byword
/ˈbaɪwɜːd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbaɪwɜːrd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbī-ˌwərd/ (ame, mw)
byword — noun
- bywordsingular
- bywordsplural
1. a person, place, or thing that people instantly associate with one striking qual
a person, place, or thing that people instantly associate with one striking quality, often an unpleasant one
After the scandal, the company became a byword for corporate greed.
pattern: become a byword for + quality
For years, the bridge project was a byword for delays in the city.
Among local fans, Hugo is a byword for calm leadership.
The old hotel had become a byword for poor service and broken lifts.
In our office, that cracked printer is a byword for daily frustration.
- epitome
suggests a perfect example, often with a more literary tone
- embodiment
emphasizes that the quality seems to take visible form in a person or thing
- symbol
broader and less tied to repeated public talk about the quality
文法句型
be a byword for + quality
用法筆記
Most often used in the pattern "a byword for + noun." It commonly points to a bad reputation, though a positive quality is also possible.
2. a traditional short saying that people pass on as shared wisdom
a traditional short saying that people pass on as shared wisdom
The old farmer taught the children a byword about planting after rain.
teaching context: teach someone a byword
At lunch, Anjali repeated a byword her grandmother still says at home.
The novel opens with a byword warning young traders against easy money.
Our guide shared a mountain byword about patience before the steep climb.
Hugo copied a village byword into his notebook after the festival.
文法句型
repeat a byword
a byword about + topic
用法筆記
This sense is mostly found in older writing or when discussing traditional language. In ordinary modern English, people usually say "proverb" or "saying" instead.
3. a word or expression that people repeat so often that it becomes strongly tied t
a word or expression that people repeat so often that it becomes strongly tied to a time, group, or public debate
After the flood season, 'resilience' became the year's byword in local news.
quoted word as the byword of a period
During the campaign, 'change' was the byword on every bright poster.
At the conference, 'AI safety' was the byword in panel after panel.
For one summer, 'quiet quitting' was a byword across office chat rooms.
Among students, 'gap year' became the campus byword after exam week.
- buzzword
often suggests a fashionable term used heavily for effect
- catchphrase
usually refers to a memorable repeated line rather than a general public term
- watchword
often points to a guiding slogan or principle rather than simple popularity
文法句型
be the byword in + group
be the byword of + period
用法筆記
This sense focuses on the repeated word or phrase itself. Distinguish it from sense 1, where a person or thing stands for a quality.