prostitute
prostitute — noun
1. a person who receives payment in exchange for performing sexual acts with someon
a person who receives payment in exchange for performing sexual acts with someone
Police rescued several young women who had been forced to work as prostitutes in the city.
passive: forced to work as prostitutes
Andrés met with a group of former prostitutes who now run a support centre.
collocation: former prostitutes
The new law gives prostitutes the same workplace rights as other workers.
Stephanie interviewed a prostitute for her research on labour conditions in the informal economy.
- sex worker
broader, more respectful term that includes all types of commercial sex work
- hooker
informal and often derogatory; not suitable for serious or formal contexts
- escort
euphemistic term; can refer to someone who provides companionship without necessarily implying sex
文法句型
[countable] a prostitute
用法筆記
Some people find this term offensive; 'sex worker' is often preferred as a more neutral and respectful description.
常見錯誤
prostitute — verb
1. to reduce the value of your skills, principles, or reputation by putting them to
to reduce the value of your skills, principles, or reputation by putting them to dishonourable use, typically for money — for instance, a gifted writer who churns out poor work only for profit
The talented painter prostituted his skills by churning out cheap copies for tourists.
prostitute + possessive + noun (skills)
Élise refused to prostitute her artistic vision for commercial success.
Critics accused the journalist of prostituting her principles to write for a tabloid.
Many young musicians feel pressured to prostitute their talent just to land a record deal.
文法句型
prostitute + reflexive pronoun
prostitute + possessive + noun (talents / principles / skills)
用法筆記
Almost always used reflexively (prostitute oneself) or with a possessive modifier before the object (prostitute one's talent). The object must be an abstract quality — never a concrete object like money.
常見錯誤
2. to take money for letting someone have sex with you, or to offer another person
to take money for letting someone have sex with you, or to offer another person for paid sexual activity
Takeshi was arrested for prostituting minors in the city's entertainment district.
transitive: prostituting someone else
Pim was forced to prostitute herself after fleeing her village during the conflict.
reflexive: prostitute + herself
The court sentenced the man who had prostituted his own daughter to fifteen years in prison.
Many children in the region are trafficked and prostituted by organised criminal networks.
- sell one's body
informal; describes the same act but focuses on the physical aspect rather than the transactional one
- turn tricks
slang; informal way of saying someone engages in prostitution
文法句型
prostitute + reflexive pronoun
prostitute + someone (offer another for paid sex)
用法筆記
Can be used transitively (to prostitute someone else, usually through coercion) or reflexively (to prostitute oneself). In modern usage the transitive sense often appears in legal or human-trafficking contexts.
常見錯誤
prostitute — adjective
1. describes work, art, or effort that has been degraded to serve dishonest or pure
describes work, art, or effort that has been degraded to serve dishonest or purely commercial ends, rather than any noble or honest purpose
The gallery owner dismissed the exhibition as prostitute art made only for profit.
collocation: prostitute art
Critics condemned the novel as a prostitute work that catered to the lowest public taste.
Lauren accused the agency of producing prostitute journalism that simply repeats government statements.
Some critics dismissed the film as prostitute cinema designed only to draw large crowds.
文法句型
prostitute + noun (art / science / journalism)
用法筆記
This is a very rare and literary use of 'prostitute' as an adjective. It is nearly always placed immediately before a noun that names a field or profession (art, science, journalism). In everyday English the past participle 'prostituted' (e.g. 'prostituted art') is more common.