singles
singles — adjective
1. not married and not having a romantic partner — describes a person's relationshi
not married and not having a romantic partner — describes a person's relationship status.
Sophie has been single since she moved to London for her new job.
collocation: be single
The dating app is designed to help single people meet others in their area.
collocation: single people
Ana enjoys being single because she can focus on her studies and travel.
Many single parents work very hard to provide for their children on their own.
The party is for single people only — couples are asked to come another time.
- unmarried
more formal and focuses strictly on legal marital status rather than dating
- unattached
slightly informal; suggests not being in a romantic relationship at all
用法筆記
Can also describe someone who is not currently dating anyone, not just someone who has never been married.
常見錯誤
2. one only — used to emphasise that there is just one of something, often with a n
one only — used to emphasise that there is just one of something, often with a negative or to highlight a small number.
The store sold a single ticket to the show before it was cancelled.
a single [noun] — emphasising just one
Not a single student in the class forgot to bring the homework on time.
not a single + [noun] — emphatic negative
There was not a single person in the room who disagreed with the proposal.
The team scored a single goal in the whole match and still managed to win.
He spent every single penny he had on a plane ticket to visit his grandmother.
文法句型
a single + [noun]
not a single + [noun] — emphatic negative
用法筆記
Often paired with a negative (not a single…) or with every (every single…) for strong emphasis. In affirmative sentences it simply means 'one'.
常見錯誤
3. considered separately and individually, not as part of a group — focusing on eac
considered separately and individually, not as part of a group — focusing on each item or person on its own.
The teacher spoke to every single student about their exam results personally.
every single [person] — focusing on each individual
Priya checked every single item on her travel packing list before leaving for the airport.
every single [item] — emphasising each unit separately
Omar recorded every single expense in a notebook to track his spending habits.
Mei-Lin organised every single photo from her trip into folders labelled by date and city.
No single person can solve a problem this big — it needs a whole team.
- individual
very close in meaning; individual is more common before nouns like 'person' or 'case'
- separate
stresses the division or distinction between items more strongly
- collective
relating to the whole group rather than its parts
- combined
joined together instead of treated separately
文法句型
a single + [abstract noun]
every single + [noun]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (ONLY ONE): sense 2 focuses on 'just one, not more', while this sense focuses on 'each one treated separately'. Compare: 'a single goal' (just one goal) vs 'every single goal' (each goal individually).
singles — noun
1. people without a husband or wife and not in a romantic relationship — the word o
people without a husband or wife and not in a romantic relationship — the word often appears when discussing social activities and dating for those who are not part of a couple.
The café near the park is a popular meeting place for singles in the city.
a ... place for singles
Many singles join dating websites to find people who share their interests.
A local community centre started a weekly social club for singles over fifty.
The hotel offers a special weekend package designed for singles who travel alone.
Yuki joined a hiking group for singles after her divorce and made several close friends.
- unmarried people
more formal and neutral, without social/dating connotations
- bachelor
only for men; slightly dated and often implies someone who avoids marriage
- bachelorette
only for women; used mainly in American English for social events
- couples
two people in a romantic relationship
- married people
people who have a spouse
文法句型
singles + [plural verb]
a singles [event/bar/club]
用法筆記
Always plural in this sense. The singular form 'a single' can be used but is less common; the phrase 'a single person' is more natural.
常見錯誤
2. a short recording that features one main song and often a few additional tracks,
a short recording that features one main song and often a few additional tracks, put out separately before or alongside a full collection of songs by an artist.
The band released a new single from their upcoming album last Friday.
release / put out a single
Lin's first single climbed to number three on the streaming charts within a week.
Zara's debut single reached number two on the charts within a month of its release.
Kwesi bought the single on vinyl because he loved the cover art as much as the music.
The singer's latest single has been played over ten million times on radio stations worldwide.
- track
a single song, not necessarily a separately released recording
- release
a more general word for any new recording that is made available
- EP (extended play)
a short album with more songs than a single but fewer than a full album
- album
a full-length collection of songs, longer than a single
文法句型
a single from + [artist/album]
release/put out a single
用法筆記
In the past, a single was a vinyl record with one song on each side. Today it refers to any standalone digital or physical release shorter than an album, typically one to four songs.
常見錯誤
3. a hit in baseball that allows the batter to safely reach first base without any
a hit in baseball that allows the batter to safely reach first base without any defensive error being made.
Pablo hit a single in the third inning and later scored on a double.
hit a single
The batter hit a soft single that landed in front of the outfielder.
With two runners already on base, a single could bring the score to a tie.
The coach taught the young players how to aim for a single rather than always swinging for a home run.
Chen hit three singles yesterday and helped the team win by a narrow margin.
- base hit
a broader term that includes singles, doubles, triples, and home runs
- one-base hit
a technical term used in baseball statistics
文法句型
hit a single
single to [position/field]
用法筆記
This sense is specific to baseball and its statistics. In casual conversation about baseball, people often just say 'hit' and the context makes it clear.
4. a sports match, especially in tennis or badminton, where one player competes aga
a sports match, especially in tennis or badminton, where one player competes against one other player on each side of the court.
Emma prefers playing singles because she can control the whole court herself.
play singles
The women's singles final at Wimbledon is one of the most watched tennis events each year.
men's/women's singles
Hyun-woo won the badminton singles tournament at his university's sports festival.
At Wimbledon, Svetlana's singles match lasted nearly three hours before she ran out of energy.
During a singles lesson, Coach Rivera showed a beginner how to move side to side.
- one-on-one
a general term for any game between two individuals; not specific to racket sports
- doubles
a match format with two players on each side
文法句型
play singles
a singles match
men's/women's singles
用法筆記
Usually used in the plural form (singles) even when referring to one match: 'a singles match', 'the singles final'. The singular 'a single' is not used in this sports sense.
常見錯誤
5. a room designed for one person to sleep in, especially in a hotel, hostel, or si
a room designed for one person to sleep in, especially in a hotel, hostel, or similar accommodation.
I booked a single at the Grand Hotel for my three-night stay in Kyoto.
book a single
Single rooms in this hostel cost less than half the price of a private double.
Farid asked for a single with a window facing the garden rather than the street.
The conference hotel had run out of singles, so Ana had to share a twin room.
Most singles in European hostels have a sink in the room but a shared bathroom down the hall.
- single room
the full form; more common in American English
文法句型
a single
book a single
single room
用法筆記
In British English, 'a single' commonly means a single room in a hotel. In American English, 'a single room' is more usual than just 'a single'.
常見錯誤
singles — verb
1. in baseball, to hit the ball and safely reach first base, making a single.
in baseball, to hit the ball and safely reach first base, making a single.
Diego singled to left field in the second inning, driving in a run.
single to [field position]
The shortstop singled twice in yesterday's game against the rival team.
If the catcher singles here, the winning run will come home from third base.
Kofi singled through the gap between first and second base to load the bases.
- get a hit
a general term for any successful hit; not limited to a single
- reach base
broader — can also happen through a walk or error, not just a hit
- strike out
to fail to hit the ball three times and be called out
- ground out
to hit the ball on the ground and be thrown out at first base
文法句型
single to [field position]
[player] singles
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in baseball contexts. The related noun form 'a single' (sense 3 of the noun entry) is much more common.