adults
adults — noun
1. a person or animal whose body has stopped growing and has reached its full size
a person or animal whose body has stopped growing and has reached its full size and physical strength.
The course is designed for young adults who have just finished school.
collocation: young adult
As an adult, the Watanabe children were expected to help with the family bills.
countable noun: an adult
The lion cub will stay close to its mother until it becomes an adult.
Many adults find it harder to learn a musical instrument than children do.
The zoo built separate areas for baby animals and adults.
- grown-up
informal; common in everyday speech, less formal than adult
- grown person
emphasises the contrast with childhood; somewhat formal
文法句型
adult + verb
adjective + adult
用法筆記
In everyday conversation, 'grown-up' is a common informal alternative for the noun sense.
常見錯誤
adults — adjective
1. having reached the stage where growth is complete and the body is at its full si
having reached the stage where growth is complete and the body is at its full size.
The adult elephant stood twice as tall as the calf beside it.
attributive adjective: adult elephant
Dr. Okafor bought an adult-size bicycle because the children's models were too small.
adult-size as compound modifier
The adult population of the town is roughly twenty thousand people.
These beetles measure only two millimetres long as adult insects.
An adult human has thirty-two permanent teeth in a healthy mouth.
- fully-grown
emphasises having reached maximum physical size; common for animals
- mature
broader meaning; can describe emotional or intellectual development as well
文法句型
adult + noun
be/become + adult
用法筆記
When used of animals, 'adult' refers to sexual maturity — the point at which the animal can reproduce — not just size.
常見錯誤
2. showing the sensible and responsible qualities that people expect from a mature
showing the sensible and responsible qualities that people expect from a mature person — for example, dealing with a problem calmly instead of reacting with anger.
The young manager handled the criticism in a very adult way.
collocation: adult way
It was an adult decision to apologise even though Lin was not entirely at fault.
collocation: adult decision
The students showed adult behaviour during the emergency drill.
The night-shift nurse took an adult attitude toward the patient's complaints.
- responsible
more direct; emphasises being trusted to do the right thing
- mature
the most common alternative; slightly broader in scope
文法句型
adult + noun (behaviour/decision/manner)
be + adult
3. containing sexual material that is intended only for people old enough to see it
containing sexual material that is intended only for people old enough to see it legally, and not appropriate for children.
The website requires users to confirm their age before viewing adult content.
collocation: adult content
Some television channels only broadcast adult programmes after ten o'clock at night.
collocation: adult programmes
The corner shop keeps adult magazines on the top shelf out of children's reach.
Many streaming services let parents block adult films from their children's accounts.
The movie was rated R for adult themes and strong language.
- pornographic
stronger and more direct; can sound judgmental or legal
- X-rated
informal; refers specifically to the old movie-rating category for sexually explicit films
- explicit
broader; can also refer to violence or coarse language
- family-friendly
suitable for viewers of all ages
- PG-rated
classified as suitable for children with parental guidance
文法句型
adult + noun (film/magazine/content/entertainment)
用法筆記
This sense is almost always used as an attributive adjective before a noun — you would not say 'this film is adult.' The terms 'adult entertainment' and 'adult industry' are common set phrases.