“Language is the key that unlocks the doors of understanding, but sometimes it presents us with a puzzle of its own. In this article, we explore 29 perplexing English words and phrases, complete with definitions, examples, and clever mnemonic techniques to help you remember them. From ‘serendipity’ to ‘onomatopoeia,’ these linguistic enigmas will challenge your mind and expand your vocabulary.”
1、29个难懂的英语单词和短语,附有定义、示例和记住它们的技巧
英语是世界上最广泛使用的语言之一,但是在学习英语的过程中,我们常常会遇到一些难懂的单词和短语。这些单词和短语可能是因为它们的拼写、发音或者意义与我们的母语不同而难以理解。我们将介绍29个难懂的英语单词和短语,附有定义、示例和记住它们的技巧。
1. Ambiguous (adj.) – 不明确的,模棱两可的
示例:The instructions were ambiguous, so I wasn’t sure what to do.
记忆技巧:Ambiguous sounds like “am big use”, which means that something can be used in a big way, but it’s not clear how.
2. Archipelago (n.) – 群岛
示例:The Philippines is an archipelago composed of more than 7,000 islands.
记忆技巧:Archipelago sounds like “arc hip hop ago”, which means that a group of hip hop dancers formed an arc a long time ago on a group of islands.
3. Belligerent (adj.) – 好战的,交战的
示例:The belligerent countries were engaged in a fierce battle.
记忆技巧:Belligerent sounds like “bell iguana rent”, which means that a landlord rented out a house to a group of iguanas who constantly fought with each other.
4. Cacophony (n.) – 刺耳的声音,不和谐的音调
示例:The cacophony of car horns outside made it difficult to concentrate.
记忆技巧:Cacophony sounds like “ca coffee knee”, which means that someone spilled hot coffee on their knee and made a loud, unpleasant sound.
5. Discombobulated (adj.) – 混乱的,不知所措的
示例:After the car accident, I was discombobulated and didn’t know what to do.
记忆技巧:Discombobulated sounds like “dis combo bobulated”, which means that someone’s combo move in a video game was interrupted and they became disoriented.
6. Ephemeral (adj.) – 短暂的,转瞬即逝的
示例:The beauty of cherry blossoms is ephemeral, lasting only a few weeks.
记忆技巧:Ephemeral sounds like “e femoral”, which means that something is related to the femur bone in the leg, which is short and fleeting.
7. Furtive (adj.) – 鬼鬼祟祟的,秘密的
示例:The furtive glances between the two coworkers suggested that they were having an affair.
记忆技巧:Furtive sounds like “fur thief”, which means that someone who steals fur coats must be sneaky and secretive.
8. Gobbledygook (n.) – 无意义的话,胡言乱语
示例:The politician’s speech was full of gobbledygook and didn’t make any sense.
记忆技巧:Gobbledygook sounds like “gobble the goo”, which means that someone is eating something that doesn’t make sense, like goo.
9. Hodgepodge (n.) – 大杂烩,混杂物
示例:The antique store was filled with a hodgepodge of items from different eras.
记忆技巧:Hodgepodge sounds like “hotch potch”, which means that someone is stirring a pot of different ingredients together to make a mishmash.
10. Inscrutable (adj.) – 难以理解的,神秘的
示例:The expression on the detective’s face was inscrutable, making it difficult to know what he was thinking.
记忆技巧:Inscrutable sounds like “in screw table”, which means that a table is screwed together so tightly that it’s impossible to understand how it was made.
11. Juxtaposition (n.) – 并列,并置
示例:The artist used juxtaposition to create a striking contrast between light and dark.
记忆技巧:Juxtaposition sounds like “just a position”, which means that something is placed next to something else in a specific position.
12. Kerfuffle (n.) – 混乱,骚动
示例:The kerfuffle at the concert started when the band was late to take the stage.
记忆技巧:Kerfuffle sounds like “curfuffle”, which means that someone is causing a commotion when they should be following the curfew.
13. Labyrinthine (adj.) – 如迷宫般的,复杂的
示例:The labyrinthine structure of the building made it difficult to find the exit.
记忆技巧:Labyrinthine sounds like “lab rat vine”, which means that a laboratory mouse is lost in a vine-filled maze.
