criminal
criminal — 名詞
1. someone who does something that the law forbids, for example stealing, hurting a
罪犯
違反法律的人
someone who does something that the law forbids, for example stealing, hurting another person, or damaging property
The police arrested the criminal outside his apartment building last night.
警方昨晚在該名罪犯的公寓大樓外將他逮捕。
Kemi was shocked to learn that her neighbour was a convicted criminal.
Kemi 很震驚地發現她的鄰居是一名已被定罪的罪犯。
collocation: convicted criminal
The prison held over five hundred criminals, some serving life sentences.
那所監獄關押了超過五百名罪犯，有些正在服無期徒刑。
Cyrus testified against the criminals who had robbed the local bank.
Cyrus 出庭作證，指控搶劫當地銀行的那些罪犯。
- offender
more formal; often used in legal or official contexts (e.g. a repeat offender)
- lawbreaker
less common; emphasises the act of breaking the law itself
- culprit
focuses on someone responsible for a specific wrongdoing, not necessarily a legal crime
- law-abiding citizen
a person who obeys the law
文法句型
a [adjective] criminal
the criminal who/that …
用法筆記
Often modified by an adjective describing the type or seriousness of the offence — e.g. violent criminal, petty criminal, career criminal.
常見錯誤
criminal — 形容詞
1. connected with the act of breaking the law, the system that deals with lawbreake
刑事的
與犯罪或法律制裁有關的
connected with the act of breaking the law, the system that deals with lawbreakers, or the people who investigate and punish them
The suspect was taken to court to face criminal charges.
那名嫌疑犯被帶上法庭，面臨刑事指控。
collocation: criminal charges
After finishing school, Yuna decided to study criminal law at the university.
完成學業後，Yuna 決定在大學攻讀刑法。
collocation: criminal law
The lawyer asked to see her client's full criminal record before the hearing.
律師要求在開庭前查看客戶的完整刑事紀錄。
Putri works as a consultant on criminal justice reform in Southeast Asia.
Putri 在東南亞擔任刑事司法改革的顧問。
文法句型
criminal + noun (e.g. criminal law, criminal record)
用法筆記
Only used before a noun (attributive position). You cannot say 'His behaviour was criminal' to mean 'related to crime' — that would be sense 2 (morally wrong).
常見錯誤
2. so morally bad, unfair, or shocking that it seems as if the person responsible o
可恥；離譜
道德上惡劣到應受譴責的
so morally bad, unfair, or shocking that it seems as if the person responsible ought to be punished, even if no actual law has been broken
Tamás thought it was criminal to waste so much food at the party.
Tamás 認為在派對上浪費這麼多食物實在很可恥。
pattern: it is criminal to [verb]
The company's decision to ignore safety rules was a criminal waste of money.
該公司忽視安全規定的決定，簡直是浪費金錢的可恥行為。
collocation: criminal waste
Asher said the amount they charged for a single sandwich was simply criminal.
Asher 說他們一個三明治收那麼多錢，真的太離譜了。
Min's landlord refused to fix the broken pipes for weeks — the tenants called that absolutely criminal.
Min 的房東好幾個星期都不修理破裂的水管，房客們都說這實在太可恥了。
- outrageous
more common; focuses on the shock or offence caused
- disgraceful
emphasises loss of respect and public shame
- shameful
softer; focuses on the moral embarrassment of the situation
- admirable
deserving approval and respect
文法句型
it is criminal (that/to …)
[noun] is criminal
用法筆記
Frequently found in exclamatory or emphatic statements. Common in everyday conversation but rarely in formal writing. Do NOT confuse with sense 1 — this sense does not refer to an actual crime.