'dweller' (resident), so learners will easily infer a literal meaning 'someone who lives in a cave'; the figurative sense 'a recluse or someone who avoids social contact' is a metaphorical extension of that literal image. Because the idiomatic, evaluative nuance (recluse/ socially withdrawn) requires recognizing the metaphorical use rather than strict composition, it is only partly predictable for a B1 learner.
Etymology
Cave dweller paints a picture of someone living alone in a cave, away from other people. That's why people use it to mean 'a person who prefers to be alone'.