14. Mellifluous (adj.) – 悦耳的,动听的
示例:The singer’s mellifluous voice captivated the audience.
记忆技巧:Mellifluous sounds like “mellow flute”, which means that someone is playing a soft, soothing melody on a flute.
15. Nefarious (adj.) – 邪恶的,罪恶的
示例:The nefarious activities of the drug cartel were finally exposed by the authorities.
记忆技巧:Nefarious sounds like “nefarious”, which means that someone is doing something evil and nefarious.
16. Obfuscate (v.) – 使模糊,使混乱
示例:The politician’s evasive answers obfuscated the truth.
记忆技巧:Obfuscate sounds like “ob fuse skate”, which means that someone is skating on a fuse that’s about to explode and cause confusion.
17. Paradox (n.) – 自相矛盾的情况,悖论
示例:The paradox of time travel is that going back in time to change the past could create a paradoxical situation.
记忆技巧:Paradox sounds like “pair of socks”, which means that sometimes you can’t find a matching pair of socks, creating a paradoxical situation.
18. Quixotic (adj.) – 不切实际的,狂想的
示例:The quixotic dreams of the young artist were dismissed by his parents as unrealistic.
记忆技巧:Quixotic sounds like “quick exotic”, which means that someone is dreaming of an exotic adventure that’s impossible to achieve quickly.
19. Rambunctious (adj.) – 活泼的,喧闹的
示例:The rambunctious children were running around the playground, shouting and laughing.
记忆技巧:Rambunctious sounds like “ram bun chews”, which means that a group of hungry rams are chewing on buns and making a lot of noise.
20. Serendipity (n.) – 意外发现的幸运
示例:The discovery of penicillin was a result of serendipity, as the scientist accidentally left a petri dish out and it became contaminated.
记忆技巧:Serendipity sounds like “serene dip it tea”, which means that someone is calmly dipping a tea bag into hot water and unexpectedly discovers something amazing.
21. Taciturn (adj.) – 沉默寡言的
示例:The taciturn man rarely spoke, preferring to listen to others instead.
记忆技巧:Taciturn sounds like “tacit urn”, which means that someone is silently standing next to an urn containing ashes.
22. Ubiquitous (adj.) – 无处不在的
示例:The ubiquitous presence of smartphones has changed the way we communicate.
记忆技巧:Ubiquitous sounds like “you pick a bus”, which means that someone can pick any bus they want because they’re all around.
23. Visceral (adj.) – 内脏的,本能的
示例:The visceral reaction to the horror movie was to cover my eyes and scream.
记忆技巧:Visceral sounds like “viscous oil”, which means that someone has a gut reaction to something that’s as thick and heavy as oil.
24. Whimsical (adj.) – 异想天开的,古怪的
示例:The whimsical artwork of the surrealist painter was characterized by bizarre and dreamlike imagery.
记忆技巧:Whimsical sounds like “whim sickle”, which means that someone is using a sickle to cut down their fanciful and fleeting whims.
25. Xenophobia (n.) – 仇外,排外
示例:The rise of xenophobia in some countries has led to increased discrimination against immigrants.
记忆技巧:Xenophobia sounds like “zen of phobia”, which means that someone is so obsessed with their own peaceful state of mind that they fear anything that’s different.
26. Yesteryear (n.) – 往昔,过去的时代
示例:The fashion of yesteryear is making a comeback, with vintage clothing becoming popular once again.
记忆技巧:Yesteryear sounds like “yester year”, which means that someone is nostalgic for a year that’s long gone.
27. Zephyr (n.) – 微风,和风
示例:The zephyr blowing through the trees carried the scent of flowers.
记忆技巧:Zephyr sounds like “zebra fur”, which means that a gentle breeze is blowing through a field of zebras, rustling their fur.
28. Aphorism (n.) – 格言,警句
示例:The famous aphorism “time is money” means that time is a valuable resource that should not be wasted.
记忆技巧:Aphorism sounds like “a four ism”, which means that someone is summarizing a complex idea in just four words or less.
29. Zeitgeist (n.) – 时代精神,时代思潮
示例:The zeitgeist of the 1960s was characterized by social and cultural revolution.
