adaptive

adaptive — 形容詞

1. describes a person, system, or design that can adjust the way it works in respon

1.形容詞C1
釋義

適應性的

能依新狀況自動調整運作方式

describes a person, system, or design that can adjust the way it works in response to new conditions, like a thermostat that learns your habits or a manager who shifts plans when the market changes.

例句

Lior is an adaptive teacher who changes her lessons when students seem confused.

瑪雅是一位很有適應性的老師，當學生看起來困惑時，她會調整課程內容。

adaptive + person noun describing flexible behaviour

The new car has adaptive headlights that turn with the steering wheel at night.

這輛新車配備適應性頭燈，會在夜間隨方向盤一起轉向。

adaptive + product feature noun

同義詞
  • adaptable

    more common when describing people; 'adaptive' leans toward systems, technology, or methods

  • flexible

    broader, can mean willing to change plans; 'adaptive' implies actively responding to feedback

  • responsive

    stresses reaction speed; 'adaptive' adds the idea of learning or improving over time

反義詞
  • rigid

    refuses to change methods even when conditions shift

  • inflexible

    broader; cannot or will not be adjusted

文法句型

adaptive + noun

be adaptive to + noun

用法筆記

Frequently modifies system or design nouns (software, learning, control, headlights), or abstract nouns about behaviour (thinking, approach, leadership). Distinguish from sense 2: this everyday sense is about quick, intentional adjustments, while sense 2 describes slow biological change across generations.

常見錯誤

❌She is very adaptive at cooking new recipes.
✅She is very adaptable at cooking new recipes.
💡for describing a person who copes well with new tasks, native speakers usually pick 'adaptable'; 'adaptive' more often modifies systems, designs, or behaviour.

2. in biology, used to describe a body part, behaviour, or trait that has slowly de

2.形容詞C2
釋義

適應演化的

經演化而有助生物在環境中存活的

in biology, used to describe a body part, behaviour, or trait that has slowly developed over many generations because it helps a plant or animal stay alive in its surroundings — for example, the thick fur of a polar bear or the long beak of a hummingbird.

例句

The snow leopard's thick fur is an adaptive trait that traps body heat.

雪豹厚實的毛皮是一種適應演化的特徵，能鎖住體熱。

adaptive trait — biology collocation

Dr. Sven studies the adaptive value of bright colours on tropical frogs.

田中博士研究熱帶青蛙身上鮮豔顏色的演化適應價值。

adaptive value — common in evolutionary biology

同義詞
  • evolutionary

    broader; covers any change shaped by natural selection, not just helpful ones

  • advantageous

    general benefit term; 'adaptive' specifically links the benefit to surviving in an environment

反義詞
  • maladaptive

    trait that lowers, rather than raises, chances of survival

文法句型

adaptive + biological noun

用法筆記

Common in biology and evolutionary science writing; pairs almost exclusively with nouns like trait, feature, advantage, value, response, radiation. Distinguish from sense 1: changes here happen across many generations through natural selection, not within one lifetime.

常見錯誤

❌My cat learned to open doors, which is an adaptive trait.
✅My cat learned to open doors, which is adaptive behaviour.
💡in biology, 'adaptive trait' refers to features inherited through evolution, not skills one animal picks up during its life.