abnormal
/æbˈnɔːml/ (bre, ipa) · [æbnˈɔrməl] /æbˈnɔːrml/ (ame, ipa) · [æbnˈɔrməl] /(ˌ)ab-ˈnȯr-məl əb-/ (ame, mw)
abnormal — adjective
- abnormalpositive
- more abnormalcomparative
- most abnormalsuperlative
1. noticeably not what is normal or typical; people usually see this kind of differ
noticeably not what is normal or typical; people usually see this kind of difference as a problem, a sign of illness, or simply wrong.
Dr. Linh noticed some abnormal cells in Tariro's blood test results.
collocation: abnormal cells — common in medical contexts
It is abnormal for a child of five to have such a high fever.
pattern: It is abnormal for [someone] to [do something]
The abnormal rainfall this summer has damaged most of Cole's crops.
Maeve's teacher found her silence in class abnormal for someone who usually answers freely.
Sivan said the machine's abnormal noise was the first sign that something had broken inside.
用法筆記
Stronger and more negative than similar words like 'unusual' or 'different'. Commonly used in medical, scientific, and psychological contexts. Frequently appears before nouns describing test results, behaviour, or physical conditions.
常見錯誤
abnormal — noun
1. a person whose behaviour or physical or mental condition is considered very diff
a person whose behaviour or physical or mental condition is considered very different from what is normal, especially in a clinical or diagnostic context.
Camila's research paper examines how society has historically treated people it labels as abnormals.
noun usage: 'the abnormals' — uncommon, formal
The 1950s hospital records referred to certain patients as abnormals without a clear definition.
Nila was uncomfortable with the noun 'abnormal' because it seemed to judge people unfairly.
Hao argued that labelling someone as an abnormal says more about society than about the individual.
用法筆記
This noun form is uncommon in everyday speech and is mostly found in academic, clinical, or historical writing. Many modern writers avoid it because it can sound judgmental or dehumanizing. Use a descriptive phrase instead, such as 'a person with unusual behaviour' or 'an individual with an abnormal condition'.