self-reliant

self-reliant — adjective

1. able to manage your everyday tasks and make your own decisions without turning t

1.形容詞C2
釋義

able to manage your everyday tasks and make your own decisions without turning to others for help

例句

After living alone for three years, Hoa became self-reliant and stopped asking her parents for money.

become + self-reliant (developmental change)

The school teaches children to be self-reliant by letting them solve small problems on their own.

teach + to be self-reliant (causative with to-infinitive)

同義詞
  • independent

    Broader meaning — can apply to countries, organizations, or people; self-reliant focuses on managing without help

  • self-sufficient

    Emphasizes having enough resources to meet one's own needs, whereas self-reliant focuses on capability and attitude

  • autonomous

    More formal; often used for regions, teams, or machines that operate with full freedom

反義詞
  • dependent

    Needs others for support and cannot function well alone

  • helpless

    Stronger opposite; unable to take care of oneself at all

文法句型

be + self-reliant

self-reliant + noun

用法筆記

Commonly used as a compliment describing someone who handles responsibilities well. Can modify both the person and their actions or attitude (e.g., 'a self-reliant attitude'). Frequently paired with verbs like 'become', 'grow', 'learn (to be)', and 'teach (someone to be)'.

常見錯誤

The country became self-reliant after the war.
The country became self-sufficient after the war.
💡Self-reliant usually describes individuals or small groups, not whole nations or economies.