HERMIT Synonyms: 9 Similar and Opposite Words

hermit

noun

ˈhər-mət

Definition of hermit

as in recluse

a person who lives away from others St. Jerome is said to have spent two years as a hermit in the desert, searching for inner peace

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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 hermit In it, Day-Lewis plays a hermit in the North England woods who’s visited by an old friend (Sean Bean) sent to bring him back to his son. — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026 Seoul, South Korea — A young teenage girl shrouded in mystery and intrigue could very well be the next leader of the isolated hermit nation North Korea. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 13 Feb. 2026 At the same time, she becomes threatened by a minor scandal involving her dopey husband (Jack Lowden), all while dealing with her dysfunctional family, including the serial-cheater father (Woody Harrelson) who reenters her life and a brother (Spike Fearn) who has become something of a hermit. — Esther Zuckerman, Time, 12 Dec. 2025 His father essentially became a hermit. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hermit

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hermit

Noun

Today, Richards’s office on Rikers is situated in a small former chapel with a red brick steeple, across a stretch of lawn from the jail where he was once held in solitary.

— Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 11 May 2026
Now in his 40s, Frank has been in prison for almost his whole adult life, spending 17 years in solitary for assaulting two of his fellow inmates.

— Damon Wise, Deadline, 25 Jan. 2026

Definition of solitary

Noun

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

Definition of recluse

Browse Nearby Words

hermetism

hermit

hermitage

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“Hermit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hermit. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of hermit

noun

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