Meaning & use
living soul
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
any person at all; used especially in negative sentences to mean no one.
Grammar: Often used with 'not a' or 'without': not a living soul, without a living soul. It is not used with 'a' in positive statements like 'a living soul came'.
Patterns
- not a living soul
- without a living soul
- there wasn't a living soul
There wasn't a living soul in the office when I arrived.
She walked through the empty streets without seeing a living soul.
phrasefixed phraseliterary
a person who is alive, especially in a literary or religious context.
Grammar: Used in more formal or literary writing: every living soul on earth.
Patterns
- every living soul
- all living souls
The preacher spoke to every living soul in the village.
He believed that every living soul deserved kindness.
Common combinations
- not a living soul
- I didn't see a living soul on the beach.
- without a living soul
- He spent the day alone, without a living soul to talk to.
- every living soul
- The whole town came out—every living soul was there.
- a living soul in sight
- There wasn't a living soul in sight.
Synonyms and how they differ
- anyone
- More general and neutral; 'living soul' is more emphatic and often used in negative sentences.
- a single person
- Similar emphasis on 'not even one', but less literary.
Word family
Commonly confused: living soul or soul?
living soul vs soul
On its own, 'soul' often refers to the spirit or to a type of music. 'Living soul' means a living person, usually in negative sentences.
Practice
When I got to the park, there wasn't ______ living soul around.
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase is 'not a living soul'. 'The' and 'any' do not fit the pattern, and 'some' is not used in negative sentences like this.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “living soul”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.