记忆技巧:Zeitgeist sounds like “time ghost”, which means that the spirit of a particular time period is haunting us and shaping our thoughts and actions.
这些难懂的英语单词和短语可能会让我们感到困惑,但是通过记住它们的定义、示例和记忆技巧,我们可以更轻松地理解它们的含义和用法。我们也可以在学习英语的过程中享受探索和发现这些有趣的词汇带来的乐趣。
2、29个难懂的英语单词和短语,附有定义,示例和记住它们的技巧
学习英语,难免会遇到一些难懂的单词和短语,这些单词和短语不仅仅是语言难度,更是文化背景和语境的挑战。下面介绍29个难懂的英语单词和短语,附有定义、示例和记住它们的技巧。
1. Ambivalent(矛盾的)
定义:既有正面的,也有负面的情感或态度。
示例:I have an ambivalent feeling about this job offer. It pays well, but the work is not what I want to do.
记忆技巧:记住“ambi”意为“两个”,“valent”意为“价值”,即有两个价值的情感。
2. Apropos(关于)
定义:与某事相关或适合某种情况。
示例:Apropos of our earlier conversation, I have some news to share with you.
记忆技巧:记住“propos”意为“提议”,即与某事相关。
3. Arcane(神秘的)
定义:难以理解或解释的。
示例:The ancient rituals of this tribe are arcane to outsiders.
记忆技巧:记住“arc”意为“弧形”,即弧形的知识难以理解。
4. Ephemeral(短暂的)
定义:短暂存在的或持续时间很短的。
示例:The beauty of cherry blossoms is ephemeral, lasting only a few weeks.
记忆技巧:记住“ephem”意为“短暂的”,即存在时间很短。
5. Esoteric(深奥的)
定义:只有少数人知道或理解的。
示例:The professor’s lecture on quantum physics was esoteric and difficult to follow.
记忆技巧:记住“eso”意为“内部的”,“teric”意为“知识”,即只有内部人士才了解的知识。
6. Facetious(滑稽的)
定义:不认真的或开玩笑的。
示例:He made a facetious remark about the serious situation, which offended some people.
记忆技巧:记住“face”意为“脸”,“tious”意为“有……倾向的”,即说话时带着一种滑稽的表情。
7. Faux pas(失礼)
定义:社交上的失礼或犯规。
示例:She made a faux pas by wearing jeans to the formal event.
记忆技巧:记住“faux”意为“假的”,“pas”意为“步伐”,即走错了步伐,犯了失礼。
8. Idiosyncrasy(古怪的习惯)
定义:个人独特的或奇怪的习惯或行为。
示例:His idiosyncrasy of always wearing mismatched socks was endearing to some and strange to others.
记忆技巧:记住“idio”意为“个人的”,“syn”意为“一起”,“crasy”意为“行为”,即个人独特的行为。
9. Ineffable(难以言表的)
定义:无法用言语表达的或太美好而难以形容的。
示例:The view from the mountain top was ineffable, leaving us speechless.
记忆技巧:记住“in”意为“不”,“effable”意为“可言喻的”,即无法言喻。
10. Inscrutable(难以理解的)
定义:难以理解或解释的。
示例:The politician’s motives were inscrutable, leaving the public unsure of his intentions.
记忆技巧:记住“in”意为“不”,“scrutable”意为“可解释的”,即无法解释。
11. Languid(慢悠悠的)
定义:缺乏精神或活力的。
示例:The hot weather made her feel languid and unmotivated.
记忆技巧:记住“lang”意为“长的”,“uid”意为“流动的”,即像长流的水一样慢悠悠的。
12. Loquacious(健谈的)
定义:爱说话或多话的。
示例:She is a loquacious person who can talk for hours without getting tired.
记忆技巧:记住“loqua”意为“说话”,“cious”意为“有……倾向的”,即有说话倾向。
13. Mellifluous(悦耳的)
定义:声音悦耳的或音乐般的。
示例:The singer’s mellifluous voice filled the room with a sense of calm.
记忆技巧:记住“mell”意为“甜的”,“fluous”意为“流动的”,即像甜美的流水一样悦耳。
14. Misanthrope(厌恶人类的人)
定义:厌恶人类或社交的人。
示例:The misanthrope avoided social gatherings and preferred to be alone.
