self-starter
self-starter — noun
1. a person who can begin and complete tasks on their own, without needing instruct
a person who can begin and complete tasks on their own, without needing instructions or encouragement from a manager or teacher
The job advert asks for a self-starter who can work without close supervision.
work without close supervision — collocation in job ads
Theo is a true self-starter — he taught himself to code and built his own app.
Adina impressed her boss by acting as a self-starter on every project.
Companies hiring for remote roles often look for self-starters.
- go-getter
more informal; emphasises drive and persistence rather than independent work style
- high achiever
focuses on results and reaching goals, not on how the person works
- independent worker
a descriptive phrase rather than a fixed compound noun
- follower
someone who needs direction from others before acting
文法句型
a + self-starter
self-starter + relative clause
用法筆記
Common in job descriptions and performance reviews. The compound always keeps the hyphen (self-starter), unlike related adjectives such as 'self-starting.' This sense is now far more frequent than the original mechanical meaning.
常見錯誤
2. a motor in a vehicle that uses electricity to turn the engine's main shaft until
a motor in a vehicle that uses electricity to turn the engine's main shaft until the engine begins running on its own
The mechanic replaced the old self-starter and the engine fired up immediately.
mechanical context: replace a self-starter / engine fires up
Ravindra turned the key but the self-starter made a clicking sound and nothing happened.
A faulty self-starter can drain a car battery very quickly.
Mayumi checked the self-starter wires before trying to start the truck.
- starter motor
the dominant modern term in both British and American English; more precise
- cranking motor
technical term used mainly by engineers and mechanics
文法句型
the + self-starter
self-starter + verb (break, fail, click)
用法筆記
This is the original, literal meaning, dating from early automobile engineering (Cadillac introduced electric self-starters around 1911). Now much less common than sense 1 in everyday speech; 'starter motor' is the preferred term in modern repair manuals.