flu

flu — noun

1. a common viral infection that affects the respiratory system, causing a high tem

1.名詞A2
釋義

a common viral infection that affects the respiratory system, causing a high temperature, body aches, and severe tiredness

例句

Tamar has been in bed with the flu all week and missed her final exams.

collocation: in bed with the flu

The doctor said everyone in the house should get a flu shot before winter.

collocation: flu shot

同義詞
  • influenza

    the full medical name for the same illness; more formal than 'flu'

  • grippe

    an older, less common term for influenza; rarely used in modern English

文法句型

have/get/catch + the flu

flu + noun (as modifier)

用法筆記

Unlike most uncountable illness nouns, 'flu' is typically used with the definite article 'the' (the flu). In British English you may also hear 'have flu' without the article, but 'the flu' is common in all varieties. The informal phrase 'stomach flu' refers to a different condition involving vomiting and diarrhoea, not influenza.

常見錯誤

❌I think I have a flu.
✅I think I have the flu.
💡'flu' is uncountable, so it does not take the article 'a'; use 'the' instead.
❌She has a cold with a fever of 39°C, so she probably has the flu.
✅She has a cold, which sometimes causes a mild fever, but the flu would also involve severe body aches and exhaustion.
💡a cold and the flu are different illnesses; the flu is more serious and causes whole-body symptoms.