gutter
gutter — adjective
- gutterpositive
- gutterercomparative
- gutterestsuperlative
1. relating to the kind of language, entertainment, or behaviour that is regarded a
relating to the kind of language, entertainment, or behaviour that is regarded as crude, offensive, or morally low, like that found in the poorest parts of society.
Kabir refused to buy the newspaper because of its gutter journalism.
gutter + noun attributive
The comedian's act relied on gutter humour that made half the audience walk out.
gutter humour — fixed phrase
The mayor said the campaign had turned into a gutter fight full of personal insults.
Ilan refused to watch the show because it was full of gutter language.
- refined
implies elegance and good taste, the opposite of gutter coarseness
- respectable
suggests socially approved standards
文法句型
gutter + noun (e.g. gutter press, gutter humour)
用法筆記
Attributive only — always placed immediately before a noun. Most common in fixed phrases such as gutter press, gutter humour, and gutter language.
常見錯誤
gutter — noun
- guttersingular
- guttersplural
1. the shallow open trough that runs beside a street and collects falling rain, car
the shallow open trough that runs beside a street and collects falling rain, carrying it into the drainage system below ground.
Felipe's keys slipped out of his hand and fell into the gutter.
into the gutter — movement into the channel
After the storm, the gutter outside Mira's house was blocked with wet leaves.
blocked gutter — common collocation
The children watched a paper boat float along the gutter after the rain stopped.
Sumin swept the mud out of the gutter so the water could reach the drain.
文法句型
the gutter
in the gutter
into the gutter
gutter + of + road/street
用法筆記
Often used with the definite article (the gutter) because the roadside channel is a specific feature of a street. Clean the gutter(s) refers to removing debris from this channel.
常見錯誤
2. a narrow channel fixed along the eaves of a house that gathers rainwater from th
a narrow channel fixed along the eaves of a house that gathers rainwater from the roof and sends it down through a pipe to the ground.
Otis climbed a ladder to check whether autumn leaves were blocking the roof gutter.
roof gutter — specifying phrase
A bird had built a nest inside the gutter, and water overflowed down the wall.
blocked gutter leading to overflow
Amihan hired a handyman to clean the gutters before the rainy season began.
The old iron gutter on the shed rusted through, dripping water onto the doorstep.
- eavestrough
Canadian and some US regional usage, referring to the same roof channel
- rain gutter
clearer term; includes the word 'rain' to distinguish from roadside gutter
文法句型
the gutters
gutter + on/above + roof
用法筆記
Usually used in the plural (gutters) because a typical house has gutters running along several edges of the roof. A gutter system includes both the horizontal channels (gutters) and the vertical downpipes (downspouts).
常見錯誤
3. the lowest, most unpleasant level of society or human behaviour, often associate
the lowest, most unpleasant level of society or human behaviour, often associated with poverty, crime, or moral degradation.
The scandal dragged the politician's reputation into the gutter.
drag [something] into the gutter — figurative idiom
Adaeze's novel follows a young boy escaping the gutter of a sprawling city slum.
the gutter of + group — specifying the context
Zayd felt that the country's political debate had sunk to the gutter.
The tabloid newspaper was accused of dragging journalism into the gutter with its celebrity gossip.
- depths
slightly more formal; 'the depths of despair/society' suggests a low point without the criminal association
- bottom
less vivid; 'the bottom of society' is factual rather than emotive
- underclass
a sociological term for a group at the bottom of the social hierarchy, not a metaphor
文法句型
the gutter (of + group)
in the gutter
drag into the gutter
rise from the gutter
用法筆記
Always takes the definite article (the gutter). Used metaphorically — there is no literal gutter. Common in fixed phrases: drag/sink/descend into the gutter, and the gutter of politics/society/culture.
常見錯誤
gutter — verb
- gutterpresent simple I / you / we / they
- gutters3rd person singular
- guttering-ing form
- gutteredpast simple
1. if a flame, candle, or lamp gutters, it burns unevenly and unsteadily with a fli
if a flame, candle, or lamp gutters, it burns unevenly and unsteadily with a flickering motion, usually because it is about to go out or because air is moving over it.
The candle guttered in the draft from the open window.
gutter + in the draft — typical cause
Zayd watched the campfire gutter as the wind picked up over the beach.
The oil lamp guttered twice before the flame went out completely.
Mira's candle guttered and died, leaving the room in darkness.
- blaze
to burn strongly and steadily, the opposite of faltering
文法句型
[candle/lamp/flame] + gutter(s)
gutter + out
用法筆記
Intransitive only — you cannot say 'someone gutters a candle'. The verb describes an involuntary behaviour of a flame. Often used in literary or descriptive writing rather than everyday speech.
常見錯誤
2. if a liquid gutters, it flows in small, irregular streams, often over a surface
if a liquid gutters, it flows in small, irregular streams, often over a surface or through a narrow channel, rather than in a smooth, full flow.
After the ice melted, water guttered along the side of the driveway.
gutter + along — path preposition
Feng watched the rainwater gutter down the cracked pavement towards the drain.
The stream had guttered to a thin trickle by the end of the dry summer.
Meltwater from the glacier gutters through rock channels before joining the river below.
文法句型
[water/river/melt] + gutters + preposition (along/down/through)
用法筆記
A rare literary or descriptive verb. More common alternatives are trickle, stream, or flow. The sense is closely related to the noun gutter (the channel) — the liquid is flowing in a way that resembles the water in a gutter.