river
river — noun
1. a long, wide body of fresh water that travels across land and empties into a lar
a long, wide body of fresh water that travels across land and empties into a larger body of water such as a lake, a sea, or another river
The Mekong River flows through six countries before reaching the South China Sea.
flows through [number] countries — describes route
Every spring, the river near Kenji's village floods the low-lying rice fields.
floods [land] — natural event collocation
Joshua and his sister swam in the river behind their house every hot afternoon.
Boats carried fresh fruit and vegetables up and down the river to the market.
Ayesha sat on the smooth rocks by the river and watched the water rush past.
文法句型
the + river + verb
a + river
the + [River Name]
用法筆記
Countable noun. Use the definite article 'the' when referring to a specific river ('the river', 'the Amazon'), and 'a' when speaking generally ('a river'). The word 'river' itself describes fresh water only — saltwater channels are called straits or channels.
常見錯誤
2. included in the proper name of a watercourse, appearing either ahead of or follo
included in the proper name of a watercourse, appearing either ahead of or following the place-name of the river
The Amazon River is the second-longest river in the world after the Nile.
the [Name] River — American naming order
Tomás grew up in a small town on the Yangtze River in central China.
on the [Name] River — location with river name
The new bridge across the Mekong River was completed in late 2024.
Poets have written about the River Thames in London for hundreds of years.
Selim took a boat tour along the Nile River during his winter holiday in Egypt.
文法句型
the + [Name] + River
River + [Name]
用法筆記
Always capitalized when part of a proper name. Word order varies by region: British English prefers 'River Thames' (River before the name), while American English prefers 'the Amazon River' (River after the name). Both patterns require the definite article 'the'.
常見錯誤
3. moving against the water's current, heading back toward the source where the riv
moving against the water's current, heading back toward the source where the river starts
Ife rowed the boat upstream for nearly an hour to reach the best fishing spot.
rowed upstream — verb + direction collocation
Every autumn, salmon swim up the river to lay their eggs in the gravel beds.
swim up the river — animal migration pattern
Walking up the river from the village, Otis discovered a beautiful hidden waterfall.
The mountain camp is three miles up the river from the main road bridge.
Moving up the river against the strong current took twice as long as coming back.
- upstream
the compact single-word form of 'up the river'; used adverbially
- against the current
emphasises the physical effort of moving against water flow
- downstream
the opposite direction, moving with the water flow
文法句型
up the river
upstream
go up the river
row up the river
用法筆記
Often paired with movement verbs such as row, swim, walk, paddle, or sail. 'Up the river' and 'upstream' are interchangeable in most contexts, though 'upstream' can also function as an adverb without a following noun.
常見錯誤
4. moving with the water's current, heading away from the source toward the river's
moving with the water's current, heading away from the source toward the river's end
The logs floated downstream to the sawmill at the mouth of the river.
floated downstream — passive movement collocation
Cyrus paddled his canoe downstream and reached the lake just before sunset.
paddled downstream — active movement collocation
The farming village further downstream was warned about the dangerously rising water.
Ravi drifted down the river on a flat wooden raft, laughing at the clouds above.
Waste from the upstream factory badly affected the communities living further downstream.
- downstream
the compact single-word adverbial form of 'down the river'
- with the current
emphasises the assistance of the water flow rather than the direction
- upstream
the opposite direction, moving against the water flow
文法句型
down the river
downstream
go down the river
float down the river
用法筆記
Commonly paired with movement verbs that imply ease or lack of effort, such as drift, float, paddle, or carry, because the water current helps the movement. 'Further downstream' is a frequent comparative phrase used in geography and environmental contexts.
常見錯誤
5. a large, continuous amount of something moving or appearing in a steady stream —
a large, continuous amount of something moving or appearing in a steady stream — used for liquids, emotions, words, or people to suggest unstoppable flow
A river of hot lava from the volcano crept slowly toward the coastal village.
a river of lava — natural disaster metaphor
A mother cried a river when she saw her daughter in a white dress.
a river of tears — emotional metaphor
A steady river of customers flowed through the new bakery on its first Saturday.
Inês received a river of emails after her funny post was shared online.
A river of cold water poured down the mountain slope after the heavy rain stopped.
- trickle
a very small, slow flow — the opposite of a large, unstoppable river
文法句型
a river of + noun
rivers of + noun
用法筆記
Used in the structure 'a river of + noun' to describe something that flows continuously and in large quantity. Common in creative writing and journalism. The plural form 'rivers of' also appears ('rivers of blood', 'rivers of sweat').