baby

baby — 名詞

1. a child in the first year or two of life, before they can walk on their own or s

1.名詞A1
釋義

嬰兒

尚未會走路說話的幼兒

a child in the first year or two of life, before they can walk on their own or speak in full sentences.

例句

Mei rocked the baby in her arms until he fell asleep.

美抱著嬰兒輕輕搖晃，直到他睡著為止。

rock + the baby (in arms)

Lucas and Priya are expecting their first baby in March.

盧卡斯和普莉雅預計三月迎來他們的第一個寶寶。

expecting + a baby (pregnancy)

同義詞
  • infant

    more formal or medical; common in clinics and official forms

  • newborn

    specifically a baby in the first weeks after birth

  • little one

    warm, informal; often used by parents and relatives

反義詞
  • adult

    fully-grown person, opposite end of the age scale

文法句型

have a baby

newborn baby

用法筆記

Often used with possessives or articles (the baby, our baby, her baby). 'Baby' can be paired with names of family roles (baby brother, baby sister) — those are the noun followed by another noun, not the adjective sense.

常見錯誤

❌My sister had a baby boy yesterday, he is two years old.
✅My sister had a baby boy yesterday; he is one day old.
💡once a child can talk and walk freely, English speakers usually call them a toddler or child, not a baby.
❌She is a baby girl of fifteen.
✅She is a teenage girl of fifteen.
💡'baby girl' refers to a female infant, not a young teenager.

2. a recently born or very young animal that still depends on its mother for food a

2.名詞A2
釋義

幼獸；幼崽

剛出生或極年幼的動物

a recently born or very young animal that still depends on its mother for food and protection.

例句

The baby elephant stayed close to its mother as the herd crossed the river.

象群過河時，幼象緊緊跟在母親身邊。

baby + animal name

Ranger Diaz showed the children a baby owl that had fallen from its nest.

迪亞茲巡護員拿著一隻從巢裡掉下來的幼小貓頭鷹給孩子們看。

同義詞
  • young

    as a noun ('the young of a species'); more formal, used in nature writing

  • newborn

    for very recently born animals

文法句型

a baby + animal name

用法筆記

For many species there is also a special name (kitten, puppy, calf, foal, cub, chick). 'Baby + animal' is the everyday way to refer to the young of any species, especially when the special term is unfamiliar to learners.

常見錯誤

❌A baby cow is called a baby.
✅A baby cow is called a calf.
💡most farm animals have specific names for their young; 'baby cow' is informal but understandable.

3. an older child or grown-up who cries, whines, or sulks over small problems, the

3.名詞B1
釋義

愛哭鬼；屁孩

為小事哭鬧或耍賴的人

an older child or grown-up who cries, whines, or sulks over small problems, the way a much younger child would.

例句

Don't be such a baby — the cut on your knee is tiny.

別這麼愛哭——你膝蓋上的傷口很小而已。

Don't be such a baby (rebuke)

Citlali called his older brother a baby for refusing to go on the roller coaster.

馬可斯因為哥哥不敢坐雲霄飛車，就笑他像個愛哭鬼。

同義詞
  • crybaby

    fixed compound; even more dismissive, often heard between children

  • wimp

    informal; focuses on cowardice rather than whining

反義詞
  • grown-up

    as a contrast: 'act like a grown-up, not a baby'

文法句型

call somebody a baby

be such a baby

用法筆記

Used to criticise or tease, never as a compliment. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense applies to people clearly old enough to know better. The phrase 'cry baby' is a fixed insult that draws on the same idea.

常見錯誤

❌You are baby for being scared.
✅You are such a baby for being scared.
💡this sense needs an article and usually 'such': 'be a baby' or 'be such a baby'.

4. within a family, team, or other close group, the person born last or admitted la

4.名詞B1
釋義

老么；老幺

家庭或團體中年紀最小者

within a family, team, or other close group, the person born last or admitted last — for instance, the last-born among brothers and sisters, or the newest player on a sports team — affectionately kept as that label long after they have grown up.

例句

At forty-two, Olivia is still the baby of the Hayashi family.

已經四十二歲了，奧莉維亞仍是林家最小的孩子。

the baby of the family

Rookie pitcher Diego is the baby of the team and gets gentle teasing in the dugout.

