amorphous

/əˈmɔːfəs/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈmɔːrfəs/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈmȯr-fəs/ (ame, mw)

amorphous — adjective

  • amorphouspositive
  • more amorphouscomparative
  • most amorphoussuperlative

1. not keeping one clear shape or outline

1.形容詞C2
釋義

not keeping one clear shape or outline

例句

Under the microscope, the melted plastic looked like an amorphous gray mass.

amorphous + mass for shapeless material

Christopher poured the batter into a pan, where it spread into an amorphous blob.

同義詞
  • shapeless

    the closest everyday word for lacking a clear outline

  • formless

    slightly more literary and often used for smoke, darkness, or clouds

  • irregular

    describes an uneven shape, but something irregular can still have a definite form

反義詞
  • well-defined

    having clear edges or boundaries

  • shaped

    already formed into a recognizable outline

  • structured

    organized into a clear form or arrangement

用法筆記

Usually describes soft material, smoke, stains, or other things without a stable outline. It often appears before nouns such as mass, blob, or lump.

常見錯誤

❌The dining table looked amorphous in the corner.
✅The spilled paint looked amorphous on the floor.
💡use 'amorphous' for material or shapes without clear edges, not for ordinary solid furniture.

2. not arranged into a clear pattern, plan, or set of details

2.形容詞C2
釋義

not arranged into a clear pattern, plan, or set of details

例句

Samir rejected the amorphous plan because nobody knew the first step.

amorphous + plan for weak structure

The club's goals stayed amorphous, so meetings ended without real decisions.

同義詞
  • vague

    stresses that the meaning or aim is unclear, not necessarily that the structure is missing

  • unstructured

    more direct about lacking organization, especially in plans or activities

  • loose

    can describe weak organization, but is more informal and less precise

反義詞

用法筆記

Usually describes plans, ideas, groups, or projects that have not been clearly organized yet. Distinguish this from sense 1, which is about physical shape rather than abstract structure.

常見錯誤

❌We need a more amorphous schedule.
✅We need a clearer schedule.
💡'amorphous' usually criticizes a plan for lacking structure; it is not a positive quality.