adult
adult — 名詞
1. someone who is no longer a child — old enough to vote, marry, or be held respons
成年人；成獸
已長大成熟的人或動物
someone who is no longer a child — old enough to vote, marry, or be held responsible by law — or, of an animal, one that has finished growing.
Tickets cost $12 for adults and $6 for children under twelve.
票價成人 12 美元，十二歲以下兒童 6 美元。
countable noun: 'adults' contrasted with 'children'
By the time Imani turned eighteen, she was legally an adult in Taiwan.
Imani 滿十八歲時，在台灣已是法律上的成年人。
be + an + adult (legal sense)
Adult elephants can weigh up to six tons and eat grass all day.
成年大象體重可達六噸，整天都在吃草。
The swimming pool has separate sessions for adults and toddlers each morning.
這座游泳池每天早上有分開的成人和幼兒時段。
Wairimu is the only adult living in the small wooden house by the lake.
Wairimu 是住在湖邊那間小木屋裡唯一的成年人。
用法筆記
Used for both humans and animals, but the legal-responsibility meaning applies only to people. With animals, the focus is on having reached full body size.
常見錯誤
adult — 形容詞
1. describes someone or an animal whose body has finished growing and reached its m
成年的
已長到成熟體型的
describes someone or an animal whose body has finished growing and reached its mature size.
An adult tiger can run faster than any human on the planet.
成年老虎跑起來比地球上任何人類都還快。
adult + animal noun
The clinic offers free check-ups to adult patients every Tuesday afternoon.
這間診所每週二下午為成年病患提供免費健檢。
adult + human noun
Adult salmon swim back to the same river where they were born.
成年鮭魚會游回牠們出生的那條河。
Most adult cats sleep for sixteen hours a day on average.
大多數成年貓平均一天睡十六個小時。
- grown-up
informal; mostly used about humans
- mature
stresses physical or mental development, not just age
- full-grown
stresses reaching maximum body size, often of animals
文法句型
adult + noun
用法筆記
Almost always used before a noun (attributive). You normally say 'she is an adult' (noun) rather than 'she is adult' for the same meaning.
常見錯誤
2. describes behaviour, decisions, or situations that fit a grown-up rather than a
成熟的
言行像大人，懂事、冷靜
describes behaviour, decisions, or situations that fit a grown-up rather than a child — calm, sensible, and aware of consequences.
Jamal handled the argument with her neighbour in a very adult way.
Jamal 處理跟鄰居的爭執時，表現得非常成熟。
in an adult way / manner
Paying rent and cooking dinner are part of normal adult life.
付房租和煮晚餐都是一般成年生活的一部分。
adult + abstract noun (life, decisions, world)
Hiro made the adult decision to apologise to his sister first.
Hiro 做了成熟的決定，先向妹妹道歉。
The teenagers handled the emergency in a calm, adult manner.
那群青少年以冷靜、成熟的方式處理了這場緊急狀況。
- mature
more common as a predicate; about emotional or mental level
- grown-up
informal; same range of meaning
- responsible
stresses awareness of duties and consequences
文法句型
adult + noun
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about MATURITY of behaviour or situation, not biological age. A teenager can act 'in an adult way'; a grown person can behave childishly.
常見錯誤
3. of films, magazines, websites, or shops — containing sexual images or content me
限制級的
含色情內容、限成人觀看
of films, magazines, websites, or shops — containing sexual images or content meant only for grown-ups, not for children.
Most streaming services keep adult content behind a separate password.
大多數串流服務會把成人內容放在另外一組密碼後面。
adult content / material / video
The bookshop on Wuchang Street has a small adult section in the back.
武昌街那家書店後面有一個小小的成人專區。
adult section / store
Parents can block adult websites using the router's family settings.
家長可以用路由器的家庭設定來封鎖成人網站。
The new film carries an adult rating and is banned for under-eighteens.
這部新片屬於限制級，禁止十八歲以下觀看。
- X-rated
informal; from old film-rating system
- pornographic
much more direct and explicit; not polite
- explicit
broader — covers strong language and violence too
- family-friendly
suitable for viewers of all ages
文法句型
adult + noun
用法筆記
A polite, neutral way to refer to pornographic material. Always before a noun in this sense — you cannot say 'this magazine is adult' to mean it is sexual; say 'this magazine has adult content'.