sauce

1.名詞B1

釋義

a thick or thin liquid that you put on food to give it more flavour or to stop it from being too dry

例句

Minh poured the tomato sauce over his pasta before adding cheese.

collocation: tomato sauce / pasta sauce

This restaurant serves a special mushroom sauce with its grilled steak.

[type] + sauce: mushroom sauce

同義詞

gravy
specifically refers to sauce made from meat juices, not all types of sauce
dressing
typically used for cold sauces served with salads
condiment
a broader category including sauces, relishes, and seasonings added at the table

文法句型

[type] + sauce

用法筆記

Often combined with a word describing the main ingredient or flavour — e.g. soy sauce, chocolate sauce, barbecue sauce. In this sense, sauce is usually uncountable, but it can be countable when referring to specific varieties ("a range of Italian sauces").

常見錯誤

❌I put gravy on my spaghetti.

✅I put tomato sauce on my spaghetti.

💡In English, 'gravy' is meat juices thickened with flour, not the same as tomato-based pasta sauce.

❌The dish needs more source.

✅The dish needs more sauce.

💡'Sauce' and 'source' sound similar but have different spellings and meanings.

2.名詞C1

釋義

alcoholic drink, especially when someone drinks a lot of it regularly

例句

Joaquín swore off the sauce after that terrible hangover last New Year.

fixed phrase: off the sauce

Tariq has been on the sauce every weekend since losing his job.

fixed phrase: on the sauce

同義詞

alcohol
the neutral, formal term; 'sauce' is much more informal
booze
similar informal register, very common in everyday speech
liquor
refers specifically to distilled spirits, not all alcoholic drinks

文法句型

on the sauce

用法筆記

Almost always used with the definite article ('the sauce') and often appears in the fixed phrases 'on the sauce' (drinking heavily) or 'off the sauce' (having stopped drinking). This is slang and may sound dated to younger speakers.

常見錯誤

❌I bought some sauce at the store' (when meaning alcohol).

✅I bought some beer at the store.

💡This slang sense of 'sauce' is not used for shopping contexts; it describes a drinking habit.

❌She is drinking sauce.

✅She is on the sauce.

💡The fixed phrase 'on the sauce' is the standard pattern, not 'drink sauce.'

3.名詞B2

釋義

words or behaviour that are rude and show a lack of respect, especially from a younger person towards someone older or in authority

例句

The coach warned the player that he would not take any sauce from him.

collocation: take sauce from someone

"Don't give me your sauce, young man," Grandma scolded with a frown.

collocation: give someone sauce

同義詞

cheek
very similar meaning and register; 'cheek' is more common in British English
backchat
British informal, specifically rude replies to authority figures
impudence
more formal and stronger in tone than 'sauce'

反義詞

respect
showing polite regard for others

文法句型

[possessive] sauce

sauce from [someone]

用法筆記

Common in fixed expressions: 'None of your sauce!', 'Don't give me any sauce.' Strongly associated with British English, especially older generations telling off children or young people. Sounds old-fashioned in many contexts today.

常見錯誤

❌He spilled sauce on his shirt' (when meaning rude words).

✅He gave the teacher some sauce and got detention.

💡The rude-remarks sense uses 'sauce' with verbs like 'give' or 'talk,' not with 'spill.'

❌Don't sauce me' (using it as a verb when the noun sense is intended).

✅Don't give me any sauce.

💡The noun phrase with 'give' is more common than the verb form in modern usage.

4.名詞B1

釋義

fruit that has been cooked slowly with sugar until soft, often eaten as a dessert or as a side dish with meat

例句

Thanksgiving dinner would not be complete without cranberry sauce.

collocation: cranberry sauce (holiday dish)

The children ate their pancakes topped with warm applesauce and cinnamon.

collocation: applesauce

同義詞

compote
a more formal term for stewed fruit, often chunkier and less smooth
purée
fruit that has been blended to a smooth consistency, not necessarily cooked
chutney
sweet and sour fruit preserve with vinegar and spices, usually eaten with savoury dishes

文法句型

[fruit] sauce

用法筆記

Differs from sense 1 in that fruit sauce is made by cooking fruit rather than combining oil, vinegar, herbs, etc. Common examples include cranberry sauce (served with turkey), applesauce (eaten as a side or dessert), and mango sauce.

常見錯誤

❌I need cranberry sauce for my salad dressing.

✅I need cranberry sauce for the turkey dinner.

💡Fruit sauce is usually served with roasted meats or as a dessert, not as a salad condiment.

❌ 'Applesauce' and 'apple sauce' mean different things. — They actually mean the same thing (stewed apples); the spelling can be one word or two depending on the brand.

