engagement

engagement — 名詞

1. a formal agreement between two people to get married, or the period of time duri

1.名詞B1
釋義

訂婚

雙方約定結婚的階段

a formal agreement between two people to get married, or the period of time during which they plan the wedding before the ceremony takes place.

例句

Roya and Asher announced their engagement at a family gathering in Taipei.

Roya 和 Asher 在台北的一場家庭聚會上宣布了他們的訂婚喜訊。

announced their engagement (common verb + noun pair)

The couple's engagement lasted eighteen months while they planned the wedding.

這對情侶的訂婚期長達十八個月，期間他們一直在籌備婚禮。

同義詞
  • betrothal

    much more formal and old-fashioned; rarely used in modern everyday English

  • promise

    broader and less specific; can refer to any kind of promise, not just marriage

反義詞
  • breakup

    refers to the end of a romantic relationship before or without a formal engagement

文法句型

engagement + to + person

announce + engagement

engagement + ring

用法筆記

Often used in the phrase 'engagement to [someone]' (e.g., 'her engagement to a lawyer'). The noun already implies marriage, so 'engagement to marry' is redundant.

常見錯誤

❌We announced our engagement to marry.
✅We announced our engagement.
💡'Engagement' already means an agreement to marry; adding 'to marry' is unnecessary.

2. a planned meeting or event that someone has arranged to attend, especially one c

2.名詞B1
釋義

約定；約會

事先排好的會面或活動

a planned meeting or event that someone has arranged to attend, especially one connected with their work or an official duty.

例句

The director had a prior engagement and sent her deputy instead.

主管已經有約在先，於是派她的副手代為出席。

prior engagement (formal fixed phrase for declining invitations)

Owen's calendar listed three client engagements across two cities this week.

Owen 的行事曆上排了本週與三個不同城市客戶的約會。

同義詞
  • appointment

    less formal; used for routine bookings like doctors, hairdressers

  • commitment

    broader — any obligation on your time, not just a scheduled meeting

  • date

    more informal; can be social or romantic

文法句型

have + engagement

prior/previous + engagement

speaking + engagement

用法筆記

This sense sounds quite formal. In everyday conversation, 'appointment' (for doctors, hairdressers, etc.) or 'meeting' (for work) is more natural. 'Engagement' is most common in polite refusals ('a prior engagement') and formal event listings.

常見錯誤

❌I have a doctor engagement at 3pm.
✅I have a doctor's appointment at 3pm.
💡'Engagement' sounds too formal for routine bookings; use 'appointment' instead.

3. a short fight between military forces, especially one that happens as part of a

3.名詞B2
釋義

交戰

軍隊之間的短暫戰鬥

a short fight between military forces, especially one that happens as part of a larger war.

例句

The naval engagement lasted only forty minutes before the enemy retreated.

這場海上交戰僅持續了四十分鐘，敵軍便撤退了。

naval engagement (military collocation for sea battles)

Both divisions lost several soldiers in the brief engagement near the river.

兩個師都在河邊的短暫交戰中損失了數名士兵。

同義詞
  • battle

    larger, longer, and more decisive than an engagement

  • skirmish

    even smaller and less formal than an engagement; often unplanned

  • clash

    emphasizes the hostile meeting; can be used for non-military conflicts too

反義詞
  • truce

    an agreement to stop fighting temporarily

文法句型

engagement + between + forces

engagement + with + enemy

用法筆記

In military contexts, an 'engagement' is typically smaller and shorter than a 'battle'. The word is also used in phrases like 'rules of engagement', which set the conditions for when soldiers may open fire.

常見錯誤

❌The two armies had a huge engagement that lasted three months.
✅The two armies fought a major battle that lasted three months.
💡'Engagement' suggests a shorter clash; for long, large-scale fighting use 'battle' instead.

4. the state of being actively involved in something and giving it your attention,

4.名詞B2
釋義

投入；參與

關注或投入某事物的狀態

the state of being actively involved in something and giving it your attention, interest, or emotional energy.

例句

The course demands active engagement with primary source texts.

這門課程要求學生主動投入閱讀原始文獻。

active engagement with (academic pattern for student involvement)

Gabriela's deep engagement with the refugee program earned her a community award.

