devotion

/dɪˈvəʊʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈvəʊʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈvō-shən dē-/ (ame, mw)

devotion — noun

1. a strong feeling of love and loyalty that makes you want to support and care for

1.名詞B2
釋義

a strong feeling of love and loyalty that makes you want to support and care for a person, a group, or a cause you believe in — for example, devotion to your family, to your country, or to a job you find meaningful.

例句

Sophia showed deep devotion to her aging mother by visiting every single day.

devotion to + person

Bao's devotion to helping students from poor families won him a teaching award.

devotion to + -ing verb

同義詞
  • dedication

    emphasises sustained effort and seriousness rather than warm affection

  • loyalty

    focuses on faithfulness and reliability, often in relationships or allegiances

  • commitment

    stresses an obligation or promise to engage; less emotional than devotion

反義詞
  • indifference

    lack of interest or concern, the opposite of passionate devotion

  • neglect

    failing to care for someone or something, the opposite of devoted care

文法句型

devotion to + noun/pronoun

devotion to + -ing verb

用法筆記

Frequently followed by 'to' + a noun or a gerund. Devotion is uncountable in this sense — do NOT use an article such as 'a'.

常見錯誤

❌She has a strong devotion to her job.
✅She has strong devotion to her job.
💡Devotion is uncountable, so no indefinite article is needed.

2. the quality of being deeply committed to a religious faith, shown through worshi

2.名詞B2
釋義

the quality of being deeply committed to a religious faith, shown through worship, prayer, and following its teachings in daily life.

例句

Élise's quiet devotion to her faith inspired everyone who knew her.

devotion to + faith

The family's religious devotion was shown through their kindness to strangers.

collocation: religious devotion

同義詞
  • piety

    formal term for religious devotion, often suggesting dutiful observance

  • faith

    can mean either belief itself or the quality of trust in God; broader than devotion

  • reverence

    a feeling of deep respect, which is a component of devotion but not the whole

反義詞
  • irreverence

    lack of respect for religious matters

  • apostasy

    formal term for abandoning one's religious faith

文法句型

devotion to + faith/God/religion

用法筆記

Often modified by adjectives such as 'religious', 'spiritual', 'deep', or 'true'. Unlike sense 3, this sense refers to an inner attitude rather than specific acts or rituals.

3. a set of religious practices or prayers that a person carries out regularly, eit

3.名詞B2
釋義

a set of religious practices or prayers that a person carries out regularly, either alone or with others, as a way of expressing faith — for example, morning devotions said at home or evening devotions in a church group.

例句

Every morning, Grandmother Ife said her devotions before the rest of the family woke up.

plural form 'devotions' for daily prayers

The monks gathered in the hall for their evening devotions at sunset.

同義詞
  • prayers

    a more everyday word for talking to God; less formal than devotions

  • worship

    broader term that includes singing, teaching, and other acts beyond prayer

文法句型

one's devotions

morning/evening devotions

用法筆記

Commonly appears in the plural form 'devotions' when referring to specific prayer practices or rituals. Singular use is rare and mostly found in fixed expressions like 'at one's devotion'.

常見錯誤

❌He does his devotion every evening.
✅He does his devotions every evening.
💡When referring to acts of prayer, the plural form is the standard choice.