one-man
/'wʌnmæn/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Involving, performed by, or consisting of only one person: Used to describe an activity, performance, or object designed for or executed by a single individual.
- Operated or controlled by a single person: Describes a system, business, or operation run solely by one individual.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- He started a one-man campaign to clean up the local park.
- The one-man band played the guitar, harmonica, and drums simultaneously.
- It was essentially a one-man operation until the business grew.
Advanced Usage
- "one-man show": A performance, such as a play or comedy act, carried out by a single performer.
- The actor received critical acclaim for his powerful one-man show about a historical figure.
- "one-man army": (Informal/Idiomatic) A person who is exceptionally capable and achieves a lot alone, as if they were multiple people.
- In the startup's early days, the founder was a one-man army, handling development, marketing, and sales.
Variants and Related Words
- One-person (adj): A synonym often used interchangeably, especially to be gender-neutral (e.g., a one-person tent, a one-person committee).
- One-woman (adj): The feminine equivalent, used specifically when the single individual is a woman (e.g., a one-woman exhibition).
Synonyms
- Solo: Done by one person alone (e.g., a solo performance, a solo journey).
- Single-handed: Achieved by one person without help from others.
Related Phrases
- One-man band: Literally, a musician who plays multiple instruments simultaneously; figuratively, a person who runs every part of a small operation alone.
- As a freelance designer, developer, and writer, she's a real one-man band.
- One-man rule: A system of government or leadership where absolute power is held by a single person.
- The country suffered for decades under one-man rule.
Adjective
- designed for or restricted to a single person
- a one-man show
- a one-person tent
- Sarah Silverman's hilarious one-woman show