single
gb/sˈɪŋɡəl/ us/sˈɪŋɡəl/
A2
English
~ 600
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A2
state
1
Not married or dating
Not having a husband, wife, boyfriend, or girlfriend.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is single
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'single' with 'alone', but 'single' refers to relationship status, not physical presence.
Synonyms
unmarried (Focuses on legal marital status, without implying anything about dating.)
Antonyms
married (Refers to someone who has a spouse.)
Collocations
single person
|single man
|single woman
|remain single
|still single
Themes
relationships
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She has been single for three years.
- He enjoys the freedom of being single.
- Many single people live in the city center.
Learner examples
- I am single.
- My brother is single.
- She is happy to be single.
adjective
A2
property
2
Only one; not multiple
Only one thing; not more than one.
Usage pattern:
a single [noun]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse 'one' instead of 'single' for emphasis; 'single' can stress uniqueness or limitation.
Synonyms
one (Numerical value; strictly denotes quantity.)
Antonyms
multiple (More than one in number.)
Collocations
single ticket
|single item
|single step
|single room
Themes
numbers
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
|quantity
Examples
- He won by a single point.
- We have only a single copy left.
- She didn’t say a single word.
Learner examples
- I have a single pen.
- He bought a single apple.
- We saw a single bird.
Noun
B1
entity
3
Song released alone
One song that is sold or shared alone, not as part of an album.
Usage pattern:
release a single
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'single' (song) with 'album', which contains many songs.
Synonyms
track (General term for a song on an album or recording.)
Collocations
hit single
|debut single
|release a single
Themes
music
|entertainment
|arts_entertainment
|communication
Examples
- The band’s new single is already topping the charts.
- She released her first single last year.
- That song was their most successful single.
Learner examples
- I like her new single.
- They released a new single yesterday.
- This is my favorite single from the singer.
Noun
B2
entity
4
Baseball hit to first base
In baseball, when you hit the ball and get to first base safely.
Usage pattern:
hit a single
Collocations
hit a single
|line-drive single
Themes
sports
Examples
- He hit a single to left field.
- The player’s single brought in two runs.
- She got on base with a clean single.
Learner examples
- He hit a single in the game.
- The player made a single to first base.
- She got to first base with a single.
Noun
A2
entity
5
Room for one person
A hotel room for one person.
Usage pattern:
book a single
Synonyms
single room (Full phrase form; exactly same meaning.)
Antonyms
double room (A hotel room for two people.)
Collocations
book a single
|single occupancy
Themes
travel
|housing
Examples
- I’d like to reserve a single for two nights.
- The hotel offers singles and doubles.
- He stayed in a small single near the station.
Learner examples
- We booked a single at the hotel.
- I want a single for one night.
- She stayed in a small single.
Grammar
Dictionary form
single
IPA
GB/sˈɪŋɡəl/
US/sˈɪŋɡəl/
Syllables & stress
single (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (single)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: single
Noun
- Base: single
- Plural: singles
Word family
Forms
singles
noun
Core family
singular
adjective B2
Related words
singly
adverb
single-handedly
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
multiple
adjective A2
married
adjective
Advanced or less common
single-minded
adjective
singularly
adverb C1
Expressions
every single time
1/ˈɛvɹi sˈɪŋɡəl tˈaɪm/
fixed phrase
On all occasions without fail
Used to emphasize that something happens on all occasions, without fail.
Examples
- He forgets his keys every single time he leaves the house.
- I get nervous before speaking in public every single time.
not a single
1/nˈɑt ə sˈɪŋɡəl/
fixed phrase
Not even one present
Used to emphasize that there is none of something at all.
Examples
- There wasn’t a single mistake in her essay.
- He didn’t say a single word during dinner.
single out
1/sˈɪŋɡəl ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
Choose one from group
To choose one person or thing from a group for special attention or treatment.
Examples
- The teacher singled out Maria for her excellent work.
- He was singled out for extra security checks.
every single
1/ˈɛvɹi sˈɪŋɡəl/
fixed phrase
Emphasizing all without exception
Used to show that you mean all of something, with no exceptions at all.
Examples
- I checked every single detail before signing the contract.
- I read every single page of that book.
- She called me every single day while I was away.
- She called me every single day last week.