cougar

IPA/ˈkuːɡə(r)/
KK[kˈuɡɚ]IPA/ˈkuːɡər/

cougar — noun

  • cougarsingular
  • cougarsplural

1. a large wild cat with short brown or grey fur that lives in mountain and forest

1.名詞B1
釋義

a large wild cat with short brown or grey fur that lives in mountain and forest areas from Canada to the Andes of South America, also called a puma or mountain lion.

例句

A cougar was spotted crossing a highway near the Rocky Mountain National Park last night.

passive: was spotted + location

Deepa saw fresh cougar tracks in the mud while walking along a trail in the forest.

collocation: cougar tracks

同義詞
  • puma

    the most widely used alternative name, especially in scientific and South American contexts

  • mountain lion

    common in western North America, emphasises habitat

  • panther

    used mainly in Florida for the local subspecies; also used generically for black big cats, though cougars are never fully black

文法句型

a/the + cougar

cougar + verb (singular/plural)

用法筆記

This animal has many regional names: 'puma' is more common in South America, 'mountain lion' in western North America, and 'panther' in Florida. 'Cougar' is the standard term in scientific and general English.

常見錯誤

❌I saw a cougar in the African savanna.
✅I saw a cougar in the Rocky Mountains.
💡Cougars live only in the Americas, not in Africa.
❌The cougar is a type of big cat like a tiger.
✅The cougar is a type of big cat found only in the Americas.
💡Cougars are different from Old-World big cats like tigers and lions, and they cannot roar.

2. an informal term for a woman over forty who dates or seeks romantic relationship

2.名詞B2
釋義

an informal term for a woman over forty who dates or seeks romantic relationships with men who are noticeably younger than herself.

例句

The tabloid magazine called the famous actress a cougar for dating a man fifteen years younger.

collocation: call [someone] a cougar

Rosa's friends teased her when she started seeing a younger man, joking that she had become a cougar.

joking: become a cougar

同義詞
  • older woman

    neutral term without the slang connotations of 'cougar'

文法句型

call [someone] a cougar

refer to [someone] as a cougar

[be] a cougar

用法筆記

This sense is informal and can be offensive. Many women reject the label because it reduces a relationship to an age stereotype. The term is most common in tabloid and entertainment media, not in serious discussion.

常見錯誤

❌My neighbour is 45 and single — she's a cougar.
✅My neighbour is 45 and single.
💡Being an older single woman does not make someone a cougar; the term specifically implies active pursuit of younger partners.
❌He is a cougar.
✅She is a cougar.
💡'Cougar' in this sense specifically refers to a woman, not a man. The equivalent term for an older man with a younger partner is 'silver fox' or simply 'older man'.