fatherly

fatherly — adjective

1. describing a man or his actions that show the kindness, care, warmth, and protec

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describing a man or his actions that show the kindness, care, warmth, and protective concern people expect from a good father

例句

Marco gave Shirin a fatherly hug when she was upset about failing her exam.

collocation: fatherly hug

The coach put a fatherly hand on the young player's shoulder after the match.

collocation: fatherly hand

同義詞
  • paternal

    more formal; can describe biological relation (paternal uncle) whereas fatherly strictly describes warm, protective behaviour

  • protective

    narrower — focuses only on shielding from harm, missing the warmth and guidance that fatherly includes

  • caring

    broader and gender-neutral; fatherly specifically evokes the father role

  • kindly

    softer and less specific — a kindly neighbour is just nice, whereas a fatherly neighbour has protective warmth

反義詞
  • unfatherly

    direct antonym — describes behaviour that is cold, harsh, or neglectful

  • cold

    opposite of the warmth implied by fatherly

文法句型

fatherly + noun (advice, hug, smile, concern, hand)

用法筆記

Unlike paternal, which can refer to biological relation or the father's side of the family (paternal grandparents), fatherly always describes a caring, protective quality or manner. Common with nouns denoting gestures, expressions, or guidance (hug, hand, advice, smile, concern).

常見錯誤

❌She gave him a fatherly hug.
✅Marco gave him a fatherly hug.
💡fatherly describes male behaviour; use it for men, not women.
❌His fatherly grandparents live in Japan.
✅His paternal grandparents live in Japan.
💡fatherly refers to kindness, not biological lineage.
❌My boss gave me some fatherly orders.
✅My boss gave me some fatherly advice.
💡fatherly collocates naturally with warmth and guidance (advice, concern), not with commands (orders).