temple

temple — noun

1. a building used by people of certain religions — such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and

1.名詞B1
釋義

a building used by people of certain religions — such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism — for worship, prayer, and ceremonies.

例句

Rohan lit incense at the small temple near his home every morning.

temple + at + location (specific place)

Noa showed the visitors around the temple and explained its history.

同義詞
  • shrine

    a smaller, more specific holy place, often focused on a particular saint or deity, not a full building for regular worship

  • sanctuary

    the holiest inner part of a temple or church; also used more broadly for any sacred space

  • place of worship

    a general, neutral term covering all religions; less specific and less common in everyday speech

文法句型

temple + of + [religion/deity]

temple + location preposition: at/in/on

用法筆記

Often capitalized (the Temple) when referring to the ancient Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. For Christian places of worship, 'church' is the usual term, not 'temple' — except for Latter-day Saints (Mormon) temples.

常見錯誤

❌We went to the temple on Sunday' (when you mean a Christian church).
✅We went to church on Sunday.
💡In English, 'temple' is not the usual word for a Christian place of worship; use 'church' instead.

2. the part of the head between the eye and the ear, on both the left and right sid

2.名詞B2
釋義

the part of the head between the eye and the ear, on both the left and right sides — pressing here often lets you feel a heartbeat.

例句

Bao rubbed his temples gently after staring at the computer screen for hours.

rub + [possessive] + temple(s) — common action for headache/eye strain

The doctor pressed lightly on Lucía's temple to check for swelling.

文法句型

temple + verb (ache, throb, pulse)

at/in the temple (region)

rub/press + [possessive] + temple(s)

用法筆記

Almost always appears in plural ('temples') when referring to both sides. Singular is used when specifying left or right temple.

常見錯誤

❌He pressed on his temple bone area.
✅He pressed on his temple.
💡'Temple' already refers to the specific area; adding 'bone area' is redundant.

3. a place that is treated as sacred or is devoted to a particular activity, belief

3.名詞C1
釋義

a place that is treated as sacred or is devoted to a particular activity, belief, or ideal — often used in a figurative sense, for example calling a library 'a temple of learning' or a gym 'a temple of fitness'.

例句

The old library was a temple of learning where scholars gathered from across the country.

a temple of + [abstract quality] — figurative metaphor

Rachid called his workshop a temple of creativity, filled with tools and half-finished art.

同義詞
  • sanctuary

    focuses more on protection and refuge than on devotion to an activity

  • shrine

    suggests a smaller, more personal place of devotion, often with emotional attachment

  • haven

    emphasises safety and refuge rather than devotion to an ideal

文法句型

a temple of + [abstract quality]

temple to + [activity/ideal]

用法筆記

This sense is always figurative and strongly tied to the noun that follows 'of' (learning, sport, art, music, etc.). It is rarely used in casual conversation and appears more often in descriptive or literary writing.