| 单词 | meaning |
| 释义 | meaningmeaning /ˈminɪŋ/ ●●● S2 W2 noun 1OF A WORD/SIGN ETC. [countable, uncountable] the thing or idea that a word, expression, or sign represents: The same symbol can have more than one meaning.meaning of You can look up the meaning of a word in a dictionary.THESAURUSsignificance – the meaning and importance of something: We suddenly realized the significance of what Dad was saying – his new job meant we were moving to Chicago.sense – one of the meanings of a word or phrase, when there are different possible meanings: We are going to be talking about “power” in the military sense of the word.definition – a phrase or sentence that says exactly what a word, phrase, or idea means: I didn’t know what “confirmation” meant so I looked for a definition in the dictionary.denotation formal – denotation means the same as meaning, but is used in formal language or linguistics: The denotation of the word “home” is the place where you live.connotation formal – an idea or feeling that a word makes you think of, in addition to its basic meaning: The word “childish” has negative connotations, but the word “childlike” sounds more positive.nuance formal – a very slight difference in the meaning of something that is difficult to notice: It is hard to translate some of the nuances of meaning into another language.2IDEAS IN SPEECH/BOOK ETC. [countable, uncountable] the thoughts or ideas that someone intends to express when he or she says something, writes a book, makes a movie, etc.: His meaning was clear – we’d lost our jobs.meaning of When I first read it, I didn’t get the meaning of the poem. The teacher talked about the deeper meaning of the story with the class.3PURPOSE/SPECIAL QUALITY [uncountable] the quality that makes life, work, etc. seem to have a purpose and value: I want my life to have meaning. Taking care of her family gave meaning to Bessy’s life. Life seemed to have lost its meaning since her husband’s death. Her education had no meaning for her anymore. For many people, it is religion that gives meaning to their lives.4TRUE NATURE [uncountable] the true nature and importance of something: meaning of We want our children to remember the true meaning of Christmas.5what’s the meaning of this? spoken used to demand an explanation: What’s the meaning of this? I asked you to be here an hour ago!6(not) know the meaning of something to have experience and understanding of a particular situation or feeling, or to not have this: He’s the sort of guy who doesn’t know the meaning of fear.COLLOCATIONS– Meanings 1 & 2verbshave a meaning The same word may have several different meanings.take on a meaning (=begin to have a new meaning) The word “chaos” has taken on a special scientific meaning.understand the meaning The pictures help the children understand the meaning of the words.know the meaning Do you know the meaning of the word “paraphrase”?get somebody’s meaning (=understand what someone is saying in an indirect way) He’s not like other people, if you get my meaning.grasp the meaning (=begin to understand the meaning) She suddenly grasped the meaning of his frantic gestures.carry meaning (also convey meaning formal) (=express a meaning) In conversation, even a pause may carry meaning.adjectivesa different meaning A single gesture can actually have different meanings.several/various/multiple meanings The word “free” has multiple meanings.a precise/specific/exact meaning The term “stress” has a precise meaning to an engineer.a hidden meaning She felt there was a hidden meaning behind his words.double meanings (=two meanings at the same time) The poem was full of double meanings: it seemed to be about spring, but it was also about sex.the literal meaning The literal meaning of “telephone” is “far-away sound.”the figurative/metaphorical meaning (=different from its usual or basic meaning) The class discussed both the literal and figurative meanings of the poem.a symbolic meaning (=representing an idea) Colors often have symbolic meanings; for example, black signifies grief in Western cultures.original meaning The original meaning of the word has changed.ordinary meaning They are a “nuisance” in the ordinary meaning, not the legal meaning, of that word.the same meaning The two words have almost the same meaning.somebody’s/something’s true/real meaning Children understand the true meaning of these words. |
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