desert
/ˈdezət/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdezərt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈde-zərt/ (ame, mw) · /dɪˈzɜːt/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈzɝːt/ (ame, ipa)
desert — noun
- desertsingular
- desertsplural
1. 降雨量極少、草木稀疏的大片土地，通常覆蓋著沙或岩石
降雨量極少、草木稀疏的大片土地，通常覆蓋著沙或岩石
The Sonoran Desert in Arizona stays hot even after the sun goes down.
proper noun + desert — naming specific deserts
Camels store fat in their humps to survive long journeys across the desert.
collocation: across the desert
Yasmin spent three weeks travelling through the Gobi Desert on a geology trip.
Desert nights can be freezing, so travellers carry heavy sleeping bags.
- wasteland
較廣義，可指任何荒蕪之地，不限於沙地
- wilderness
偏指未經開發的野生地帶，不一定乾燥
- oasis
沙漠中的綠洲，有水源和植物
用法筆記
可數名詞，可與定冠詞連用（the Sahara Desert），亦可當專有名詞的一部分。與 dessert（甜點）發音不同—desert 重音在第一音節/ˈdɛzərt/。
常見錯誤
2. 在文化、知識或精神方面缺乏趣味或價值的荒蕪之地
在文化、知識或精神方面缺乏趣味或價值的荒蕪之地
Harper found the suburb a cultural desert with no bookshops or galleries.
figurative use: a cultural desert
After the factory closed, the town became an economic desert with few jobs.
figurative pattern: [adjective] desert
Chiara moved to Taipei because her hometown felt like an artistic desert.
Without a single library, the remote village was an intellectual desert for students.
用法筆記
常用於比喻結構 a(n) [形容詞] desert，如 a cultural desert 或 an intellectual desert。形容詞通常指某方面的匱乏。
desert — verb
- desertpresent simple I / you / we / they
- deserts3rd person singular
- deserting-ing form
- desertedpast simple
1. 未經許可擅自脫離軍隊，且無意返回
未經許可擅自脫離軍隊，且無意返回
The soldier was court-martialled after trying to desert his regiment during the night.
desert + military unit
During the war, a group of troops deserted their post because supplies had run out.
desert + post/position
The captain warned that anyone who tried to desert would face a court martial.
More than a hundred soldiers deserted the army during the long winter retreat.
文法句型
desert + the army/navy/post
用法筆記
在軍事語境中，desert 是嚴重罪行，可被軍事法庭審判。名詞形式是 desertion（逃兵罪）。注意此義的動詞重音在第二音節 /dɪˈzɜrt/，與名詞不同。
常見錯誤
2. 在他人需要幫助或身處困境時離開對方，並且不再回來
在他人需要幫助或身處困境時離開對方，並且不再回來
Shirin felt her husband had deserted her when she needed him most after the accident.
desert + person in need
The charity refused to desert the village even after the government withdrew its support.
desert + group/place + despite difficulty
Dylan refused to desert his younger brother when their parents separated.
The company deserted its employees by moving the whole factory overseas without warning.
- abandon
語意最接近，通用性高
- forsake
文學用語，語氣更強，帶有背棄承諾的意味
- leave in the lurch
口語用法，指在緊要關頭拋下他人
文法句型
desert + someone
用法筆記
此義帶有強烈的道德譴責意味，指違背責任或承諾。與 leave 相比，desert 更強調拋棄的行為是不義且永久的。
常見錯誤
3. （勇氣、信心、記憶等）突然暫時消失，使人在需要時無法運用
（勇氣、信心、記憶等）突然暫時消失，使人在需要時無法運用
When João stepped onto the stage, his confidence completely deserted him.
subject = confidence; pattern: quality deserts person
Talia tried to explain, but her words deserted her and she stood in silence.
subject = words; subject is an ability/quality
Right before the exam, all the facts Ari had memorised simply deserted him.
Saira's sense of humour never deserts her, even during the most stressful times.
文法句型
[courage/confidence/words] + deserts + someone
用法筆記
主詞通常是抽象名詞（courage、confidence、luck、words、memory），受詞為人。此義無被動語態，也無進行式。
desert — adjective
- desertpositive
- more desertcomparative
- most desertsuperlative
1. 偏遠且無人居住，或只有極少數人居住的
偏遠且無人居住，或只有極少數人居住的
The hikers got lost on a desert trail with no shelter for miles.
desert + stretch/area — remote, uninhabited
Minho dreamed of living on a desert island far from the city noise.
set phrase: desert island
The shipwreck left the crew stranded on a desert shore for two weeks.
The settlers built a small cabin in a desert valley where nobody ever went.
- desolate
強調荒涼且令人感到孤寂
- uninhabited
直接說明無人居住，語氣中性
- barren
強調土地貧瘠，不適合居住或耕種
用法筆記
desert island 是常見搭配，指定居的偏遠小島，如 Robinson Crusoe 中的場景。注意 desert island 與 deserted island 經常互換使用，但 desert 在此作形容詞（無人居住的），而非名詞（沙漠）。
2. 與沙漠有關的；具有沙漠特徵的
與沙漠有關的；具有沙漠特徵的
The desert climate in this region means temperatures can reach 50 degrees Celsius.
desert climate / desert conditions
Desert plants like cacti store water in their thick stems to survive dry spells.
desert plants / desert wildlife
The desert landscape stretched out before them, golden and completely silent.
Ramón studied how desert animals like the fennec fox cope with extreme heat.
用法筆記
此義的形容詞只用於修飾與沙漠直接相關的名詞（climate, plants, landscape, heat），不可用於描述一般事物的荒涼。
3. 被遺棄而顯得空蕩冷清的；無人煙的
被遺棄而顯得空蕩冷清的；無人煙的
The old lighthouse stood on a desert stretch of coast, battered by wind and waves.
desert = forsaken, empty
Asher wandered through the desert streets of the ghost town at sunset.
desert streets = empty, abandoned streets
The railway station had a desert platform with weeds growing through the cracks.
A single dog sat on the desert steps of the old school, waiting for someone.
用法筆記
此義較文學化，現代英語中更常用 deserted 來表達相同意思（如 a deserted street）。desert 作形容詞的此義較少出現在日常對話中。