babe

babe — noun

1. a tiny baby, especially one only a few weeks or months old; a slightly old-fashi

1.名詞C1
釋義

a tiny baby, especially one only a few weeks or months old; a slightly old-fashioned or literary word for an infant.

例句

Mary held the sleeping babe close to her chest as the carol singers sang.

literary register: 'the sleeping babe'

The painting shows a young mother feeding her babe by the warm fire.

possessive + babe: 'her babe'

同義詞
  • infant

    neutral, more medical or formal

  • baby

    the everyday word; 'babe' is more poetic

  • newborn

    specifically a baby in the first weeks of life

用法筆記

Mostly seen in poetry, hymns, religious texts (e.g. the Christmas story), and older novels; in everyday modern speech 'baby' is normal. Distinguish from sense 2 (term of endearment) and sense 3 (attractive person), which are informal/slang and refer to adults.

常見錯誤

❌My friend just had a babe last week.
✅My friend just had a baby last week.
💡In ordinary modern conversation, use 'baby'; 'babe' for an infant sounds literary or biblical.

2. an affectionate name that you call a romantic partner or close loved one; often

2.名詞B2
釋義

an affectionate name that you call a romantic partner or close loved one; often used in a similar way to 'darling' or 'honey' when speaking directly to them.

例句

Hiro smiled at his girlfriend and said, "Babe, your dinner is ready."

vocative: direct address to a partner

Sven texted her boyfriend, "Miss you, babe — see you on Friday."

informal text-message register

同義詞
  • honey

    very common in American English between partners

  • darling

    slightly more formal; common in British English

  • sweetheart

    warm and gentle, often used by older speakers too

  • baby

    very close in meaning; both are used as pet names

文法句型

Hi, babe.

babe, can you …?

用法筆記

Used as a vocative (direct address), almost always between romantic partners or very close friends. Can sound creepy or rude if used by a stranger to address a young woman. Distinguish from sense 1 (a real baby) — here the addressee is an adult.

常見錯誤

❌Excuse me babe, where is the station?' (to a stranger on the street)
✅Excuse me, where is the station?
💡Calling a stranger 'babe' often sounds disrespectful, especially from a man to a woman he doesn't know.
❌My babe is two years old and very cute.
✅My baby is two years old and very cute.
💡When talking about a real child, use 'baby', not the term of endearment 'babe'.

3. someone — typically a woman in her teens or twenties — whom the speaker finds ph

3.名詞C1
釋義

someone — typically a woman in her teens or twenties — whom the speaker finds physically very good-looking; an informal, slangy label that can sound rude.

例句

Jake nudged his friend and whispered, "That girl in the red dress is a total babe."

pattern: 'a (total/real) babe'

The actor was a real babe in his twenties and still has thousands of fans.

pattern: 'a real babe'

同義詞
  • hottie

    very informal slang, similar feel

  • stunner

    more about being beautiful, less sexualized

  • looker

    old-fashioned slang for a good-looking person

文法句型

a real babe

what a babe

用法筆記

Slang and judging-by-looks; many people, especially women, find it sexist or rude when used to label them. Object-focused (talking about someone), unlike sense 2 which is vocative (talking to someone you love).

常見錯誤

❌Good morning, babe!' (said to your boss in the office)
✅Good morning, Paloma!
💡At work, never call a colleague a 'babe'; it sounds unprofessional and can be seen as harassment.

babe — idiom