waffle
waffle — 名詞
1. a crisp, thick batter cake baked between two heated metal plates with a grid pat
鬆餅
用麵糊烤製、表面有方格紋路的扁形糕餅
a crisp, thick batter cake baked between two heated metal plates with a grid pattern, giving it a distinctive square-marked surface on both sides.
Nkechi ordered a waffle with fresh strawberries and whipped cream for breakfast.
Nkechi 早餐點了一份加新鮮草莓和鮮奶油的鬆餅。
a + waffle with [topping]
Hugo's aunt gave him a waffle iron for his birthday last month.
Hugo 的阿姨上個月送他一個鬆餅機當生日禮物。
collocation: waffle iron
Layla spread butter and honey over her hot waffle before eating it.
Layla 在熱騰騰的鬆餅上抹了奶油和蜂蜜才開始吃。
The café on Market Street serves the best waffles in town.
Market 街上那家咖啡館的鬆餅是整座小鎮上最好吃的。
文法句型
a + waffle
waffles (plural)
2. words or text that sound meaningful but contain little real substance or useful
空話；廢話
用詞多但內容空洞的言談或文字
words or text that sound meaningful but contain little real substance or useful detail.
Dewi's report was full of waffle and completely missed the main issue.
Dewi 的報告充滿了空話，完全沒有切入重點。
full of waffle
Élise told the speaker to cut the waffle and give a straight answer.
Élise 要那名講者別說廢話，直接給個明確答案。
collocation: cut the waffle
Jason's speech sounded clever at first, but it turned out to be just waffle.
Jason 的演講聽起來頭頭是道，但其實都只是空話。
Meera removed all the waffle from her essay and kept only the key points.
Meera 刪掉了文章中所有的廢話，只保留了重點。
- hot air
more informal and dismissive than waffle; implies intentional exaggeration rather than mere wordiness
- nonsense
stronger and more negative; suggests the content is not just wordy but false or absurd
- gibberish
focuses on the lack of clarity to the point of being impossible to understand, not just empty
文法句型
full of waffle
just waffle
cut the waffle
用法筆記
This sense is uncountable — you cannot say 'waffles' to mean empty talk. Common in informal British English; less common in American English.
常見錯誤
waffle — 動詞
1. to keep speaking or writing for a long time while avoiding the main point and sa
含糊其辭
說話冗長卻無明確內容
to keep speaking or writing for a long time while avoiding the main point and saying nothing definite.
Mateo waffled on about his weekend plans for nearly half an hour.
Mateo 含糊其辭地講了將近半小時他的週末計畫。
waffle on about [topic] — continuous, lengthy speech
When Noa asked for directions, the old man just waffled and pointed vaguely.
Noa 問路時，那位老先生只是含糊其辭，隨便指了個方向。
Christopher tends to waffle during staff meetings instead of giving a brief update.
Christopher 開會時總是含糊其辭，而不做簡短說明。
Daichi waffled through his presentation and ran out of time before reaching the conclusion.
Daichi 在簡報中含糊其辭，還沒講到結論時間就到了。
- ramble
focuses more on disorganised, wandering speech than on intentionally avoiding the point; slightly less negative
- blather
more dismissive; implies the speaker is talking nonsense rather than just being vague
- equivocate
formal and deliberate; suggests the speaker is intentionally avoiding a clear answer, not just being wordy
文法句型
waffle on about [topic]
waffle about [topic]
waffle through [something]
用法筆記
Common in informal British English. The particle 'on' emphasises the length of time spent speaking without reaching a point. 'Waffle through' suggests the whole duration of an event was filled with vague talk.
常見錯誤
2. to struggle to choose between options, often changing your mind repeatedly and f
猶豫不決
反覆改變主意，無法下決定
to struggle to choose between options, often changing your mind repeatedly and failing to settle on one.
The committee waffled over the budget proposal for three weeks.
委員會在預算提案上猶豫不決，拖了三個星期。
waffle over [decision / issue]
Dr. Okafor waffled between accepting a job in London and staying in Lagos.
Okafor 醫師在倫敦的工作機會和留在拉哥斯之間猶豫不決。
waffle between [X] and [Y] — two specific options
The hiring team's waffling has delayed the whole recruitment process.
面試團隊的猶豫不決耽誤了整個招募流程。
My father waffled about which car to buy until the sale ended.
我父親一直猶豫該買哪輛車，猶豫到特價活動都結束了。
- waver
less informal than 'waffle'; implies hesitation or fluctuation in opinion, often due to doubt
- vacillate
more formal and literary; emphasises rapid, repeated changes between opposing positions
- dither
British informal, like 'waffle'; focuses on the inability to act due to excessive caution or worry about the wrong choice
文法句型
waffle between [X] and [Y]
waffle over [decision]
waffle about [choice]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (SPEAK VAGUELY): this sense is about being unable to decide, not about talking without substance. The preposition 'between' signals two clear alternatives; 'over' and 'about' are used for a single issue or choice.