attitude
attitude — noun
1. your inner view of a person, group, or topic — both your beliefs and your emotio
your inner view of a person, group, or topic — both your beliefs and your emotional reaction to it — which often shows in how you behave around it; for example, being friendly, doubtful, or supportive about climate change or your boss.
Rohan has a very positive attitude towards learning Mandarin.
attitude towards + noun (positive/negative)
The factory workers complained about the manager's cold attitude.
adjective + attitude
Public attitudes to smoking in restaurants have changed a lot since 1990.
Jamal showed a careless attitude toward homework all year.
Her attitude of quiet patience helped the children calm down.
文法句型
attitude to/towards + noun
attitude of + noun
用法筆記
Frequently followed by to or towards plus the topic or person. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense names the inner view (good or bad), while sense 2 specifically means rude or cocky behaviour.
常見錯誤
2. a bold, slightly rude manner that signals you do not respect others much and pre
a bold, slightly rude manner that signals you do not respect others much and prefer your own style — heard when teenagers talk back to parents, or used to praise singers and athletes who perform with strong, defiant personality.
The new waiter has a real attitude when customers ask for the bill.
have + attitude (informal: act rudely)
Don't give me attitude, Jamal — just clean your room.
give + somebody + attitude (talk back)
The young singer walked on stage with plenty of attitude.
Coach Park warned the team that he would not accept any attitude during practice.
- respect
polite behaviour that recognises the other person's status
文法句型
have/give + attitude
with attitude
用法筆記
Always uncountable in this sense and usually carries a negative tone, except in fashion or music writing where 'with attitude' praises bold style. Distinguish from sense 1: here you cannot add 'towards X' — the rudeness is general, not aimed at one topic.
常見錯誤
3. the angle at which a plane, rocket, or spacecraft is tilted in the air, measured
the angle at which a plane, rocket, or spacecraft is tilted in the air, measured against the horizon, the ground, or a fixed star — pilots check this on a special instrument to know if the nose is pointing up, down, or sideways.
The pilot checked the plane's attitude before starting the descent into Taipei.
attitude (aviation: pitch and roll angle)
Engineers adjusted the satellite's attitude using small thrusters.
spacecraft attitude + adjust/control
A nose-up attitude during landing helps the plane slow down safely.
The flight recorder showed an unusual attitude just before the crash.
- orientation
more general; can mean any direction in space, not only an aircraft's tilt
- pitch
narrower; only the up-down angle of the nose, not side tilt
用法筆記
Technical aviation and aerospace term, almost never used outside flight, military, or space contexts. Pilots also use 'attitude indicator' for the instrument that shows this. Distinguish from sense 4: this sense is about a vehicle in the air, not a human body.
4. the way someone is holding their body at one moment — for example, kneeling in p
the way someone is holding their body at one moment — for example, kneeling in prayer, lying flat on the floor, or standing with arms crossed. Used in formal writing, art descriptions, and yoga or dance manuals.
The old man sat in an attitude of prayer beside the temple gate.
in an attitude of + abstract noun
The painting shows three soldiers frozen in defensive attitudes.
frozen in + adjective + attitudes
Anaya held her body in a relaxed attitude during the long photoshoot.
The yoga teacher demonstrated each attitude slowly so beginners could copy it.
文法句型
in a/an + adjective + attitude
用法筆記
Formal and somewhat literary. In everyday English, 'position' or 'posture' is more natural. Distinguish from sense 5: this sense names the body position itself, while sense 5 is the act of striking such a position to look impressive.
5. a body position you take on purpose so that other people will notice a feeling o
a body position you take on purpose so that other people will notice a feeling or quality — for example, raising a fist to look brave, or lowering the head to seem sad on stage.
The actor struck a heroic attitude as the curtain rose.
strike + adjective + attitude (theatrical)
Sami adopted a thoughtful attitude for the family portrait.
adopt + adjective + attitude
The dancer paused, holding a graceful attitude at the centre of the stage.
Old statues in the museum stand in proud attitudes of victory.
文法句型
strike/adopt + a + adjective + attitude
用法筆記
Strongly tied to theatre, dance, painting, and ballet. Distinguish from sense 4: sense 4 simply describes how the body happens to be arranged, while sense 5 stresses that the person took the position deliberately to send a message.