cant
cant — 名詞
1. insincere talk on topics of morality or faith, repeated by someone who does not
偽善言辭
虛偽的道德或宗教說詞
insincere talk on topics of morality or faith, repeated by someone who does not genuinely hold those beliefs, just to seem virtuous or win trust.
The politician's speech was full of religious cant, praising faith while taking bribes behind closed doors.
那位政治人物的演講充滿了宗教偽善言辭，一面歌頌信仰，一面在背後收受賄賂。
full of cant — describing hypocritical talk
Aiko grew tired of the cant at the charity gala, where guests praised helping the poor but gave nothing.
Aiko 對慈善晚會上的偽善言辭感到厭倦，賓客們稱頌幫助窮人，卻一毛不拔。
The newspaper article accused the church leaders of cant, pointing out that their fine words did not match their actions.
這篇報紙文章指控教會領袖滿口偽善，指出他們華麗的言辭與行為並不一致。
Hana left the boardroom during the CEO's cant about fairness, knowing workers were paid poverty wages.
Hana 在執行長大談公平的偽善言辭時離開了會議室，因為她知道員工領的是低到難以維生的薪水。
- hypocrisy
the quality of pretending to have beliefs you do not hold; cant is the speech, hypocrisy is the behaviour
- empty rhetoric
formal-sounding words without real meaning; similar register but broader than cant
- platitude
a boring, unoriginal statement; platitudes can be sincere but dull, while cant is always insincere
- sincerity
honest, genuine expression of one's true beliefs
用法筆記
Almost always uncountable. Frequently appears in the pattern 'cant about [topic]' to name the subject of the insincere talk. This sense carries a strongly negative judgement of the speaker.
常見錯誤
2. the private vocabulary of a particular social circle — for example, criminal net
行話；暗語
特定群體使用的隱密語言或術語
the private vocabulary of a particular social circle — for example, criminal networks, religious sects, or trade groups — often designed to keep insiders' conversations hidden from outsiders.
The thieves spoke in a private cant that the police officers could not understand.
那些小偷用一種警察聽不懂的祕密暗語交談。
spoke in a private cant — typical verb + preposition pattern
Linguists study the cant of street vendors, noting how it changes from one city market to another.
語言學家研究街頭攤販的行話，觀察它們在不同城市市場中的變化。
Yara learned the cant of the fishing community after living on the coast for ten years.
Yara 在海岸住了十年後，學會了漁民社群的行話。
Old sailors' cant includes dozens of unusual words for types of wind and weather.
老水手的行話包含了數十種描述風向和天氣的特殊詞彙。
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 1: sense 1 focuses on insincere moral speech, while sense 2 describes a genuine in-group vocabulary, often neutral in tone. Frequently followed by 'of [group]' or modified by a group name (thieves' cant, traders' cant).
常見錯誤
cant — 動詞
1. to talk in a falsely moral or religious way, repeating easy phrases that you do
說偽善話
用虛假的道德言辭說話
to talk in a falsely moral or religious way, repeating easy phrases that you do not truly believe, in order to sound good or win approval.
The TV preacher canted about family values while secretly living a very different life.
那位電視佈道者大談家庭價值的偽善言辭，私下卻過著截然不同的生活。
canted about [topic] — verb + about
Rohan refused to cant at the meeting, saying instead that he did not know the answer.
Rohan 拒絕在會議上說那些偽善的話，而是坦承自己不知道答案。
When the senator began to cant about patriotism, several listeners walked out of the room.
當那位參議員開始假惺惺地談論愛國主義時，幾位聽眾起身離開了房間。
The students could tell when their teacher was canting and when she was speaking from genuine belief.
學生們能分辨老師何時在說偽善話，何時是真心誠意的表達。
用法筆記
Intransitive only — you cannot 'cant something'. Takes 'about [topic]' to state the subject. This verb is rare in modern English; the noun sense 1 (cant = insincere talk) is far more common than the verb. Learners are more likely to encounter the noun.
常見錯誤
2. to lean or move to one side, or to place something at an angle instead of level,
傾斜；使傾斜
傾斜或將某物斜放
to lean or move to one side, or to place something at an angle instead of level, so that it is no longer flat or upright.
The old shed began to cant to the left after years of rain had softened the ground beneath it.
那間舊棚子經過多年雨水浸泡而導致地基鬆軟後，開始向左傾斜。
cant to the left — intransitive + direction
Diego canted the mirror so that it would catch the morning light from the east window.
Diego 將鏡子傾斜，好讓它能接住東邊窗戶射進來的晨光。
canted the mirror — transitive use with object
The sailboat canted sharply as a strong gust of wind hit the canvas from the side.
那艘帆船因一陣強風從側面襲來而劇烈傾斜。
Priya carefully canted the picture frame so that it hung straight on the sloping attic wall.
Priya 小心地將畫框斜放，讓它在傾斜的閣樓牆上掛正。
- level
to make flat and even; the opposite of setting at an angle
- straighten
to return to an upright position
用法筆記
Transitive when you set something at an angle (I canted the shelf); intransitive when something leans by itself (the pole canted). Common in nautical contexts (a ship cants in rough seas) and in woodworking or construction. Less common than 'tilt' or 'lean' in everyday speech.
常見錯誤
cant — 形容詞
1. positioned at an angle rather than level or upright; describing a surface, edge,
傾斜的
有斜面或斜角的
positioned at an angle rather than level or upright; describing a surface, edge, or corner that has been cut or set with a slope.
The carpenter installed a cant shelf that slanted outward to display the ceramic bowls more clearly.
木匠安裝了一個向外傾斜的斜架，讓那些陶瓷碗展示得更清楚。
cant shelf — adjective before noun
The old house had cant window frames that gave each room an unusual, slightly tilted feel.
那間老房子有傾斜的窗框，讓每個房間都帶著一種微妙的歪斜感。
Beatriz chose a cant base for her pottery, so each finished bowl sat at a gentle angle on the table.
Beatriz 為她的陶器選了一個傾斜底座，讓每個完成的碗都能在桌上微微傾斜。
The staircase had cant steps, narrowing at one end to follow the curved wall of the tower.
那座樓梯有傾斜的階梯，每級往一端逐漸變窄，以順應塔樓的弧形牆壁。
用法筆記
Rare in everyday speech. Typically appears in architecture, woodworking, and engineering contexts. 'Canted' (past participle as adjective) is more common than 'cant' as a bare adjective: e.g. 'a canted corner' is much more frequent than 'a cant corner'. Highly technical register.