slum

slum — 名詞

1. A poor section of a city with badly maintained buildings, tightly packed homes,

1.名詞B2
釋義

貧民窟

城市中貧窮、擁擠的居住區

A poor section of a city with badly maintained buildings, tightly packed homes, and families who struggle to afford basic needs.

例句

Rodrigo grew up in a slum where families shared one tap of water.

Rodrigo 在一個貧民窟長大，那裡好幾戶人家共用一個水龍頭。

past tense: grew up in a slum

The government promised to build new houses in the slums of Mumbai.

政府承諾要在孟買的貧民窟建造新房子。

collocation: the slums of [city]

同義詞
  • shantytown

    a specific type of slum built from scrap materials like cardboard or corrugated metal

  • ghetto

    an area where a particular racial or ethnic group is forced to live; often has a stronger social and political meaning than 'slum'

  • favela

    a slum on a hillside in or near a Brazilian city; geographically specific

  • projects

    American English; government-built housing for low-income families, not necessarily in bad condition

反義詞

文法句型

the slums

slums of [city]

用法筆記

Often used in the plural form 'slums' to refer to poor areas of a city in general. The singular 'a slum' refers to a specific area.

常見錯誤

❌The rich neighborhood was a slum.
✅The rich neighborhood was not a slum.
💡'slum' describes poverty and poor conditions, not merely any disliked area.

2. A room, house, or other space that is extremely messy, untidy, or dirty.

2.名詞B1
釋義

髒亂處

非常髒亂或骯髒的地方

A room, house, or other space that is extremely messy, untidy, or dirty.

例句

After the party, my bedroom looked like a complete slum.

派對結束後，我的臥室亂得像個垃圾堆。

informal: look like a slum

Chiara refused to work in an office that was such a dirty slum.

Chiara 拒絕在一個亂得像貧民窟的辦公室工作。

同義詞
  • dump

    informal; describes a place that is dirty or in bad condition; more common in American English

  • pigsty

    very informal; compares the mess to a pig's living area, often used for a very messy room

  • tip

    British informal; describes a very messy place, from 'rubbish tip' (garbage dump)

反義詞
  • palace

    informal and humorous; a very clean, tidy, or luxurious place

文法句型

look like a slum

be a slum

用法筆記

This sense is informal and often used humorously or to exaggerate. It describes any space that is in a very untidy state, not just permanent living conditions. More common in British English than American English.

常見錯誤

❌The desk is a slum' (when it's just a little untidy).
✅The room was a complete slum after the kids played inside all day.
💡'slum' implies extreme mess or dirt, not just mild untidiness.

slum — 動詞