suburban

suburban — 形容詞

1. located in or relating to the areas of houses, shops, and schools that lie on th

1.形容詞B1
釋義

郊區的

位於或與城市邊緣區域相關的

located in or relating to the areas of houses, shops, and schools that lie on the edge of a city, where many people who work in the city live.

例句

The suburban train arrives at Central Station every fifteen minutes during rush hour.

郊區火車在尖峰時段每十五分鐘抵達中央車站。

collocation: suburban train

Noor's family moved to a quiet suburban street so the children could play outside safely.

Noor 的家人搬到了一條安靜的郊區街道，這樣孩子們可以安全地在戶外玩耍。

usually before noun + concrete noun

同義詞
  • outlying

    more neutral, focuses on distance from centre rather than character

  • residential

    broader — can describe any housing area, even inside a city

  • commuter-belt

    British English, specifically about areas whose residents travel to the city for work

反義詞
  • urban

    relating to the city centre or dense city areas

  • inner-city

    the most central, often older parts of a city

文法句型

suburban + noun (area, street, train, home)

用法筆記

Subject is usually a noun for a place, building, service, or feature — such as 'area', 'street', 'train', 'shopping centre', 'park', or 'home'.

常見錯誤

❌We visited a suburban restaurant in the city centre.
✅We visited a suburban restaurant on the edge of town.
💡'suburban' refers to locations outside the city centre, not within it.

2. used disapprovingly to describe a way of life that seems uninteresting, too ordi

2.形容詞B2
釋義

乏味的

指生活單調平凡、缺乏刺激的

used disapprovingly to describe a way of life that seems uninteresting, too ordinary, and lacking in variety or excitement.

例句

After ten years in the same suburban town, Amani longed for something new and exciting.

在同一個乏味的郊區小鎮住了十年後，Amani 渴望一些新鮮刺激的事物。

disapproving use with 'longed for something new'

The lifestyle in their district felt too suburban and predictable for the young artist.

對這位年輕藝術家來說，他們社區的生活方式太過乏味且可預測。

同義詞
  • provincial

    suggests narrow-mindedness, not just lack of excitement

  • unexciting

    softer and more neutral

  • humdrum

    informal, emphasises dull routine

反義詞
  • cosmopolitan

    having a wide cultural outlook, the opposite of narrow and ordinary

  • vibrant

    full of energy and life

文法句型

suburban + noun (life, existence, town, routine)

用法筆記

This sense carries a negative judgement. The speaker or writer implies that suburban life lacks cultural variety and is centred too narrowly on family and home routines. Distinguish from sense 1 (CITY OUTSKIRTS), which is neutral.

常見錯誤

❌The suburban train was boring.
✅The suburban lifestyle felt boring to her.
💡The train itself isn't boring; the pejorative sense is about a way of life, not about objects or services.

suburban — 名詞