parrot
parrot — noun
1. a brightly coloured bird from warm parts of the world that has a strong hooked b
a brightly coloured bird from warm parts of the world that has a strong hooked beak and can be taught to imitate human speech, sometimes kept in cages as a pet.
Maya's grandmother keeps a green parrot named Coco in the living room.
common pattern: keep a [colour] parrot
The parrot at the zoo shouted "Hello!" every time a child walked past its cage.
parrot as subject of speech verbs (shout, say, call)
Wild parrots flew in noisy groups above the rainforest canopy at sunset.
Carlos taught his pet parrot to say his sister's name.
The grey parrot used its strong hooked beak to crack open a Brazil nut.
文法句型
a parrot
the parrot
用法筆記
Often appears with colour adjectives (green, grey, red and yellow) or origin (African, Amazon). Distinct from sense 2 by being a literal animal — sense 2 is metaphorical and always refers to a person.
常見錯誤
2. a person — usually one being criticised — who repeats other people's words or op
a person — usually one being criticised — who repeats other people's words or opinions exactly, without thinking about what those words actually mean.
Marcus called his younger brother a parrot for repeating every joke their dad made.
call someone a parrot — typical critical use
Don't be a parrot, Lina — give me your own answer about the book.
imperative: don't be a parrot
The class was full of parrots who could quote the textbook but explain nothing.
Sarah accused the politician of being a parrot for her party leader.
- copycat
anyone who copies another's actions or words; less harsh, often used by or about children
- yes-man
someone who always agrees with a boss or leader; focused on agreement, not exact repetition
- mouthpiece
a person who publicly states the views of another, often in politics or media
- original thinker
someone who forms their own ideas instead of repeating others'
文法句型
a parrot
like a parrot
用法筆記
Almost always carries a negative tone — the speaker thinks the person is unable or unwilling to think for themselves. Distinguish from sense 1 (a real bird) by context: a person noun nearby (brother, student, politician) signals this sense.
常見錯誤
parrot — verb
1. to say back another person's exact words or ideas without really grasping what t
to say back another person's exact words or ideas without really grasping what they mean or having any opinion of your own.
The students just parrot the answers from the textbook on every test.
parrot + the answers / the words / the lines
Marcus parroted his coach's advice without ever asking why it would work.
parrot someone's advice / opinion / view
Critics said the news anchor simply parroted whatever the company wanted the public to hear.
Lina kept parroting her older sister's complaints about school all afternoon.
During the debate, Daniel just parroted his uncle's views on every question the judges asked.
- echo
to repeat someone's words or ideas, often approvingly; less negative than parrot
- mimic
to copy someone's voice, behaviour or appearance, often to entertain
- repeat
neutral — to say something again with no judgement about understanding
- regurgitate
to bring up information from memory without thinking; very similar negative tone, common in academic contexts
- paraphrase
to express another's ideas in your own words, showing understanding
文法句型
parrot + noun phrase
parrot what someone says
用法筆記
Strongly negative — the speaker is criticising the person for lacking original thought. Subject is almost always human; object is words, opinions, slogans, or lines that the person has heard from someone else.