motherly

motherly — 形容詞

1. showing the kind, caring, and protective behaviour that people associate with a

1.形容詞B1
釋義

慈愛；慈母般

像母親一樣溫柔體貼的

showing the kind, caring, and protective behaviour that people associate with a good mother

例句

The old nurse had a motherly way of comforting frightened children.

那位老護士安撫受驚小孩的方式很有母愛。

attributive: motherly + noun (way)

When Jabari felt homesick, his landlady gave him a motherly hug.

Jabari 想家時，房東太太給了他一個母親般的擁抱。

collocation: motherly hug

同義詞
  • maternal

    broader term — can refer to biological motherhood or family relations, not just behaviour

  • nurturing

    stresses active care that helps someone grow or develop

  • caring

    more general, lacks the specific mother-like feeling

反義詞
  • cold

    lacking warmth and emotional care

  • unkind

    opposite of the gentle kindness implied by motherly

文法句型

motherly + noun

be + motherly

be + motherly + towards/to + noun

用法筆記

Often used to describe the behaviour or qualities of someone who is not the person's actual mother. Frequently modifies nouns such as 'love', 'care', 'instinct', 'smile', 'hug', or 'concern'.

常見錯誤

❌She visited her motherly grandparents.
✅She visited her maternal grandparents.
💡'motherly' describes caring behaviour, not a family relationship on the mother's side of the family.