behavior

behavior — 名詞

1. How one acts, especially toward other people or in social situations.

1.名詞A2
釋義

行為

待人接物或社交上的表現

How one acts, especially toward other people or in social situations.

例句

Christopher's polite behavior at the dinner table impressed his host's parents.

Christopher 在晚宴上的禮貌行為讓主人父母印象很好。

behavior at [place/event] — specifying context

The teacher praised the class for their excellent behavior during the field trip.

老師稱讚全班在戶外教學期間表現優良。

同義詞
  • conduct

    more formal than 'behavior', often carries a moral judgment — 'professional conduct' sounds more official than 'professional behavior'

  • demeanor

    focuses on the outward appearance and expression of how someone acts, rather than their actions themselves

  • manners

    specifically about politeness and socially expected ways of acting in a culture

反義詞

文法句型

adjective + behavior

behavior toward/towards [person]

2. The way a living thing, such as a person, animal, or plant, acts or reacts to wh

2.名詞B1
釋義

行為反應

生物對環境或刺激的反應

The way a living thing, such as a person, animal, or plant, acts or reacts to what is happening around it, studied especially in science.

例句

The researchers observed the feeding behavior of wild chimpanzees in the forest of Tanzania.

研究人員觀察坦尚尼亞森林中野生黑猩猩的覓食行為。

observed/study + the + __ + behavior + of + [animal]

The cat's fearful behavior before the storm made Eshe wonder if animals sense changing weather.

貓在風雨來襲前的恐懼行為讓 Eshe 好奇動物是否感應得到天氣變化。

同義詞
  • response

    a more general term for any reaction to a stimulus; less tied to personality or character than 'behavior'

  • reaction

    suggests an immediate, often involuntary response rather than an ongoing pattern of behavior

  • action

    the broadest term; any thing a living creature does, without implying a stimulus or pattern

文法句型

the + behavior + of + [organism]

behavior(s) + in + [situation]

用法筆記

In formal or academic contexts, 'behaviors' (countable plural) is common for listing specific types of actions — for example, 'aggressive behaviors in caged dogs'. In everyday conversation, the uncountable form is preferred: 'The dog's aggressive behavior worried us.'

常見錯誤

❌The researcher studied the behavior of plants in different lights.
✅The researcher studied plant responses to different light levels.
💡'behavior' for plants is technically correct in botany but sounds unnatural to non-specialists. Use 'response' or 'reaction' for general audiences.

3. The way a machine, substance, or system works when it is in a particular set of

3.名詞B2
釋義

運作表現

物質或機器在特定條件下的表現

The way a machine, substance, or system works when it is in a particular set of circumstances.

例句

The engineer studied the behavior of the steel bridge under strong wind conditions.

工程師研究了鋼橋在強風條件下的結構表現。

behavior of [object] under [condition]

Scientists cannot fully explain the chemical's behavior when mixed with hot water.

科學家無法完全解釋該化學物質與熱水混合時的特性變化。

同義詞
  • performance

    focuses on how well something works rather than how it works; more evaluation-oriented

  • operation

    describes the process of functioning, often of a machine or system over time

  • properties

    refers to the inherent characteristics of a material rather than its active functioning

文法句型

the + behavior + of + [material/substance/machine]

behavior + under/at/in + [condition]

用法筆記

Most common in engineering, chemistry, physics, and computing. Frequently used with descriptive adjectives such as 'elastic behavior', 'chemical behavior', 'thermal behavior', or 'optical behavior' to name the type of property being studied.

常見錯誤

❌The behavior of plastic changes in cold weather.' (too vague for technical writing)
✅The mechanical behavior of polypropylene changes at temperatures below zero.
💡In technical contexts, specify what type of behavior (mechanical, chemical, thermal) rather than using 'behavior' alone.