prostitute
prostitute — 名詞
1. a person who receives payment in exchange for performing sexual acts with someon
妓女；娼妓
以性行為換取金錢的人
a person who receives payment in exchange for performing sexual acts with someone
Police rescued several young women who had been forced to work as prostitutes in the city.
警方救出了多名被迫在城市裡賣淫的年輕女子。
passive: forced to work as prostitutes
Andrés met with a group of former prostitutes who now run a support centre.
Andrés 與一群如今經營支援中心的前性工作者會面。
collocation: former prostitutes
The new law gives prostitutes the same workplace rights as other workers.
這項新法律賦予性工作者與其他勞工相同的工作權。
Stephanie interviewed a prostitute for her research on labour conditions in the informal economy.
Stephanie 為了研究非正式經濟中的勞動條件，訪問了一名性工作者。
- sex worker
broader, more respectful term that includes all types of commercial sex work
- hooker
informal and often derogatory; not suitable for serious or formal contexts
- escort
euphemistic term; can refer to someone who provides companionship without necessarily implying sex
文法句型
[countable] a prostitute
用法筆記
Some people find this term offensive; 'sex worker' is often preferred as a more neutral and respectful description.
常見錯誤
prostitute — 動詞
1. to reduce the value of your skills, principles, or reputation by putting them to
糟蹋（才能）
為金錢貶低自己的才能或原則
to reduce the value of your skills, principles, or reputation by putting them to dishonourable use, typically for money — for instance, a gifted writer who churns out poor work only for profit
The talented painter prostituted his skills by churning out cheap copies for tourists.
那位才華洋溢的畫家為了賺錢大量繪製廉價複製品，糟蹋了自己的技藝。
prostitute + possessive + noun (skills)
Élise refused to prostitute her artistic vision for commercial success.
Élise 拒絕為了商業成功而出賣自己的藝術理念。
Critics accused the journalist of prostituting her principles to write for a tabloid.
評論家指責那名記者為了替八卦報撰稿而踐踏自己的原則。
Many young musicians feel pressured to prostitute their talent just to land a record deal.
許多年輕音樂人感到壓力，為了拿到唱片合約不惜糟蹋自己的才華。
文法句型
prostitute + reflexive pronoun
prostitute + possessive + noun (talents / principles / skills)
用法筆記
Almost always used reflexively (prostitute oneself) or with a possessive modifier before the object (prostitute one's talent). The object must be an abstract quality — never a concrete object like money.
常見錯誤
2. to take money for letting someone have sex with you, or to offer another person
賣淫；當娼
以性行為換取金錢
to take money for letting someone have sex with you, or to offer another person for paid sexual activity
Takeshi was arrested for prostituting minors in the city's entertainment district.
Takeshi 因在城裡的娛樂區仲介未成年人賣淫而被捕。
transitive: prostituting someone else
Pim was forced to prostitute herself after fleeing her village during the conflict.
Pim 在逃離戰亂村莊後被迫賣淫。
reflexive: prostitute + herself
The court sentenced the man who had prostituted his own daughter to fifteen years in prison.
法院判處那名迫使親生女兒賣淫的男子十五年監禁。
Many children in the region are trafficked and prostituted by organised criminal networks.
該地區許多兒童遭到人蛇集團販運並被迫賣淫。
- sell one's body
informal; describes the same act but focuses on the physical aspect rather than the transactional one
- turn tricks
slang; informal way of saying someone engages in prostitution
文法句型
prostitute + reflexive pronoun
prostitute + someone (offer another for paid sex)
用法筆記
Can be used transitively (to prostitute someone else, usually through coercion) or reflexively (to prostitute oneself). In modern usage the transitive sense often appears in legal or human-trafficking contexts.
常見錯誤
prostitute — 形容詞
1. describes work, art, or effort that has been degraded to serve dishonest or pure
墮落的
目的墮落、只為利益的
describes work, art, or effort that has been degraded to serve dishonest or purely commercial ends, rather than any noble or honest purpose
The gallery owner dismissed the exhibition as prostitute art made only for profit.
美術館館長不屑地表示，這場展覽只是為了賺錢的墮落藝術。
collocation: prostitute art
Critics condemned the novel as a prostitute work that catered to the lowest public taste.
評論家抨擊這部小說為了迎合最低俗的品味而寫，是一部墮落之作。
Lauren accused the agency of producing prostitute journalism that simply repeats government statements.
Lauren 指控這家媒體機構只會重複政府聲明，是在製作墮落新聞。
Some critics dismissed the film as prostitute cinema designed only to draw large crowds.
有些評論家認為這部電影只是為了吸引大量觀眾而拍的墮落電影。
文法句型
prostitute + noun (art / science / journalism)
用法筆記
This is a very rare and literary use of 'prostitute' as an adjective. It is nearly always placed immediately before a noun that names a field or profession (art, science, journalism). In everyday English the past participle 'prostituted' (e.g. 'prostituted art') is more common.