lonely figure; solitary shadow
Literary or poetic term evoking a solitary person, often with a sense of loneliness or isolation. Commonly used in descriptive or reflective contexts.
In the twilight streets, his lonely figure stretched long.
孤影悄然として立ち尽くす。
He stood there, a solitary figure in deep dejection.
lonely and dejected; alone and crestfallen
Compound of 孤 (ko, 'alone, orphan') and 影 (ei, 'shadow, figure'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination naturally yields the meaning 'lonely figure'.