cherub

IPA/ˈtʃerəb/
KK[tʃˈɛrəb]IPA/ˈtʃerəb/

cherub — noun

  • cherubsingular
  • cherubsplural

1. In Christian art and painting, a winged being that is given the appearance of a

1.名詞B2
釋義

In Christian art and painting, a winged being that is given the appearance of a plump baby or young child with a cheerful, innocent face.

例句

Renaissance painters often included a chubby cherub in their religious scenes.

collocation: chubby cherub

The fresco showed three cherubs floating above the newborn baby Jesus.

同義詞
  • angel

    a general term for any heavenly messenger; cherub is a specific subtype with a distinct appearance

  • seraph

    a higher-ranking angel in religious tradition, depicted with six wings rather than a childlike form

  • putto

    a secular Renaissance figure that looks identical to a cherub but represents a non-religious, decorative child (plural: putti)

文法句型

cherub (singular noun)

cherubs / cherubim (plural)

用法筆記

Plural can be cherubs (everyday English) or cherubim (formal, used in religious or theological contexts). In art criticism, a group of similar winged-child figures is often called putti.

常見錯誤

❌A cherubim flew down from heaven.
✅A cherub flew down from heaven.
💡cherubim is already a plural form; use cherub for the singular.
❌The painting shows several cherubim angels.
✅The painting shows several cherubs.
💡cherub already means a type of angel; adding 'angel' is redundant.

2. A small child who has a pleasant, innocent face and behaves in a gentle, obedien

2.名詞B1
釋義

A small child who has a pleasant, innocent face and behaves in a gentle, obedient, or kind way — used especially when an adult is speaking fondly about them.

例句

Mrs. Hasan calls her daughter a cherub because the girl is always cheerful and kind.

metaphorical use: 'cherub' for a well-behaved child

The kindergarten teacher called Leo a cherub after he helped tidy up the toys.

同義詞
  • angel

    the most common metaphorical term for a very good or sweet child; slightly broader and more frequent than cherub

  • darling

    focuses more on being loved or adorable than on good behaviour specifically

  • sweetheart

    a very common term of endearment for any loved person, not limited to children

反義詞
  • brat

    a badly-behaved or annoying child, the opposite of a cherub

文法句型

a little cherub

a real cherub

常見錯誤

❌My son is a cherub, always breaking things.
✅My son is a little cherub when he behaves well.
💡calling a child a cherub when they are misbehaving creates a contradiction.
❌The cherub is six years old and very naughty.
✅The cherub is six years old and very sweet.
💡cherub implies good behaviour; pairing it with 'naughty' sounds jarring.