degree

/dɪˈɡriː/ (bre, ipa) · [dɪɡrˈi] /dɪˈɡriː/ (ame, ipa) · [dɪɡrˈi] /di-ˈgrē/ (ame, mw)

degree — noun

  • degreesingular
  • degreesplural

1. how strongly a quality, feeling, or condition is present in a particular person,

1.名詞B1
釋義

how strongly a quality, feeling, or condition is present in a particular person, thing, or situation

例句

The project requires a high degree of skill and careful planning.

a high degree of + abstract noun

To some degree, all parents worry about their children's safety online.

to some degree — common fixed phrase

同義詞
  • level

    more general; can refer to a stage in a scale ('a high level of stress') without the same fixed-phrase uses as degree

  • extent

    focuses on how far something reaches ('to a large extent'); slightly more formal than degree

  • amount

    used for measurable quantities rather than abstract qualities ('a large amount of water')

文法句型

a degree of + noun

to a ... degree

degree + of + abstract noun

用法筆記

This is the most general sense of degree. It is often used with adjectives like high, low, certain, considerable, or growing before it. The fixed phrase to some degree (or to a certain degree) means 'partly but not completely'.

常見錯誤

❌I agree with you in some degrees.
✅I agree with you to some degree.
💡degree is uncountable in this fixed expression; do not make it plural.
❌She has a high degree of intelligent.
✅She has a high degree of intelligence.
💡degree of is followed by a noun, not an adjective.

2. the idea that two or more things are different in amount or strength rather than

2.名詞B2
釋義

the idea that two or more things are different in amount or strength rather than being completely different types of things

例句

Good films and great ones differ mainly as a matter of degree.

a matter of degree — fixed expression

Nadia argued that shyness and confidence differ only in degree, not in kind.

同義詞
  • gradation

    more formal and technical; suggests a scale with many small steps rather than a simple continuum

  • spectrum

    emphasises a continuous range from one extreme to the other rather than a simple two-way comparison

文法句型

a matter of degree

differ in degree

a question of degree

用法筆記

This sense is almost always used in the fixed phrases a matter of degree or a question of degree. The contrast is with differ in kind, where things are different types altogether. Distinguish from sense 1 (AMOUNT OR LEVEL), which measures a single thing's quantity; sense 2 describes a comparison between two or more things on a spectrum.

常見錯誤

❌It is a matter of degrees.
✅It is a matter of degree.
💡degree is always singular in this fixed expression.

3. one of the numbered steps on a scale that tells you how hot or cold something is

3.名詞A2
釋義

one of the numbered steps on a scale that tells you how hot or cold something is, how large an angle is, or where a place is on the earth, written as ° after a number

例句

The temperature climbed to 38 degrees Celsius yesterday afternoon.

number + degrees + Celsius/Fahrenheit

A square has four right angles, and each one measures exactly 90 degrees.

文法句型

number + degree(s) + Celsius/Fahrenheit

number + degree(s) + of + angle/latitude/longitude

ordinal + -degree + noun (as modifier)

用法筆記

When talking about temperature, the unit name (Celsius, Fahrenheit) comes after the number and degrees. In informal speech, the unit name is often dropped when the scale is clear from context ('It is 30 degrees outside'). One degree of latitude or longitude on the earth's surface equals about 111 kilometres.

常見錯誤

❌It is 30 degree outside.
✅It is 30 degrees outside.
💡degree is plural when the number is not 1.
❌The angle is 90 degree.
✅The angle is 90 degrees.
💡same plural rule applies.

4. an official qualification given by a university or similar higher-education scho

4.名詞B1
釋義

an official qualification given by a university or similar higher-education school to someone who has finished a programme of study successfully

例句

Sana earned a degree in economics from the University of Cape Town.

degree in + subject of study

James is studying for a master's degree in environmental science at a university in Berlin.

master's degree / bachelor's degree / doctorate (types)

同義詞
  • diploma

    often used for shorter or more vocational programmes; not all diplomas are university degrees

  • certificate

    usually for shorter courses or professional training; less advanced than a degree

  • qualification

    broader term covering degrees, diplomas, certificates, and professional memberships

文法句型

degree + in + subject

degree + from + institution

earn/receive/complete/get + a degree

a + bachelor's/master's/doctorate + degree

用法筆記

Countries use different systems: a bachelor's degree (B.A. or B.Sc.) typically takes three to four years, followed by a master's degree (M.A. or M.Sc.) for one or two more years of specialised study. A doctorate (Ph.D.) is the highest research degree and can take three to six years beyond a master's. The verb used with degree varies: you earn, receive, obtain, get, or complete a degree, but not buy or find a degree.

常見錯誤

❌I got a degree of law.
✅I got a degree in law.
💡the preposition is in, not of.
❌She studied bachelor degree.
✅She studied for a bachelor's degree.
💡the possessive form (bachelor's) is needed, and the article a is required.

5. a level on a scale that measures how serious or severe something is, especially

5.名詞B2
釋義

a level on a scale that measures how serious or severe something is, especially a burn, a crime, or an injury

例句

The victim suffered second-degree burns on her arms and needed skin grafts.

first-degree / second-degree / third-degree burns — severity scale

The suspect was charged with first-degree murder after the police found clear evidence of planning.

同義詞
  • grade

    used in similar severity scales ('high-grade fever') but less common for burns and crimes

  • level

    more general term for a position on a scale; lacks the specialised legal and medical usage of degree

  • stage

    used for progressive conditions ('stage 4 cancer') rather than crime classification

文法句型

ordinal + -degree + noun (first-degree/second-degree/third-degree)

degree + of + severity/damage/guilt/involvement

用法筆記

This sense is most commonly seen in compound modifiers with ordinal numbers: first-degree (most serious for murder, least serious for burns), second-degree (moderate), and third-degree (most serious for burns). The same number can mean different levels of seriousness depending on the context — first-degree murder is the most serious type of murder, while a first-degree burn is the least serious type of burn.

常見錯誤

❌He got third degree burn.
✅He got third-degree burns.
💡the modifier requires a hyphen when used before a noun, and burns is typically plural.
❌First degree murder is less serious than second degree.
✅First-degree murder is more serious than second-degree murder.
💡in homicide, first-degree (planned) is more serious than second-degree (unplanned).