art
art — noun
1. the process of creating things such as pictures, songs, or sculptures, often to
the process of creating things such as pictures, songs, or sculptures, often to share emotions or to make something pleasing to look at or listen to.
Hana turned to art after her grandmother died, painting flowers every evening.
art as an emotional outlet
For Beatriz, art is a way to show what she cannot say with words.
art as expression: 'a way to'
Children learn early that art can be messy, loud, and full of colour.
The festival celebrates art from twenty different countries each summer.
Music, dance, and painting all count as art in this museum.
- creativity
the underlying ability rather than the activity itself
- artistry
stresses the skill behind the creative act
用法筆記
Always uncountable in this sense. Distinguish from sense 2 (focused on visual practice) by its broader scope: any creative making across media counts here.
常見錯誤
2. the practical work of painting, drawing, or shaping objects, especially as a hob
the practical work of painting, drawing, or shaping objects, especially as a hobby or as something you study at school.
Citlali has been good at art since she was six years old.
be good at art (school subject usage)
The school cut funding for art and replaced it with extra maths lessons.
Leila enjoys art on rainy weekends, mostly drawing her cat.
Mr. Patel teaches art to year-seven pupils in the new studio.
Many universities now offer art alongside design and photography.
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense centres on visual making (paint, pencil, clay) rather than the broader idea of creative expression. Common in school contexts ('art class', 'art teacher').
常見錯誤
3. the actual physical pieces that artists make — for example pictures hanging on w
the actual physical pieces that artists make — for example pictures hanging on walls, sculptures in a park, or prints on display.
The walls of Aunt Rosa's flat are covered with art she bought in Mexico.
art as physical objects on display
Thieves stole art worth two million dollars from the gallery last night.
art + worth + value
The hotel lobby displays art by local students every September.
Nina collects art that shows scenes from everyday Tokyo street life.
Most of the art in this room dates from the 1920s.
用法筆記
Refers to the finished objects themselves (paintings, sculptures, prints), not the act of making them (sense 1) or studying them (sense 2). Often paired with verbs of ownership, display, or theft (collect, display, sell, steal).
常見錯誤
4. creative fields like music, theatre, dance, and painting taken together as a who
creative fields like music, theatre, dance, and painting taken together as a whole — often the focus of public funding or cultural policy.
The new mayor promised to spend more public money on the arts.
spend on the arts (funding context)
Many young people choose careers in the arts despite the low pay.
careers in the arts
The arts have suffered badly since the theatre closed in 2019.
Lily writes a weekly column about the arts for a local paper.
After the festival, Bilbao saw the arts bring tourists back to its quiet streets.
- culture
broader; also covers food, customs, beliefs, not only creative output
- humanities
academic angle; literature and history rather than performance
- the sciences
the standard contrast, especially in education and funding talk
文法句型
the arts
用法筆記
Almost always preceded by 'the'. Used as a collective umbrella term covering music, theatre, dance, literature, and visual arts together. Distinguish from sense 5: 'an art' = one specific form; 'the arts' = all of them grouped.
常見錯誤
5. a particular type of creative activity that follows its own traditions and metho
a particular type of creative activity that follows its own traditions and methods, such as ballet, opera, or filmmaking.
Calligraphy is an art that takes decades to master, according to Master Wu.
an art (countable, with article)
At the Paris film school, Professor Leclerc reminded students that cinema is a young art compared to poetry.
comparing different arts
The festival honours traditional arts from across Southeast Asia.
In her review of the Tate exhibition, Helena treated photography as a serious art rather than a craft.
Kenji spent the afternoon teaching origami, calling it a quiet art that demands patient hands.
- discipline
broader; covers academic fields too, not just creative ones
- craft
stresses skill and tradition, often with practical use
文法句型
a + adjective + art
用法筆記
Countable in this sense — takes 'a/an' or plural 'arts'. Distinguish from sense 4 (the umbrella collective 'the arts'): here you talk about ONE specific named art form (calligraphy, opera, etc.).
常見錯誤
6. school or university subjects that focus on language, history, philosophy, and s
school or university subjects that focus on language, history, philosophy, and similar topics rather than on laboratory science or maths.
Daniel chose the arts because he loved Spanish and history more than chemistry.
the arts (school grouping)
Liberal arts students at Brown read widely across many fields.
liberal arts (collocation)
My sister studies arts and my brother studies sciences.
The arts faculty moved to a new building beside the river.
Marco's high school dropped Latin and the arts to focus on the sciences and engineering.
- humanities
near-identical in academic talk, often preferred in US universities
- liberal arts
American term; broader, includes some social sciences
- sciences
the standard pairing in school timetables and degree types
用法筆記
Always plural in this sense. Distinguish from sense 4 ('the arts' as creative culture): here the contrast is academic (arts vs sciences) — typical degrees include English, history, philosophy. Common in 'arts faculty', 'arts degree', 'liberal arts'.
常見錯誤
7. a difficult skill that takes long practice to do really well, especially one tha
a difficult skill that takes long practice to do really well, especially one that involves judgement or feeling rather than fixed rules.
During the heated board meeting, Priya showed the art of knowing when to stay quiet.
the art of + -ing
Dr. Xander calls listening to patients an art, not a routine task.
art vs routine (judgement-based)
Folding a fitted sheet neatly is an art my mother has perfected.
After breaking the vase, Sam learned the art of apologising without making excuses.
The art of polite refusal kept Helena out of many awkward dinners.
- science
contrast: 'science' suggests fixed rules; 'art' suggests intuition
文法句型
the art of + -ing
用法筆記
Countable; almost always singular. The pattern 'the art of + -ing' is fixed and very common. Distinguish from sense 5 (named art forms like opera): here we mean any difficult human skill, often everyday or social.
常見錯誤
art — verb
1. an old-fashioned form of 'are', used after 'thou' (meaning 'you') in old plays,
an old-fashioned form of 'are', used after 'thou' (meaning 'you') in old plays, the King James Bible, and very formal poetry.
Romeo says, "Thou art my lady, thou art my love," in the famous balcony scene.
thou art (archaic)
The prayer begins, "Our Father, who art in heaven," in the older English version.
fixed religious phrasing
Modern poets sometimes write "thou art beautiful" for a deliberately old feel.
Hamlet asks, "Where art thou now?" in his famous speech to a friend.
- are
the modern equivalent for all second-person uses
文法句型
thou art
用法筆記
No longer used in everyday English. Survives only in Shakespeare, the King James Bible (e.g. 'Our Father, who art in heaven'), older hymns, and conscious literary stylings. Always paired with 'thou' as subject.