释义 |
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024im•per•fect /ɪmˈpɜrfɪkt/USA pronunciation adj. - of, relating to, or having defects or weaknesses:imperfect vision.
- lacking completeness:imperfect knowledge.
- Grammarof or naming a verb tense or form that shows a repeated, habitual, or continuing action or state in the past, or an action or state that was in progress at a point of reference in the past:The Spanish verb form hablaban, which means "they used to speak'' or "they were speaking,'' is in the imperfect tense.
n. [uncountable* usually: the + ~] - Grammarthe imperfect tense;
a verb form in this tense:Use the imperfect in the next two sentences. im•per•fect•ly, adv.: I spoke English imperfectly at first. im•per•fect•ness, n. [uncountable]See -fec-. WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024im•per•fect (im pûr′fikt),USA pronunciation adj. - of, pertaining to, or characterized by defects or weaknesses:imperfect vision.
- not perfect;
lacking completeness:imperfect knowledge. - Grammarnoting action or state still in process at some temporal point of reference, particularly in the past.
- Lawbeing without legal effect or support;
unenforceable. - Botany(of a flower) diclinous.
- Music and Danceof or relating to the interval of a major or minor third or sixth. Cf. perfect (def. 12a).
n. [Gram.] - Grammarthe imperfect tense.
- Grammaranother verb formation or construction with imperfect meaning.
- Grammara form in the imperfect, as Latin portābam, "I was carrying.''
- Latin, as above
- Middle French imparfait
- Latin imperfectus unfinished (see im-2, perfect); replacing Middle English imparfit
- 1300–50
im•per′fect•ly, adv. im•per′fect•ness, n. - 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged defective, faulty.
- 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged incomplete, underdeveloped; immature.
- 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged complete, developed.
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