bass

bass — noun

1. the deep end of the musical scale, covering the notes that sound lowest whether

1.名詞B2
釋義

the deep end of the musical scale, covering the notes that sound lowest whether they are played on instruments or sung by voices.

例句

The cellos and tubas carry the bass through the slow opening movement.

uncountable: carry / play the bass

Mr. Park taught the choir how to keep the bass steady under the melody.

bass under / beneath the melody

同義詞
  • low end

    informal; often used by sound engineers

  • bottom end

    casual studio talk for the lowest part of the mix

反義詞
  • treble

    the high end of the musical range; direct opposite

用法筆記

Almost always uncountable in this sense. Distinguish from sense 2 (a particular male singer) and sense 3 (low frequencies coming from a speaker).

常見錯誤

❌I love the basses of this song.
✅I love the bass of this song.
💡for the low range of music, bass is uncountable, not pluralised.

2. a male singer whose natural voice reaches the very lowest notes a man can comfor

2.名詞B2
釋義

a male singer whose natural voice reaches the very lowest notes a man can comfortably produce, or that voice itself.

例句

Greta has been singing as a bass in the church choir since she was sixteen.

sing as a bass

The opera house hired a Russian bass to perform the role of the king.

hire / cast a bass

同義詞
  • basso

    Italian-origin term used in opera contexts

  • bass-baritone

    narrower; a singer who covers both bass and lower baritone

反義詞
  • tenor

    the high adult male voice

  • soprano

    the high adult female voice

用法筆記

Countable. Refers only to adult male voices; the female equivalent is contralto. Distinguish from sense 1, where bass is uncountable and refers to the part rather than the singer.

常見錯誤

❌She sings bass in the choir.
✅She sings alto in the choir.
💡bass labels the lowest male voice; women use alto or contralto for low parts.

3. the deep, rumbling sound that comes out of a stereo, headphones, or other audio

3.名詞B1
釋義

the deep, rumbling sound that comes out of a stereo, headphones, or other audio equipment when low frequencies are played.

例句

Priya turned up the bass until the floor of her apartment started to shake.

turn up / down the bass

These cheap earbuds have almost no bass, so songs sound flat.

have / lack bass (audio quality)

同義詞
  • low frequencies

    technical audio-engineering term for the same thing

  • lows

    shortened, common in producer and DJ talk

反義詞
  • treble

    the high-frequency output of a speaker

用法筆記

Always uncountable. Pairs naturally with treble (high frequencies). Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about the sound a device produces, not the musical part being performed.

常見錯誤

❌My phone speaker has good basses.
✅My phone speaker has good bass.
💡for audio output, bass takes no plural even when describing multiple devices.

4. a tall, four-stringed electric guitar tuned an octave below a normal one, used i

4.名詞B1
釋義

a tall, four-stringed electric guitar tuned an octave below a normal one, used in bands to lock in with the drums and add a deep pulse.

例句

Jamal bought a second-hand bass and started practising in his bedroom every night.

buy / play a bass (countable)

The bass holds the rhythm together while the guitarist improvises a solo.

the bass holds the rhythm

同義詞

用法筆記

Often shortened from 'bass guitar'. Like other instruments, it is uncountable after 'play' (play bass) but countable when referring to a specific instrument (bought a bass, two basses on stage).

常見錯誤

❌He plays the bass guitar with six strings.
✅He plays bass guitar with four strings.
💡a standard bass has four strings, not six (five- and six-string basses exist but are not the default).

5. the biggest bowed string instrument in an orchestra, often taller than the playe

5.名詞B2
釋義

the biggest bowed string instrument in an orchestra, often taller than the player, that produces the deepest notes among the violin's relatives.

例句

Two musicians struggled to load the bass into the back of a small van.

load / carry a bass (large instrument)

The jazz bass at the back of the stage gave the band its warm, walking rhythm.

jazz bass (acoustic upright in jazz)

同義詞
  • double bass

    the unambiguous full name; preferred in classical contexts

  • upright bass

    common in jazz and folk to distinguish from the electric bass

  • contrabass

    formal term used in orchestral scores

用法筆記

Often called the double bass or upright bass to distinguish from the electric bass guitar in sense 4. Players either bow it (classical) or pluck it (jazz).

常見錯誤

❌She carried the small bass on her shoulder.
✅She carried the small cello on her shoulder.
💡a double bass is too tall to carry on a shoulder; learners often confuse it with the cello.

6. any of several spiny-finned fish, found both in the sea and in lakes and rivers,

6.名詞B2
釋義

any of several spiny-finned fish, found both in the sea and in lakes and rivers, that anglers catch for sport and people cook as a meal.

例句

Diego caught two large bass at the lake before sunrise on Saturday.

catch a bass / two bass (zero plural)

The chef grilled the bass with lemon, garlic, and a sprig of fresh rosemary.

grill / fry / bake bass

同義詞
  • sea bass

    the saltwater varieties, common on restaurant menus

  • largemouth

    informal short name for largemouth bass, popular with US anglers

用法筆記

This sense is pronounced /bæs/ (rhymes with 'gas'), unlike the music senses which are pronounced /beɪs/ (rhymes with 'face'). The plural is usually 'bass' (zero plural), not 'basses'.

常見錯誤

❌We caught five basses yesterday.
✅We caught five bass yesterday.
💡like 'fish' and 'deer', the fish sense of bass keeps the same form in the plural.

bass — adjective