captive
/ˈkæp.tɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkæp.tɪv/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkap-tiv/ (ame, mw) · /ˈkæptɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkæptɪv/ (ame, ipa)
captive — noun
1. a person who has been taken and kept against their will, especially during a war
a person who has been taken and kept against their will, especially during a war or conflict
The soldiers freed all captives after the ceasefire took effect last Monday.
verb + captives: free / release captives
Leila's uncle was taken captive during the border conflict and held for six months.
phrase: taken captive
Red Cross workers visited the captives and checked that they had enough food.
The rebels marched their captives through the forest toward a hidden camp.
Negotiators finally secured the release of all captives after three weeks of talks.
文法句型
captive + verb (active)
verb + captive(s) (object)
常見錯誤
2. any creature kept inside a cage, pen, or other enclosed area instead of living w
any creature kept inside a cage, pen, or other enclosed area instead of living wild and free
The zoo's captives include two snow leopards and a family of orangutans.
pattern: 's captives — zoo / sanctuary + captives
Animal rescue groups work to move captives from tiny cages to larger natural spaces.
Priya watched the old captive pace slowly along the fence of its enclosure.
The sanctuary gives former captives room to roam with trees and pools of water.
Veterinarians checked every captive at the rescue center twice each month.
- caged animal
more specific — emphasizes being physically inside a cage rather than any enclosure
- captive-bred animal
narrower — refers only to animals born and raised in confinement
文法句型
captive + verb (active)
verb + captive(s) (object)
用法筆記
When used of animals, 'captive' often implies the animal was born wild and later confined, whereas 'captive-born' or 'captive-bred' specifies animals born in captivity.
captive — adjective
1. held in a confined space and not able to leave freely; describes a person or ani
held in a confined space and not able to leave freely; describes a person or animal being kept against their will
The captive soldiers received blankets and medicine from the aid workers.
attributive: captive + noun (soldiers)
Captive animals in small concrete cages often develop health problems.
Hana was held captive in a small room for nearly two weeks.
The rescue crew found the captive miners trapped two hundred metres underground.
A captive eagle will not survive if simply released back into the wilderness.
- confined
broader — can describe any restriction of movement, not necessarily by force
- imprisoned
stronger — suggests being locked in a prison or jail
- caged
more specific — describes being kept inside a cage
文法句型
captive + noun
verb + noun + captive (predicative)
用法筆記
This sense can appear both before a noun ('captive soldiers') and after a linking verb with 'held' ('were held captive'). The predicative form almost always pairs with 'hold' or 'keep'.
常見錯誤
2. forced by circumstances to stay, watch, listen, or buy from a particular provide
forced by circumstances to stay, watch, listen, or buy from a particular provider because no practical alternative exists
Passengers on the delayed flight became a captive audience for the salesman's pitch.
fixed phrase: captive audience
Students in the required lecture formed a captive audience for the visiting poet.
fixed phrase: captive audience
The only store in the village charges high prices because it has a captive market.
Commuters stuck on the underground train were a captive audience for the street performers.
Small towns with one internet provider often become a captive market for slow expensive service.
- trapped
more informal and emotional; implies a desire to escape
- captive audience
a fixed noun phrase — not a direct synonym but the closest idiomatic equivalent
文法句型
captive + noun (audience / market / nation)
用法筆記
Almost always used in the fixed phrases 'captive audience' and 'captive market'. 'captive audience' applies to people who must listen (students in class, passengers on a plane); 'captive market' describes consumers who have no choice of seller.