label
label — noun
1. A small piece of paper, cloth, or plastic that is fixed to an object and shows i
A small piece of paper, cloth, or plastic that is fixed to an object and shows information about it, such as its price, what it contains, or how to take care of it.
Linh checked the label on the shirt to find the washing instructions.
collocation: label on [clothing]
The wooden crate had a red label that read 'This Side Up' on both ends.
Kemi peeled the label from the jar of jam before washing it for reuse.
Each painting in the gallery had a small label with the artist's name and the year it was made.
2. A word or short phrase used to describe a person or group, especially when the d
A word or short phrase used to describe a person or group, especially when the description is too simple or unfair and does not show the whole truth about them.
The label 'troublemaker' followed Ignacio throughout his school years, even after he changed.
Selim found it hard to shake the label of being lazy, even though he worked longer hours than anyone else.
collocation: to shake / shed a label
Élise rejected the label 'beginner' and started showing her photographs in professional galleries.
The label 'emotional' is sometimes used unfairly against women in leadership roles.
- stereotype
broader term for a fixed general idea about a group; a label is the specific word used within a stereotype
- category
more neutral; does not carry the implication of unfairness or oversimplification
- epithet
formal term; often implies a negative or insulting description
用法筆記
Often appears with negative descriptive words such as 'unfair,' 'wrong,' or 'simplistic.' The passive construction 'be labeled + noun' is very common: 'He was labeled a troublemaker.'
常見錯誤
3. A company that makes and sells products, especially clothing or music recordings
A company that makes and sells products, especially clothing or music recordings, under a particular name or symbol that people recognize.
Jisoo only buys clothes from labels that use environmentally friendly materials.
collocation: clothes / fashion label
The fashion label opened its first store in Taipei last spring and sold out within a week.
Christopher discovered a small music label that releases albums by indie folk artists.
Building a successful clothing label takes years of work and hundreds of creative decisions.
用法筆記
When used for fashion, 'label' can refer to either the company itself or the brand name. In music, 'record label' or simply 'label' refers to the company that produces and distributes recordings.
常見錯誤
label — verb
1. To put a small piece of paper, cloth, or plastic onto an object so that people c
To put a small piece of paper, cloth, or plastic onto an object so that people can read information about what it is, where it should go, or how to treat it.
Before the move, Eli labeled each box with the room it should go to and its contents.
label + noun + with [information]
The nurse carefully labeled each blood sample with the patient's name and a barcode.
Romi labeled all her homemade jams with the fruit name and the date she made them.
The receptionist labeled the package 'Fragile' before handing it to the courier service.
文法句型
label + noun/pronoun
label + noun/pronoun + adjective
用法筆記
Frequently used with an adjective complement: you can 'label something fragile / damaged / urgent.' The pattern 'label + noun + with + noun' is also common for specifying the information added.
常見錯誤
2. To describe someone or something with a particular word or phrase, often in a wa
To describe someone or something with a particular word or phrase, often in a way that does not consider the full truth or that is too simple and may be unfair.
The school system labeled Lakshmi as a slow learner, but she simply needed glasses.
label + someone + as + noun
Critics labeled the film a masterpiece, yet many audience members found it confusing.
label + something + noun complement
Quinn refused to let anyone label his music as simply 'pop' when it mixed several styles.
Eitan was labeled a genius after solving a puzzle that no one else could figure out.
- call
more neutral; does not carry the implication of unfairness or oversimplification
- brand
suggests a more public or lasting negative description
- dismiss as
implies rejecting the value of someone or something while labeling
- pigeonhole
informal; strongly implies putting someone into a narrow category unfairly
文法句型
label + someone/something + as + noun/adjective
label + someone/something + noun
label + someone/something + adjective
用法筆記
Very common in passive voice: 'be labeled + noun.' The patterns 'label someone as something' and 'label someone something' are both standard. The 'as' version often emphasizes the act of categorization more explicitly.