degrees

IPA/dɪˈɡriː/
KK[dɪɡrˈiz]IPA/dɪˈɡriː/

degrees — noun

  • degreessingular
  • degreesesplural

1. levels of strength, size, amount, or importance that something can have in compa

1.名詞B2
釋義

levels of strength, size, amount, or importance that something can have in comparison with something else

例句

The two sauces had different degrees of sweetness and heat.

pattern: degrees of + noun

Teachers saw varying degrees of worry on the children's faces before the exam.

collocation: varying degrees of

同義詞
  • levels

    the closest everyday choice when you are comparing how much of something is present

  • amounts

    best when the focus is quantity rather than intensity or importance

  • extents

    more formal; often used for how far something spreads or applies

  • intensities

    used when the quality is felt strongly, such as pain, heat, or colour

文法句型

degrees of + noun

to different degrees

varying degrees of + noun

用法筆記

Most often used with 'of' before the thing being measured ('degrees of pressure', 'degrees of trust'). Distinguish from sense 4, which talks about a grey area between two extremes rather than the size or strength of a quality itself.

常見錯誤

❌The rooms had different degrees noise.
✅The rooms had different degrees of noise.
💡This sense normally uses 'degrees of' before the quality being measured.

2. units used for measuring temperature, angles, and some other scales, usually wri

2.名詞A2
釋義

units used for measuring temperature, angles, and some other scales, usually written with the symbol °

例句

The nurse said Mei's fever had dropped two degrees overnight.

number + degrees

Karim turned the map by ninety degrees to match the road signs.

turn by + number + degrees

同義詞
  • units

    a broader measurement word; less specific than 'degrees'

  • points

    used on some scales, but not as the normal word for temperature or angle measurement

文法句型

number + degrees

turn by + number + degrees

at + number + degrees

用法筆記

After numbers other than one, English uses the plural form: 'ten degrees', 'ninety degrees'. This sense is about units on a scale, not about university qualifications or abstract levels.

常見錯誤

❌Turn the page 90 degree.
✅Turn the page 90 degrees.
💡Use the plural form after numbers greater than one.

3. courses of study at a university, or the academic qualifications students receiv

3.名詞B1
釋義

courses of study at a university, or the academic qualifications students receive after successfully completing them

例句

Both sisters earned science degrees at the same university in Busan.

earn + degrees

Job ads in the city increasingly ask for degrees in data analysis.

degrees in + subject

同義詞
  • qualifications

    broader; can also include certificates and diplomas outside university study

  • diplomas

    often shorter or more vocational programmes, not always university awards

  • credentials

    more general and often used in job or professional contexts

文法句型

degrees in + subject

earn/get/have + degrees

hold multiple degrees

用法筆記

Use the plural when talking about more than one qualification or about degree programmes in general. For one qualification, English usually uses the singular form: 'a degree in biology'.

常見錯誤

❌She finished a degrees in law.
✅She finished a degree in law.
💡Use the singular form for one qualification and the plural only for more than one.

4. differences along a continuous range, where two things are not completely separa

4.名詞C1
釋義

differences along a continuous range, where two things are not completely separate but vary little by little

例句

For Mina, strictness in parents is a matter of degrees, not kinds.

phrase: a matter of degrees

At dinner, the family agreed the soup's spiciness was a question of degrees.

phrase: question of degrees

同義詞
  • gradations

    formal; stresses small steps in difference across a scale

  • shades

    common in speech when the differences are subtle rather than absolute

  • continuum

    more academic; focuses on one unbroken range

反義詞
  • opposites

    used when two things are seen as completely different ends

文法句型

a matter of degrees

differ by degrees

question of degrees

用法筆記

This sense usually appears in set phrases such as 'a matter of degrees'. Distinguish it from sense 1: sense 1 measures how much of a quality there is, while this sense says the contrast itself is gradual rather than sharply divided.

常見錯誤

❌It is degrees, not black and white.
✅It is a matter of degrees, not a simple black-and-white issue.
💡This sense normally appears in a phrase that shows a gradual difference.

5. the highest powers that variables have in algebraic expressions, equations, or p

5.名詞C1
釋義

the highest powers that variables have in algebraic expressions, equations, or polynomials

例句

These two polynomials have different degrees, so the teacher grouped them separately.

different degrees of polynomials

The teacher sorted the equations by degrees before starting the homework review.

sort equations by degrees

同義詞
  • powers

    close in meaning when you are talking about exponents themselves

  • orders

    used in some mathematical contexts for levels of equations or derivatives

文法句型

degrees of + polynomial

degrees of + expression

sort equations by degrees

用法筆記

Used in school and university mathematics when classifying equations or expressions. In Chinese this idea is usually explained through the highest power in the expression, not through repeated counting.

常見錯誤

❌This equation is degree three.
✅This equation has degree three.
💡In math, English usually uses 'have degree + number' when stating the value directly.