sight
sight — noun
1. the physical power to detect light and shapes through your eyes, letting you kno
the physical power to detect light and shapes through your eyes, letting you know what is around you.
Olivia's sight began to weaken after years of reading small print at work.
possessive 's sight + collocation: sight weakens
The doctor said the surgery could restore some of the sight in his left eye.
restore sight; in [body part] eye
Bats rely on hearing rather than sight to find their way in the dark.
Anong found it difficult to adjust after losing his sight following a stroke at sixty-two.
- vision
more formal than sight; often used in medical or technical contexts
- eyesight
the everyday word for the quality of one's ability to see
- perception
broader — includes interpretation by the brain, not just the physical act
- blindness
total loss of sight
用法筆記
Uncountable — do not say 'a sight' when referring to the ability itself. 'A sight' belongs to sense 2.
常見錯誤
2. a person, thing, or scene that you can see with your eyes, or the distance over
a person, thing, or scene that you can see with your eyes, or the distance over which things are visible.
From the top of the hill, the whole valley was a breathtaking sight.
countable: a [adjective] sight
The ship slowly disappeared from sight as it sailed toward the horizon.
collocation: from sight / out of sight
Diya caught sight of a deer standing motionless near the edge of the woods.
You must keep the children in sight while they are at the swimming pool.
A strange sight greeted the hikers when they reached the mountain cabin.
用法筆記
Common in fixed prepositional phrases: 'in sight' (visible), 'out of sight' (not visible), 'within sight of' (close enough to see). When uncountable, refers to the range of vision rather than a specific thing seen.
常見錯誤
3. the experience of seeing someone or something, especially upon an initial encoun
the experience of seeing someone or something, especially upon an initial encounter or after an extended search.
Their first sight of the ocean filled the children with excitement.
possessive + first sight of [something]
The rescue team cheered at the sight of the missing climbers alive and well.
at the sight of [someone/something]
Hamza knew her immediately at first sight when she walked into the café.
I cannot stand the sight of blood, so I always look away during injections.
用法筆記
Often appears in the structures 'at the sight of' (as a reaction to seeing) and 'at first sight' (upon the first moment of seeing). Distinguish from sense 1: this is about the event of seeing, not the physical ability.
常見錯誤
4. well-known places, buildings, or natural features that people travel to see, esp
well-known places, buildings, or natural features that people travel to see, especially in a city or region.
The tour guide showed us all the famous sights of Kyoto in one afternoon.
the sights of [city/place]
Mauricio spent his first day in Paris visiting the sights around Montmartre.
A map of the main historical sights is available at the hotel reception desk.
Feng prefers exploring local markets over the usual tourist sights when travelling.
- attractions
broader — includes rides, shows, shops; sights are specifically visual landmarks
- landmarks
famous buildings or structures that are easy to recognise; a subset of sights
- points of interest
a formal or written alternative used in maps and guides
用法筆記
Almost always plural when referring to tourist attractions (see the sights of Rome). The singular is possible but rare — 'a sight' in this sense usually falls under sense 2 instead.
常見錯誤
5. without having looked at or examined something before deciding about it — typica
without having looked at or examined something before deciding about it — typically used in the fixed phrase 'sight unseen' for purchases or agreements.
Darius bought the old farmhouse sight unseen, relying only on photographs he saw online.
buy something sight unseen
Christopher rented a flat in Taipei sight unseen and found that the kitchen had no windows at all.
The collector purchased the painting sight unseen during an online auction.
The couple leased a flat sight unseen after watching a short video tour online.
- in person
with the chance to see and examine before buying
用法筆記
Functions as an adverbial phrase, always in the fixed form 'sight unseen'. Never used with articles or possessives (not 'a sight unseen' or 'my sight unseen').
常見錯誤
6. a large amount or degree of something, used in the phrase 'a sight' to emphasise
a large amount or degree of something, used in the phrase 'a sight' to emphasise a difference or quantity.
This new sofa is a sight more comfortable than the old one we had.
a sight + comparative adjective
Gabriel's car repairs cost a sight more money than he expected after the accident.
The children are a sight better behaved now that they have a regular bedtime.
That final exam was a sight harder than any of the practice tests we took.
用法筆記
Informal or dialectal. Used before a comparative adjective ('a sight better', 'a sight more'). In standard writing, 'a lot' or 'far' is preferred. Common in British and Irish English speech.
常見錯誤
7. a raised fitting atop a firearm or similar implement that you align with your ey
a raised fitting atop a firearm or similar implement that you align with your eye to direct a shot at a chosen point.
Liang lined up the front and rear sights of his rifle before pulling the trigger at the shooting range.
front sight / rear sight — common modifier pair
The rifle's sights need adjusting after being knocked during the hike.
possessive: [object]'s sights
Mauricio checked the sights on the crossbow before taking aim at the target.
Laser sights are now available as add-ons for many handgun models.
- scope
a telescope-like sight that magnifies the target; not the same as open sights
- aiming device
the general technical term covering all types
用法筆記
Usually plural (sights) even when referring to the set on one weapon. Can refer to optical devices on crossbows, telescopes, and cameras as well as guns.
常見錯誤
sight — verb
1. to see someone or something suddenly or briefly, often after looking for them or
to see someone or something suddenly or briefly, often after looking for them or unexpectedly.
The sailor sighted land on the third morning of the voyage across the Atlantic.
sight + concrete noun (land, ship, person)
Yuki sighted a rare bird species during her early morning walk in the forest.
The search party sighted the missing hiker waving from a ridge above the river.
No enemy ships were sighted during the overnight patrol along the coast.
Tendai thought he sighted a familiar face in the crowd at the train station.
- spot
more informal and everyday than sight; implies noticing something that is hard to see
- glimpse
to see briefly or incompletely; often suggests speed or movement
- catch sight of
the phrasal equivalent of this verb sense, slightly more informal
文法句型
sight + noun phrase
用法筆記
More formal or literary than 'see' or 'spot'. Common in news, military, and exploration contexts. Frequently used in the passive ('were sighted'). Often implies that something was searched for or is noteworthy.
常見錯誤
2. to position a firearm or comparable device by aligning its aiming apparatus with
to position a firearm or comparable device by aligning its aiming apparatus with a target, often before releasing a shot.
The soldier sighted carefully along the barrel before squeezing the trigger.
sight + along + [body part/object]
Élise sighted at the centre target and released the arrow from her bow.
sight + at + target
The hunter sighted through the scope for almost a minute before deciding not to shoot.
Yan raised the hunting rifle and sighted down the range at the paper target.
- aim
the general-purpose word; 'sight' is more specific to using the device's sights
- take aim
the phrasal alternative; slightly more common in everyday speech
- draw a bead on
informal and idiomatic; specific to firearms with a front bead sight
文法句型
sight + at + noun phrase
sight + along + noun phrase
用法筆記
Almost always intransitive in this sense — you must use a preposition ('at', 'along', 'through') rather than a direct object. The related transitive sense with a direct object means 'to equip with sights' and is too technical for general learners.