flail
flail — 動詞
- flailpresent simple I / you / we / they
- flailshe / she / it
- flailedpast simple
- flailing-ing form
1. to wave your arms, legs, or other body parts in a fast, uncontrolled way, especi
亂揮；揮舞
(四肢)不受控制地劇烈擺動
to wave your arms, legs, or other body parts in a fast, uncontrolled way, especially because you are panicking, struggling, or trying not to fall.
Caio slipped on the wet floor, flailing his arms wildly to catch himself.
Caio 在濕滑的地板上滑倒，雙手用力亂揮想穩住自己。
flail + adverb: wildly / frantically
The toddler flailed her legs in excitement when she saw the bubbles in the bath.
那個學步的小孩看到浴缸裡的泡泡，興奮得雙腿亂踢。
Putri's legs flailed under water as she struggled to find the bottom of the pool.
Putri 的雙腿在水裡亂動，努力想踩到泳池底部。
A trapped bird flailed its wings against the window, desperate to escape.
一隻受困的小鳥對著窗戶用力撲動翅膀，拼命想逃出去。
Wei flailed his arms to get the lifeguard's attention after his surfboard drifted away.
Wei 用力揮動手臂，想引起救生員的注意，因為他的衝浪板漂走了。
- still
to stay still is the opposite of flailing about.
文法句型
flail + object (arms / legs / wings)
flail + adverb (wildly / about / frantically)
用法筆記
Subject is often a body part (arms, legs, wings) rather than a person. The movement is involuntary or panicked — do not use it for deliberate gestures like waving hello.
常見錯誤
2. to hit a person, animal, or object very hard, using a stick, whip, or heavy obje
猛打；痛擊
用棍棒或重物用力毆打
to hit a person, animal, or object very hard, using a stick, whip, or heavy object, often in a wild or uncontrolled way.
The farmer flailed the tall weeds with a thick stick to clear the path.
農夫用粗樹枝猛打高高的雜草，把路清出來。
flail + object + with + instrument
Lucas lost his temper and began flailing the punching bag with both fists.
Lucas 大發脾氣，開始用雙拳猛捶沙包。
In a tale, the knight flailed his opponent with the handle of his broken lance.
在一個故事裡，騎士用斷掉的長矛握柄痛擊對手。
Romi's mother flailed the dusty carpet with a bamboo beater until the dirt flew out.
Romi 的媽媽用竹拍子用力打那張積灰的地毯，打到灰塵四處飛揚。
Caio flailed the overgrown bushes with a machete to open a way through the jungle.
Caio 用開山刀猛砍過度生長的灌木，在叢林中開出一條路。
- caress
a gentle touch is the opposite of a violent flailing blow.
文法句型
flail + noun phrase + with + noun (instrument)
用法筆記
Stronger and more violent than 'hit' or 'beat'. The striking motion is often sweeping or windmill-like rather than precise. Not used for skilled actions like boxing.
常見錯誤
flail — 名詞
- flailsingular
- flailsplural
1. a farm tool used long ago to beat grain crops such as wheat or barley, made from
連枷
古代打穀用的農具
a farm tool used long ago to beat grain crops such as wheat or barley, made from a long wooden handle with a shorter rod fixed loosely at one end so it can swing freely.
At the museum, Baraka examined a wooden flail that farmers once used to thresh wheat.
Baraka 在博物館裡仔細觀察了一把木製連枷，農民曾用它來打麥。
Medieval peasants lifted the flail high and brought the rod down onto the grain.
中世紀的農民會把連枷高高舉起，再把沉重的木棍重重砸在穀物上。
collocation: lift / swing a flail
The flail hung on the wall of the cottage, a relic from before combine harvesters.
那把連枷掛在農舍牆上，是聯合收割機問世前的時代遺物。
Amani's grandfather owned a flail, though he used it only as a garden decoration.
Amani 的祖父留著一把連枷，不過只把它當成花園裝飾品。
A wooden flail could break open the husks of barley without crushing the grain inside.
木製連枷能把大麥的殼敲開，又不至於壓碎裡面的穀粒。
- threshing tool
a descriptive phrase rather than a synonym; flail is the precise name.
文法句型
a/the flail
flail + of + material
用法筆記
A historical farm implement; in modern contexts the word is mostly used in museums, historical writing, or metaphorical expressions. Do not confuse it with the medieval weapon called a 'morning star' or 'mace' — a flail was a farming tool, not a weapon designed for combat.