granite
granite — noun
1. a hard natural stone with small shiny crystals in it, usually light grey or pink
a hard natural stone with small shiny crystals in it, usually light grey or pink in colour, that is cut and used for making buildings, kitchen worktops, and monuments.
Rafael installed new granite worktops in the kitchen before selling the house.
collocation: granite worktops
The old bridge was built from local granite and has lasted over two hundred years.
passive: be built from granite
Quan ran his hand over the smooth, polished granite surface of the memorial wall.
Granite from this quarry has a distinctive pink colour that architects love.
Sana chose dark grey granite for the bathroom floor as it resists scratching.
- stone
a broader term; granite is one specific kind of stone
- rock
even broader; granite is an igneous rock, but 'rock' is used in everyday speech for any hard natural material from the ground
- marble
a different type of stone that is softer and has veins rather than crystals; often confused with granite in kitchen design
用法筆記
Usually uncountable when referring to the material in general ("a countertop made of granite"). When countable, it means a specific type or variety ("different granites are used for different purposes").
常見錯誤
2. the quality of being extremely strong and determined in character, so that nothi
the quality of being extremely strong and determined in character, so that nothing can change or weaken a person's attitude or beliefs — like the rock itself.
Ife faced the hostile questions with granite composure and refused to be rattled.
figurative: granite composure
The coach's granite determination inspired the team to keep training through the winter.
figurative: granite determination
Léa showed a granite resolve that her colleagues had never seen in her before.
The judge's granite stance silenced the whole courtroom.
Christopher held a granite will to rebuild the village after the flood destroyed everything.
- resolve
focuses more on determination to achieve a goal; less metaphorical than 'granite'
- fortitude
suggests patient endurance of hardship; more about suffering than about firmness
- tenacity
emphasises refusing to give up; 'granite' adds a sense of being unaffected by external pressure
- steel
similar figurative use (nerves of steel); 'granite' implies heaviness and immovability, while 'steel' suggests sharpness and strength
- weakness
granite implies unyielding strength; weakness is its direct opposite
- flexibility
granite suggests rigidity; flexibility means the ability to bend or adapt
文法句型
granite + noun (will, determination, resolve, composure, stance)
用法筆記
This is a figurative or metaphorical extension of the literal meaning. It appears most often before abstract nouns such as will, determination, resolve, composure, and stance. It is not used in everyday conversation; it belongs to formal or literary registers. The standalone construction 'something granite about [person/thing]' is less common but acceptable.