Gabriela 對難民援助方案的深度投入為她贏得了一座社區貢獻獎。

deep engagement with (strong commitment pattern)

同義詞
  • involvement

    more general; does not necessarily imply emotional or intellectual investment

  • participation

    emphasizes taking part in activities rather than mental or emotional connection

  • commitment

    stronger sense of duty and dedication to a cause or relationship

反義詞
  • apathy

    lack of interest or emotional involvement

文法句型

engagement + with + topic/community

engagement + in + activity

deep/active + engagement

用法筆記

Common in academic and professional writing. 'Engagement with' is followed by a topic, text, or community. 'Engagement in' is followed by an activity. This sense implies a deeper connection than simple 'involvement'.

常見錯誤

❌Her engagement to the project was impressive.
✅Her engagement with the project was impressive.
💡Use 'with' or 'in', not 'to', for this sense. 'Engagement to' is for marriage.

5. the process of building and maintaining people's interest in a company, organiza

5.名詞B2
釋義

互動；參與度

企業建立顧客興趣的過程

the process of building and maintaining people's interest in a company, organization, or cause, especially through communication and shared activities.

例句

The company launched a loyalty program to improve customer engagement.

該公司推出了一項會員忠誠計畫，以提升客戶互動。

customer engagement (key business term)

High employee engagement correlates with lower staff turnover and better results.

員工參與度高有助於降低離職率並提高整體績效。

employee engagement (HR term for workforce commitment)

同義詞
  • participation

    more active and event-focused; less about ongoing relationship

  • involvement

    broader and less strategic; can be passive

反義詞
  • disengagement

    the state of losing interest or no longer being involved

文法句型

customer + engagement

employee + engagement

community + engagement

用法筆記

This business sense is almost always used in compound noun phrases. 'Customer engagement' refers to ongoing interaction between a brand and its customers. 'Employee engagement' measures workers' emotional commitment to their organization.

常見錯誤

❌The company wants to increase engagement of customers.
✅The company wants to increase customer engagement.
💡The attributive noun form (customer + engagement) is the standard pattern in business English.

6. the number of times people like, comment on, share, or otherwise react to a piec

6.名詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

互動次數

社群貼文的按讚留言等互動量

the number of times people like, comment on, share, or otherwise react to a piece of online content such as a social media post or a blog article.

例句

The post received over two thousand engagements within the first hour.

這則貼文在一小時內就獲得了超過兩千次互動。

number + engagements (countable online usage)

Naoko tracks her blog's engagement rate to see which recipes perform best.

Naoko 追蹤自己部落格的互動率，來了解哪些食譜表現最好。

engagement rate (social media analytics term)

同義詞
  • interaction

    more general; can include any two-way communication, not just online

  • response

    focuses on reactions to specific content rather than ongoing relationship with an audience

文法句型

number + engagements

engagement + rate

social media + engagement

用法筆記

In social media contexts, 'engagement' can be countable ('500 engagements' = 500 individual interactions) or uncountable ('high engagement' = the general level of interaction). The 'engagement rate' is a percentage comparing interactions to total followers or views.

常見錯誤

❌My post got 500 engagement.
✅My post got 500 engagements.
💡When counting individual reactions, 'engagement' is countable and needs an -s ending.

7. a period of paid work, especially for a performer such as a musician, actor, or

7.名詞B2
釋義

聘約

表演者或藝術家的短期工作合約

a period of paid work, especially for a performer such as a musician, actor, or dancer, at a particular venue or for a particular event.

例句

The pianist completed a successful two-week engagement at the Vienna concert hall.

這位鋼琴家在維也納音樂廳完成了一場為期兩週的成功演出聘約。

duration + engagement at + venue (typical performer booking pattern)

The dance company secured a six-month engagement at a Broadway theater.

該舞團在百老匯的一家劇院拿到了六個月的演出合約。

six-month engagement (duration collocation for contracts)

同義詞
  • gig

    informal; common in music and comedy; usually a single performance rather than a longer contract

  • contract

    more formal and legal; can cover any type of work agreement

  • booking

    emphasizes the reservation or scheduling aspect of the performer's job

文法句型

engagement + as + role

engagement + at + venue

duration + engagement

用法筆記

This sense is most commonly used for performers (musicians, actors, dancers) and for guest speakers ('speaking engagement'). For regular office jobs, use 'employment' or 'position' instead.

常見錯誤

❌I found a new engagement as a software engineer.
✅I found a new job as a software engineer.
💡'Engagement' for non-performance work sounds old-fashioned or overly formal.