armed

/ɑːmd/ (bre, ipa) · /ɑːrmd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈärmd/ (ame, mw) · /-ɑːmd/ (bre, ipa) · /-ɑːrmd/ (ame, ipa)

armed — adjective

1. describing a person or group that has a gun, knife, or other weapon ready to use

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describing a person or group that has a gun, knife, or other weapon ready to use, especially during a crime or a military operation.

例句

Two armed men walked into the petrol station and demanded all the cash.

armed + plural noun (people)

The soldiers were heavily armed with rifles, grenades, and night-vision goggles.

heavily armed with + [list of weapons]

同義詞
  • armed-up

    very informal, mostly British slang

  • packing

    very informal American, especially carrying a hidden gun

  • weaponised

    more often used of objects than people

反義詞
  • unarmed

    the standard direct opposite

  • defenceless

    stresses helplessness, not just lack of weapons

文法句型

armed + with + [weapon]

用法筆記

Subject is usually a person, group, or vehicle that physically holds the weapon. Distinguish from sense 2, where 'armed' modifies the event (a robbery, a conflict) rather than the actor.

常見錯誤

The robbery was armed.
The robbers were armed.' or 'It was an armed robbery.
💡sense 1 modifies the people; the event-noun pattern is sense 2.

2. describing an action, struggle, or crime in which weapons such as guns or bombs

2.形容詞B2
釋義

describing an action, struggle, or crime in which weapons such as guns or bombs are used. Common pairings include armed conflict, armed robbery, and armed struggle.

例句

The two countries have been locked in armed conflict for over a decade.

collocation: armed conflict

Mr. Lin was sentenced to twelve years for armed robbery of a jewellery shop.

collocation: armed robbery

同義詞
  • violent

    wider — covers fists and weapons alike

  • military

    implies an organised army, not just any weapons

反義詞

文法句型

armed + [event noun]

用法筆記

Used attributively before nouns that name an event or struggle (conflict, robbery, struggle, clash, intervention). Cannot follow 'be' the way sense 1 can; you say 'an armed robbery', not 'the robbery was armed'.

常見錯誤

The conflict became armed last month.
Armed conflict broke out last month.
💡this sense sits before the noun and does not work after 'be'.

3. having the facts, tools, or skills you need to deal with a difficult task — for

3.形容詞B2
釋義

having the facts, tools, or skills you need to deal with a difficult task — for example, going into an exam armed with three weeks of notes, or visiting a mechanic armed with quotes from another shop.

例句

Quinn walked into the meeting armed with charts, photos, and customer feedback.

armed with + [list of supporting items]

Armed with a torch and a paper map, Ilya set off into the dark forest.

fronted: 'Armed with X, [subject]…'

同義詞
  • equipped

    more neutral, often physical tools

  • prepared

    wider — does not require a specific item

反義詞

文法句型

armed with + [tool / information]

用法筆記

Almost always used with 'with' plus a noun that helps the subject succeed (knowledge, evidence, tools). Often appears as a fronted participle phrase ('Armed with X, …'). The thing 'with' introduces is rarely a literal weapon in this sense.

常見錯誤

She was armed by useful data.
She was armed with useful data.
💡the preposition is 'with', not 'by'.

armed — suffix