asses

IPA/æs/
KK[ˈæsəz]IPA/æs/

asses — noun

  • assessingular
  • assesesplural

1. a grey or brown animal that looks like a small horse with very long ears, often

1.名詞A2
釋義

a grey or brown animal that looks like a small horse with very long ears, often used for carrying goods or people in rural areas of some countries

例句

The farmer loaded heavy sacks of grain onto the backs of his two grey asses.

countable noun; plural: asses — animal

Rodrigo watched the old woman lead her ass along the narrow mountain path.

同義詞
  • donkey

    the usual, neutral word for the animal; much more common than 'ass'

文法句型

a/an + ass

plural: asses

用法筆記

In modern English, 'donkey' is the more common and neutral word for this animal. 'Ass' is less frequent and can be confused with the insult meaning.

常見錯誤

❌I saw an ass in the field' (vague; could be misunderstood).
✅I saw a donkey in the field
💡'donkey' is the standard, neutral term; 'ass' may be interpreted as an insult.

2. an insulting word for someone who has done something very stupid or behaved in a

2.名詞B1
釋義

an insulting word for someone who has done something very stupid or behaved in an annoying way

例句

Dahlia called her classmate an ass after he deliberately broke her bicycle.

countable noun: (call someone) an ass — direct insult

Jisoo felt like a complete ass when she realised she had been arguing with the wrong customer.

idiom: feel like an ass

同義詞
  • fool

    less strong and less vulgar than 'ass'; acceptable in more contexts

  • idiot

    similar strength to 'ass' but slightly less vulgar

  • jerk

    American English; similar register but less intense

反義詞

文法句型

(such) an ass

a (complete/real) ass

make an ass of yourself

用法筆記

Strongly insulting when directed at a person directly ('You're an ass!'). Somewhat milder when used about oneself ('I felt like an ass') or a situation ('That was an ass thing to do').

常見錯誤

❌My boss is an ass' in a formal complaint letter.
✅My boss behaves unprofessionally
💡'ass' is too vulgar for any formal or written context.
❌Don't be an ass' (vague — doesn't explain the bad behaviour).
✅Don't be an ass
💡return the wallet you found' — the insult is clearer when followed by the reason.

3. a vulgar term for the two rounded areas below a person's back that are used for

3.名詞B2
釋義

a vulgar term for the two rounded areas below a person's back that are used for sitting on

例句

Noa slipped on the wet kitchen floor and landed hard on his ass.

collocation: land on your ass

After ten hours of driving straight, Lotte complained that her ass was very sore.

同義詞
  • bottom

    neutral and polite; appropriate in all situations

  • butt

    less vulgar than 'ass'; common in American English

  • behind

    polite euphemism; suitable for most contexts

文法句型

(on) your ass

fall (land) on your ass

have a sore ass

用法筆記

Common in everyday informal American speech but considered too vulgar for polite conversation, formal writing, or medical contexts. 'Bottom', 'behind', or 'butt' are less offensive alternatives.

常見錯誤

❌The doctor examined my ass' (inappropriate for a medical visit).
✅The doctor examined my lower back
💡use neutral anatomical terms with healthcare professionals.
❌I fell on my ass' in a formal report.
✅I fell and landed on the ground
💡avoid 'ass' in any written or formal context.

4. a degrading term referring either to sex itself or to the practice of viewing wo

4.名詞C1
釋義

a degrading term referring either to sex itself or to the practice of viewing women purely as sexual partners

例句

The film was strongly criticised for treating every female character as a piece of ass.

collocation: a piece of ass — women as sexual objects

Dewi walked out of the comedy show when the jokes were all about getting ass.

文法句型

get (some) ass

a piece of ass

treat someone as ass

用法筆記

Extremely offensive and degrading, especially toward women. Strongly avoided in any respectful or professional context. Even in informal settings, using this sense signals a very crude attitude.

常見錯誤

❌He's always talking about getting ass' — this is extremely offensive in almost every context.
✅Avoid this word entirely; use 'sex' or 'sexual relationships' in neutral conversation.
❌She's a nice piece of ass' — this is degrading and deeply insulting.
✅Never use 'ass' to refer to a woman; describe her as a person with respect.

5. an impolite substitute for a personal pronoun such as 'you', 'me', or 'him', use

5.名詞C1
釋義

an impolite substitute for a personal pronoun such as 'you', 'me', or 'him', used when the speaker feels angry or impatient

例句

Get your lazy ass out of bed right now — the bus leaves in ten minutes.

possessive determiner + ass replacing 'you': 'your ass' = you

Ada told herself she needed to get her ass to the library before it closed.

文法句型

get/move + possessive + ass

your ass (you)

my ass (me/myself)

his/her ass (him/her)

用法筆記

Used with a possessive determiner (my, your, his, her) to replace a personal pronoun or reflexive pronoun. The meaning is identical to the pronoun — 'your ass' simply means 'you'. Always informal, often expressing impatience, anger, or a commanding tone.

常見錯誤

❌Get your ass to the meeting' in an email to a colleague.
✅Please come to the meeting
💡the version with 'ass' is too rude for any workplace communication.
❌I need to get my ass to the store' in a formal diary entry.
✅I need to go to the store
💡'my ass' is only appropriate in very casual, private speech.