记忆技巧:记住“mis”意为“不喜欢”,“anthrope”意为“人类”,即不喜欢人类的人。
15. Nefarious(邪恶的)
定义:极度邪恶或犯罪的。
示例:The nefarious activities of the criminal organization were finally exposed by the police.
记忆技巧:记住“nef”意为“邪恶的”,即非常邪恶的。
16. Obfuscate(使困惑)
定义:使困惑或难以理解。
示例:The politician’s vague answers obfuscated the issue and left the public confused.
记忆技巧:记住“ob”意为“反对”,“fus”意为“流”,“cate”意为“使”,即反对流畅的理解,使人困惑。
17. Paragon(模范)
定义:完美或典范的人或事物。
示例:She is a paragon of beauty and grace.
记忆技巧:记住“para”意为“旁边的”,“gon”意为“角度”,即在旁边看起来非常完美。
18. Pedantic(卖弄学问的)
定义:过分注重细节或卖弄学问的。
示例:The professor’s pedantic lectures were difficult to follow and lacked practical application.
记忆技巧:记住“ped”意为“脚”,“antic”意为“表演”,即像表演舞蹈一样卖弄学问。
19. Penultimate(倒数第二的)
定义:倒数第二个的。
示例:The penultimate chapter of the book was the most exciting and left the reader wanting more.
记忆技巧:记住“pen”意为“笔”,“ultimate”意为“最后的”,即书的倒数第二章。
20. Perfunctory(敷衍的)
定义:草率或敷衍的。
示例:The employee’s perfunctory response to the customer’s complaint was unacceptable.
记忆技巧:记住“per”意为“完全”,“functory”意为“功能的”,即完全只做了功能上的事情,草率敷衍。
21. Petrichor(雨后的气息)
定义:雨后土壤散发出的芳香。
示例:The petrichor after the rain was a pleasant reminder of nature’s beauty.
记忆技巧:记住“petri”意为“石头”,“chor”意为“合唱”,即石头和土壤合唱出的芳香。
22. Quixotic(不切实际的)
定义:不切实际或理想化的。
示例:His quixotic plan to save the world was admirable but unrealistic.
记忆技巧:记住“quix”意为“快速的”,即太快了,不切实际。
23. Resilient(有弹性的)
定义:有弹性或能够恢复的。
示例:The resilient material was able to withstand the impact and return to its original shape.
记忆技巧:记住“resil”意为“回弹”,即有弹性的。
24. Serendipity(意外的发现)
定义:意外的发现或幸运的事件。
示例:The couple’s meeting was a serendipitous event that changed their lives forever.
记忆技巧:记住“seren”意为“平静的”,“dipity”意为“发现”,即在平静的时刻发现了幸运的事情。
25. Sycophant(马屁精)
定义:谄媚或奉承的人。
示例:The boss’s sycophants always agreed with him, even when he was wrong.
记忆技巧:记住“syco”意为“疯狂的”,“phant”意为“幻觉”,即疯狂地追求幻觉般的权力。
26. Ubiquitous(无处不在的)
定义:无处不在的或普遍存在的。
示例:Social media is ubiquitous in today’s society.
记忆技巧:记住“ubi”意为“在哪里”,“quitous”意为“存在的”,即无处不在的存在。
27. Visceral(本能的)
定义:本能的或基于感性的。
示例:The visceral response to the horror movie was to cover her eyes and scream.
记忆技巧:记住“visc”意为“内脏”,“eral”意为“相关的”,即与内脏感受相关的本能反应。
28. Zeitgeist(时代精神)
定义:某一时代的文化、思想或精神氛围。
示例:The zeitgeist of the 1960s was characterized by social change and political activism.
记忆技巧:记住“zeit”意为“时间”,“geist”意为“精神”,即某一时间的精神氛围。
29. Zenith(巅峰)
定义:顶点或巅峰。
示例:The athlete’s career reached its zenith when she won the gold medal at the Olympics.
记忆技巧:记住“zen”意为“禅宗”,“ith”意为“最高点”,即禅宗的最高境界。