essence

essence — 名詞

1. the most basic and defining quality that gives something its true character

1.名詞B2
釋義

本質；精髓

事物最根本、最重要的性質

the most basic and defining quality that gives something its true character

例句

The essence of democracy is giving citizens a voice in how they are governed.

民主的本質是讓公民在治理方式上擁有發言權。

the essence of + abstract noun phrase

Daichi captured the essence of Japanese design in his minimalist furniture.

Daichi 將日本設計的精髓融入了他極簡風格的家具中。

capture the essence of

同義詞
  • core

    focuses on the central or indispensable part rather than the full nature

  • heart

    more emotional or figurative; common in 'at the heart of'

  • nature

    broader — refers to all inherent qualities, not narrowed to the most important one

反義詞
  • appearance

    what something seems to be, as opposed to what it truly is

文法句型

essence + of

用法筆記

Usually followed by 'of' to specify what is being described. This sense is almost always uncountable — you would not say 'an essence of democracy'.

常見錯誤

❌The essence of the problem are the lack of funds.
✅The essence of the problem is the lack of funds.
💡'essence' is singular and takes a singular verb even when the complement is plural.

2. used to state the most basic or important quality of something, especially after

2.名詞B2
釋義

本質上

就最重要的特點而言

used to state the most basic or important quality of something, especially after removing less important details

例句

In essence, the proposal is a plan to reduce costs by cutting the workforce.

本質上，這項提案是一個透過裁員來降低成本的計畫。

in essence at sentence start — summarising

The two theories appear different, but in essence they say the same thing.

這兩套理論看似不同，但本質上說的是同一件事。

同義詞
  • basically

    more informal and very common in spoken English

  • fundamentally

    stresses the foundational aspect more strongly

文法句型

in essence + [clause]

用法筆記

'In essence' is a fixed adverbial phrase used to introduce a simplified summary. It can appear at the start of a sentence, as a parenthetical interruption, or at the end.

3. extremely important and necessary for something to succeed or happen in the way

3.名詞C1
釋義

至關重要

對某情況極其重要且必要

extremely important and necessary for something to succeed or happen in the way you want

例句

In mountain rescue operations, speed is of the essence — every minute counts.

在山難救援行動中，速度至關重要——分秒必爭。

speed is of the essence — typical collocation

For this negotiation to succeed, patience is of the essence; rushing would ruin the deal.

要讓這場談判成功，耐心最要緊；操之過急會毀了協議。

同義詞
  • crucial

    more widely used across all registers and not restricted to a fixed expression

  • vital

    similar in strength but follows a normal adjective structure

反義詞

文法句型

[noun] + be + of the essence

用法筆記

Only used in the fixed expression 'be of the essence'. The most common subjects are 'time', 'speed', 'patience', and 'precision'. Common in legal, medical, and emergency contexts.

常見錯誤

❌Time is essence.
✅Time is of the essence.
💡the full phrase 'of the' must not be dropped.
❌It is essence that we finish soon.
✅It is of the essence that we finish soon.
💡'essence' alone cannot replace 'of the essence'.

4. a concentrated substance from plants, flowers, or fruits that gives a strong tas

4.名詞B1
釋義

香精；精油

從植物或花朵提取的濃縮液體

a concentrated substance from plants, flowers, or fruits that gives a strong taste or smell when added to foods, drinks, or beauty products

例句

Putri added a teaspoon of vanilla essence to the cake batter for extra flavour.

Putri 在蛋糕麵糊裡加了一茶匙香草精來增添風味。

vanilla essence — cooking use

The perfume is made from the essence of roses grown in the south of France.

這款香水是由法國南部種植的玫瑰精油製成的。

essence of + flower — perfume use

同義詞
  • extract

    more general; 'vanilla extract' is common in American English for the same product

  • essential oil

    refers specifically to natural oils for aromatherapy, not cooking

文法句型

[flavour] + essence

essence of + [plant]

用法筆記

In cooking, 'essence' often refers to artificial or natural flavouring liquids (vanilla essence, almond essence), while 'essential oil' refers to natural plant oils used in aromatherapy, not food. In British English 'vanilla essence' is common; American English more often uses 'vanilla extract'.

常見錯誤

❌I need vanilla essential oil for the cake.
✅I need vanilla essence for the cake.
💡'essential oil' is for aromatherapy or skincare, not food flavouring.