adult
adult — noun
1. someone who is no longer a child — old enough to vote, marry, or be held respons
someone who is no longer a child — old enough to vote, marry, or be held responsible by law — or, of an animal, one that has finished growing.
Tickets cost $12 for adults and $6 for children under twelve.
countable noun: 'adults' contrasted with 'children'
By the time Imani turned eighteen, she was legally an adult in Taiwan.
be + an + adult (legal sense)
Adult elephants can weigh up to six tons and eat grass all day.
The swimming pool has separate sessions for adults and toddlers each morning.
Wairimu is the only adult living in the small wooden house by the lake.
用法筆記
Used for both humans and animals, but the legal-responsibility meaning applies only to people. With animals, the focus is on having reached full body size.
常見錯誤
adult — adjective
1. describes someone or an animal whose body has finished growing and reached its m
describes someone or an animal whose body has finished growing and reached its mature size.
An adult tiger can run faster than any human on the planet.
adult + animal noun
The clinic offers free check-ups to adult patients every Tuesday afternoon.
adult + human noun
Adult salmon swim back to the same river where they were born.
Most adult cats sleep for sixteen hours a day on average.
- grown-up
informal; mostly used about humans
- mature
stresses physical or mental development, not just age
- full-grown
stresses reaching maximum body size, often of animals
文法句型
adult + noun
用法筆記
Almost always used before a noun (attributive). You normally say 'she is an adult' (noun) rather than 'she is adult' for the same meaning.
常見錯誤
2. describes behaviour, decisions, or situations that fit a grown-up rather than a
describes behaviour, decisions, or situations that fit a grown-up rather than a child — calm, sensible, and aware of consequences.
Jamal handled the argument with her neighbour in a very adult way.
in an adult way / manner
Paying rent and cooking dinner are part of normal adult life.
adult + abstract noun (life, decisions, world)
Hiro made the adult decision to apologise to his sister first.
The teenagers handled the emergency in a calm, adult manner.
- mature
more common as a predicate; about emotional or mental level
- grown-up
informal; same range of meaning
- responsible
stresses awareness of duties and consequences
文法句型
adult + noun
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about MATURITY of behaviour or situation, not biological age. A teenager can act 'in an adult way'; a grown person can behave childishly.
常見錯誤
3. of films, magazines, websites, or shops — containing sexual images or content me
of films, magazines, websites, or shops — containing sexual images or content meant only for grown-ups, not for children.
Most streaming services keep adult content behind a separate password.
adult content / material / video
The bookshop on Wuchang Street has a small adult section in the back.
adult section / store
Parents can block adult websites using the router's family settings.
The new film carries an adult rating and is banned for under-eighteens.
- X-rated
informal; from old film-rating system
- pornographic
much more direct and explicit; not polite
- explicit
broader — covers strong language and violence too
- family-friendly
suitable for viewers of all ages
文法句型
adult + noun
用法筆記
A polite, neutral way to refer to pornographic material. Always before a noun in this sense — you cannot say 'this magazine is adult' to mean it is sexual; say 'this magazine has adult content'.