lone wolf

[ lohn woo lf ]
/ ˈloʊn ˈwʊlf /

noun

a person who prefers to live, act, or work alone or independent of others.
a criminal who acts alone (often used attributively): lone-wolf terrorists.

Origin of lone wolf

An Americanism dating back to 1905–10

Example sentences from the Web for lone wolf

British Dictionary definitions for lone wolf

lone wolf

noun

a person who prefers to be alone

Idioms and Phrases with lone wolf

lone wolf

A person who prefers to do without the company or assistance of others. For example, Her nursery school teacher described Beth as a lone wolf, an assessment her parents found astonishing. This expression alludes to the tendency of some species of wolf to hunt alone rather than in packs. [c. 1900]