emetic
emetic — 名詞
1. a substance given or taken to empty the stomach by forcing the person to vomit,
催吐劑
引發嘔吐的藥物或物質
a substance given or taken to empty the stomach by forcing the person to vomit, often used in medical treatment for poisoning or before certain surgical procedures
The doctor gave Liam an emetic after he drank the cleaning fluid by mistake.
Liam 誤吞了清潔液，醫生給他服用了催吐劑。
give + an emetic (medical instruction)
Hassan's grandmother told him that warm salt water could work as a home emetic.
Hassan 的祖母告訴他，溫鹽水可以充當居家催吐劑。
The emergency room keeps several types of emetics ready for cases of accidental poisoning.
急診室裡備有多種催吐劑，以備意外中毒時使用。
- vomit-inducing agent
a descriptive phrase that avoids the technical register of 'emetic'
- purgative
broader term that can also refer to laxatives; less precise
- antiemetic
a drug that stops or prevents vomiting
用法筆記
Frequently used with 'administer' or 'give' in medical contexts. Rare outside clinical or veterinary settings; 'something to make you vomit' is preferred in everyday conversation.
常見錯誤
emetic — 形容詞
1. describes a substance, treatment, or natural agent that makes a person or animal
催吐的
導致嘔吐的
describes a substance, treatment, or natural agent that makes a person or animal vomit
Some chemotherapy drugs have strong emetic effects that doctors try to control.
某些化療藥物有很強的催吐作用，醫師會設法控制。
emetic + effect: collocation for side effects
The bright red berries of this plant are highly emetic, so keep children away from them.
這種植物的鮮紅色漿果有很強的催吐效果，請讓兒童遠離。
The pharmacist explained the emetic properties of the medicine to Arjun's mother.
藥劑師向 Arjun 的母親解釋了那種藥物的催吐特性。
- nausea-inducing
less technical, describes the sensation rather than the outcome
- vomit-provoking
a descriptive alternative that avoids Greek/Latin lexicon
- antiemetic
preventing or stopping vomiting
用法筆記
Primarily a technical term in medicine and pharmacology. In everyday English, 'makes you vomit' or 'sickening' are far more common. Do not use this word when speaking to patients — use 'nausea-causing' instead.
常見錯誤
2. so extremely unpleasant, disgusting, or shocking that it feels almost physically
令人作嘔的
極度不愉快而使人反胃的
so extremely unpleasant, disgusting, or shocking that it feels almost physically sickening — used about sights, experiences, behaviour, or language
Pedro found the scenes of animal cruelty so emetic that he left the cinema.
Pedro 覺得影片中的虐待動物場面令人作嘔，於是他離開了電影院。
find + something + emetic: pattern for personal reaction
The critic described the film's sentimental voice-over as emetic rather than touching.
影評人認為那部電影的感性旁白與其說感人，不如說令人作嘔。
Sirin thought the level of flattery in the farewell speech was frankly emetic.
Sirin 認為告別演說中的奉承程度簡直令人作嘔。
- nauseating
more common in everyday English; shares the 'sickening' metaphor
- revolting
stronger emotional charge, less clinical
- sickening
the most natural everyday synonym for this sense
- pleasant
light antonym for the figurative sense only
用法筆記
Figurative extension of the medical sense. Most often found in literary criticism, film reviews, or formal commentary. Overuse can sound pretentious; 'nauseating' or 'revolting' are more natural alternatives in most situations.