eccentric
eccentric — 形容詞
1. behaving or dressing in a way that is noticeably different from what most people
古怪的
行為或裝扮怪異、與眾不同的
behaving or dressing in a way that is noticeably different from what most people consider normal, often in a pleasantly surprising or amusing way
Manuela has some eccentric hobbies, like collecting antique door handles from across Europe.
Manuela 有一些古怪的嗜好，例如收集來自歐洲各地的古董門把。
collocation: eccentric hobbies
The old professor wore an eccentric purple hat shaped like a pineapple to every lecture.
那位老教授每次上課都戴著一頂造型像鳳梨的紫色古怪帽子。
eccentric + clothing item
Nikos has eccentric eating habits and dips everything in honey before taking a bite.
Nikos 有古怪的飲食習慣，吃什麼之前都要先沾蜂蜜。
Zuri's eccentric decision to sleep in a hammock instead of a bed surprised her flatmates.
Zuri 做了一個古怪的決定——不睡床而睡吊床，這讓她的室友們很吃驚。
It is considered eccentric to wear a formal suit while hiking up a rocky mountain trail.
穿著正式西裝去爬崎嶇的山路，會被認為是很古怪的行為。
- odd
more neutral and less colourful; simply means not normal
- peculiar
suggests something strange in a way that is distinctive to the person or thing
- quirky
implies playful, unexpected habits with a light, charming feel
- unconventional
focuses on deliberately choosing not to follow social norms
- conventional
following accepted social norms and standards
- normal
typical and expected in behaviour or appearance
用法筆記
Frequently describes habits, clothing, or personality traits that are unusual but not harmful or disturbing. Often carries a mildly positive or affectionate tone.
常見錯誤
2. relating to circles or paths whose center point is at a different location from
偏心的
圓形或軌道未在同一中心的
relating to circles or paths whose center point is at a different location from another, or whose shape is not a perfect circle
The comet follows an eccentric orbit that brings it close to the sun only once every century.
那顆彗星沿著一條偏心軌道運行，每一百年才靠近太陽一次。
technical: eccentric orbit
An eccentric gear rotates around a point located away from its true centre.
一個偏心齒輪繞著一個偏離其真正中心的位置旋轉。
In geometry class, Daichi drew two eccentric circles that did not share a common centre.
在幾何課上，Daichi 畫了兩個沒有共用同一個圓心的偏心圓。
The engineer explained how an eccentric cam converts rotary motion into a back-and-forth movement.
工程師解釋了偏心凸輪如何將旋轉運動轉換為往復運動。
- off-center
more general and less technical; works in everyday contexts
- non-concentric
a direct synonym but even more technical and rare
- concentric
sharing the same centre point
用法筆記
Primarily used in technical contexts such as geometry, astronomy, and mechanical engineering. Not common in everyday conversation.
3. having a curved, stretched form that is narrower at the ends than in the middle,
橢圓形的
呈橢圓形狀的
having a curved, stretched form that is narrower at the ends than in the middle, resembling the shape of an egg
The pool has an eccentric oval shape that makes it look like a large green leaf.
這個游泳池呈橢圓形狀，看起來像一片綠色的葉子。
rare: eccentric oval shape
Eitan admired the eccentric curves of the old stone archway in the temple garden.
Eitan 欣賞著寺廟花園裡那座古老石拱門的橢圓形曲線。
The architect chose an eccentric oval design for the roof of the new museum.
建築師為新博物館的屋頂選擇了橢圓形設計。
Defne carefully traced the eccentric curve of the antique mirror frame onto paper.
Defne 小心地將古董鏡框的橢圓形曲線描到紙上。
- oval
the common, everyday word; no technical feeling
- elliptical
more precise in geometry; describes a specific mathematical oval shape
- circular
perfectly round
用法筆記
A relatively rare use of 'eccentric' that simply means 'oval-shaped.' Most speakers use 'oval' instead. This sense belongs almost entirely to technical or descriptive writing.
eccentric — 名詞
1. a person whose habits, clothing, or opinions are noticeably different from what
怪人
行為舉止怪異、與眾不同的人
a person whose habits, clothing, or opinions are noticeably different from what most people consider usual
Everyone in town knows Mrs. Okafor as a harmless eccentric who writes poems on walls.
鎮上的每個人都知道 Okafor 太太是個無傷大雅的怪人，喜歡在牆壁上寫詩。
common pattern: harmless / charming / lovable eccentric
The gallery owner was an eccentric who only displayed art made from recycled materials.
那位畫廊老闆是個怪人，只展示用回收材料創作的藝術品。
Nikhil's great-aunt was a charming eccentric who kept twenty pet rabbits in her tiny flat.
Nikhil 的姨婆是個可愛的怪人，在狹小的公寓裡養了二十隻寵物兔。
The village eccentric wears three watches on each arm and talks to passing clouds.
村裡的怪人每隻手腕上都戴著三隻手錶，還會跟路過的白雲說話。
Adina laughed at stories about the local eccentric who always wore roller skates indoors.
Adina 聽了當地怪人的故事哈哈大笑——那人總是在室內穿著溜冰鞋。
- oddball
informal; more playful and less respectful
- character
informal and affectionate; an amusingly unusual person
- nonconformist
focuses on deliberately rejecting social rules rather than personal quirkiness
- conformist
someone who follows accepted social rules and behaviour
用法筆記
Often preceded by adjectives such as 'harmless,' 'charming,' 'lovable,' or 'well-known' to show that the oddness is viewed kindly rather than negatively.