1.動詞及物B2

釋義

to cover or coat food with a sauce or seasoned liquid, either during cooking or before serving

例句

The chef sauced the plate with a swirl of balsamic reduction.

passive-like: sauce + plate with [ingredient]

Nellie sauced the chicken pieces lightly before putting them in the oven.

同義詞

dress
specifically used for salads (e.g., 'dress the salad with vinaigrette')
coat
more general, not limited to sauce (e.g., 'coat the chicken in flour')
drizzle
means to pour a thin stream of liquid over food

文法句型

sauce + [food]

sauce + [food] + with + [sauce ingredient]

用法筆記

This is a less common verb in everyday speech — most English speakers would say 'put sauce on' or 'add sauce to' instead of 'sauce (verb).' It appears mainly in cookbook instructions and professional kitchen contexts.

常見錯誤

❌I sauced my spaghetti.

✅I put tomato sauce on my spaghetti.

💡The verb 'sauce' sounds unnatural in casual conversation; use 'put sauce on' or 'add sauce to.'

2.動詞及物C1

釋義

to add excitement, liveliness, or interesting details to something that would otherwise be plain or dull

例句

The comedian sauced his routine with jokes about everyday family life.

pattern: sauce + [activity] + with + [interesting element]

Trang's travel blog is sauced with surprising details from her trips abroad.

同義詞

spice up
the common everyday expression for adding interest; much more frequent than 'sauce'
liven up
means to make something more lively or exciting
season
can be literal (adding spices to food) or figurative (adding interest to conversation)

文法句型

sauce + [something] + with + [something interesting]

用法筆記

Almost always used figuratively with the preposition 'with' — 'sauce [something] with [something].' The passive form ('is sauced with') is especially common. This sense is rare in modern speech; 'spice up' is a much more common alternative.

常見錯誤

❌The chef sauced the dish with extra herbs' (when meaning figuratively add interest).

✅The speaker sauced his talk with funny stories.

💡'Sauce' used figuratively applies to non-food things like talks, stories, or events.

❌She sauced the party with decorations.

✅She spiced up the party with decorations.

💡'Spice up' is the natural modern verb; 'sauce' in this sense is very unusual.

3.動詞及物C2

釋義

to make something harsh, strong, or unpleasant less intense or more acceptable

例句

The editor sauced the harshest language in the report before printing it.

pattern: sauce + [harsh thing]

Mauricio sauced the bitter taste of the medicine with a spoonful of honey.

同義詞

soften
the ordinary verb for making something less harsh; much more common than 'sauce'
temper
means to make something less extreme or intense
mellow
often used for softening sounds, flavours, or attitudes over time

反義詞

intensify
to make stronger or more extreme

文法句型

sauce + [something harsh]

用法筆記

An extremely rare and literary sense. Most English speakers would use 'soften,' 'temper,' or 'sweeten' instead. You are unlikely to encounter this meaning outside of older or highly formal written texts.

4.動詞及物C1

釋義

to speak rudely or disrespectfully to someone, especially someone older or in a position of authority

例句

The shopkeeper told the boys to stop saucing him and leave the store.

pattern: sauce + [person] (direct object)

"Don't sauce your mother like that," said Tunde's father with a sigh.

同義詞

talk back to
the common modern expression for answering rudely
be cheeky to
British informal, very common for describing rude children
answer back
means to reply rudely to someone in authority

反義詞

respect
to show proper regard for someone in authority

文法句型

sauce + [person]

用法筆記

This verb is marked as dated in modern English — it was more common in the early-to-mid 20th century. The noun phrase 'give someone sauce' (sense noun/3) is still heard occasionally, but the verb form 'sauce someone' sounds old-fashioned. Contemporary alternatives are 'talk back to' or 'be cheeky to.'

常見錯誤

❌The child sauced the waiter at the restaurant.' (using 'sauce' as a verb)

✅The child was cheeky to the waiter at the restaurant.

💡'Sauce' as a verb sounds very dated; use 'be cheeky to' or 'talk back to' instead.

sauce

sauce — noun

1. a thick or thin liquid that you put on food to give it more flavour or to stop i

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

2. alcoholic drink, especially when someone drinks a lot of it regularly

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

3. words or behaviour that are rude and show a lack of respect, especially from a y

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

4. fruit that has been cooked slowly with sugar until soft, often eaten as a desser

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

sauce — verb

1. to cover or coat food with a sauce or seasoned liquid, either during cooking or

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

2. to add excitement, liveliness, or interesting details to something that would ot

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

3. to make something harsh, strong, or unpleasant less intense or more acceptable

文法句型

用法筆記

4. to speak rudely or disrespectfully to someone, especially someone older or in a

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