Idiom – A Lone Wolf

A Lone Wolf – Idiom of the Day

Meaning:

1. A very independent and/or solitary person; one who enjoys spending time alone.
2. A terrorist or criminal who acts alone rather than as part of an organisation.

Origin:

The expression was first used in the early 20th century. It relates to the literal meaning of wolf, which is a dog-like type of animal. Wolves are famous for living in packs. Therefore, a lone wolf is one that, for whatever reason, has no pack.

Examples:

1. I was always a lone wolf in high school, which led me to be overly social in college.
2. Sometimes the idiocy of humans makes me want to check out of society and be a lone wolf.
3. We do not know who hacked the stock exchange yet. No organisation has stepped forward to take responsibility so far. Authorities are thinking a lone wolf may be behind this.
4. The bombing at the mall couldn’t be successfully executed by a lone wolf. I’m sure someone was helping him, probably an insider.
5. You can’t get a girlfriend with your lone wolf personality. You need to go out and meet people.
6. I always thought Ricardo was a lone wolf until I saw him at work today. He was chatting up every one of his co-workers and they were all mesmerized by his charisma.