avatar

avatar — noun

1. a small picture or cartoon figure chosen by a user to stand in for them inside a

1.名詞B2
釋義

a small picture or cartoon figure chosen by a user to stand in for them inside an online game, chat app, or social media profile; the user can usually customise its look and, in games, control where it goes.

例句

Mei picked a smiling fox as her avatar on the children's reading app.

pick/choose + [animal/character] + as + possessive avatar

Players can dress their avatars in armour, hats, and glowing wings.

plural avatars as game characters

同義詞
  • profile picture

    the photo on a social profile; usually a real photo, while an avatar is often a drawing or character

  • icon

    any small identifying image; broader than avatar and not always tied to one user

  • character

    in games, the figure you control; overlaps with avatar but emphasises the in-game role

文法句型

choose/create/use an avatar

用法筆記

Almost always introduced with a possessive (my/your/her/their avatar) or with a verb of choosing or creating. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is everyday and digital; sense 2 is religious and rare in conversation.

常見錯誤

❌I made an avatar of me.
✅I made an avatar of myself.
💡use the reflexive when the avatar represents the speaker.
❌Please send me your avatar number.
✅Please send me your avatar.
💡an avatar is the picture itself, not a code or number.

2. in Hindu belief, the human or animal body that a god takes when stepping down fr

2.名詞C1
釋義

in Hindu belief, the human or animal body that a god takes when stepping down from heaven to live among people on earth — for example, the prince Rama and the cowherd boy Krishna are both said to be avatars of the god Vishnu.

例句

Hindus honour Rama as an avatar of Vishnu who came to defeat evil on earth.

an avatar of + [deity name]

The temple wall shows the ten avatars of Vishnu, including a fish and a turtle.

the [number] avatars of + [deity]

同義詞
  • incarnation

    broader; used across many religions for a god taking bodily form

  • manifestation

    any visible form a deity takes, including non-physical signs; less concrete than avatar

文法句型

an avatar of [deity]

用法筆記

Mostly appears in writing about religion, mythology, or Indian culture. Often pre-modified by a number (the ten avatars) or by an adjective describing the form. Distinguish from sense 1: this avatar is a divine being in flesh, not a digital picture.

常見錯誤

❌Jesus is the avatar of God in Christianity.
✅Jesus is the incarnation of God in Christianity.
💡'avatar' in the religious sense is used for Hindu and related traditions, not Christian theology.