新人投手迪亞哥是隊上的老么，在休息區裡常被輕鬆地調侃。

the baby of the team

同義詞
  • youngest

    neutral and exact; without the affectionate tone

反義詞
  • eldest

    the oldest member of the same group

文法句型

the baby of the family / team / group

用法筆記

Almost always appears with 'the' and 'of (a group)'. The person can be any age — what matters is being youngest within the named group. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about literal age.

常見錯誤

❌He is the baby in the family, he is forty.
✅He is the baby of the family
💡he is forty but the youngest of five children.' — use 'of' to introduce the group.

5. a loving name people use for a partner, sweetheart, or romantic interest, often

5.名詞B1
釋義

寶貝；親愛的

對伴侶或愛人的暱稱

a loving name people use for a partner, sweetheart, or romantic interest, often instead of using their first name.

例句

Nia kissed her boyfriend's forehead and whispered, 'Goodnight, baby — drive safely.'

瑪雅親了男朋友的額頭，輕聲說：「晚安，寶貝——路上小心。」

vocative use between partners

Aiden whispered, 'I missed you, baby,' as he hugged his wife at the airport.

艾登在機場擁抱妻子時輕聲說：「我好想你，寶貝。」

同義詞
  • honey

    very common between partners; less sexual, also used to children

  • sweetheart

    warm and slightly old-fashioned; broader than romantic use

  • darling

    more British; can be romantic or merely friendly

文法句型

used as a vocative: Hey, baby

用法筆記

Strongly tied to romantic relationships. From a stranger — especially a man to a woman he doesn't know — it can sound rude or harassing rather than friendly. Use only with partners or in song lyrics.

常見錯誤

❌Excuse me, baby, where is the train station?' (to a stranger).
✅Excuse me, where is the train station?
💡calling a stranger 'baby' often sounds disrespectful or flirtatious in an unwanted way.

6. a project, plan, or invention that one person started, cares about deeply, and f

6.名詞B2
釋義

心血之作

個人投入心力主導的計畫

a project, plan, or invention that one person started, cares about deeply, and feels personally responsible for, often as if it were their own child.

例句

The community garden is Mrs. Camille's baby — she has been tending it for twenty years.

這座社區花園是田中太太的心血——她已經照料了二十年。

X is somebody's baby (project)

The new payment app was Rafael's baby, so he stayed late every night to fix the bugs himself.

這款新支付軟體是拉斐爾一手催生的，所以他每晚加班親自修 bug。

同義詞
  • brainchild

    focuses on the idea or invention rather than ongoing care

  • pet project

    very close in meaning; emphasises personal favourite, not always created by the person

文法句型

somebody's baby = their project

用法筆記

Almost always preceded by a possessive (his / her / Nia's). The thing is usually something the person founded, designed, or championed against opposition. Carries warm, slightly protective feeling — using it about someone else's project can sound dismissive of your own role.

常見錯誤

❌The annual report is the baby of the team.
✅The annual report is the team's baby.
💡with this sense the possessive comes before 'baby', not as 'of' phrase.

7. a machine, vehicle, weapon, or other object that the speaker thinks is impressiv

7.名詞C1
釋義

好東西；寶貝

讓人讚嘆的器物或機械

a machine, vehicle, weapon, or other object that the speaker thinks is impressive, powerful, or fun to use, talked about with pride or excitement.

例句

Watch this baby fly — the new drone can stay up for forty minutes.

看這台寶貝飛起來——這款新無人機可以滯空四十分鐘。

watch / look at / try this baby (object showcase)

Officer Kim patted the patrol car's hood and grinned: 'This baby does zero to sixty in five seconds.'

金警官拍了拍巡邏車的引擎蓋，得意地笑說：「這台寶貝五秒就能加速到時速一百。」

同義詞
  • beauty

    very close: 'this beauty' / 'this baby'; both express admiration

  • beast

    stresses raw power rather than affection

文法句型

that baby = that object

用法筆記

Strongly informal and slightly masculine in flavour; often heard in adverts, sales pitches, and movie dialogue about cars, gadgets, and gear. Almost always with 'this', 'that', or 'these'.

常見錯誤

❌Look at the baby, my new printer.
✅Look at this baby
💡my new printer.' — the demonstrative 'this/that' is essential; 'the baby' would be misread as a real infant.

baby — 動詞

baby — 形容詞