dolls

IPA/dɒl/
KK[dˈɑlz]IPA/dɑːl/

dolls — noun

  • dollssingular
  • dollsesplural

1. a small model of a person, made from plastic, cloth, wood, or similar materials,

1.名詞A1
釋義

a small model of a person, made from plastic, cloth, wood, or similar materials, which children play with by pretending it is alive and caring for it.

例句

Hana received a beautiful doll with long hair and a pink dress for her birthday.

possessive pronoun: her doll — typical pattern showing ownership

The children spent the whole afternoon dressing their dolls in tiny clothes and serving pretend tea.

collocation: dress dolls — verb + object pattern for care activities

同義詞
  • action figure

    a posable doll representing a character from a film or comic, usually sold for boys

  • figurine

    a small sculpted figure that is typically displayed, not played with as a toy

  • puppet

    a doll that is controlled by hand or strings to move in a performance

文法句型

a doll (singular)

dolls (plural)

play with dolls

常見錯誤

❌She played dolls with her friend yesterday.
✅She played with her dolls yesterday.
💡'play dolls' is not standard; use 'play with dolls'.
❌I have a doll which its dress is blue.
✅I have a doll whose dress is blue.
💡Use 'whose' for possessive with objects, not 'which its'.

2. an informal and sometimes dated way of referring to an attractive young woman, o

2.名詞B2
釋義

an informal and sometimes dated way of referring to an attractive young woman, or a friendly term used to address a woman or girlfriend; may sound old-fashioned or disrespectful depending on context.

例句

In black-and-white films from the 1940s, male characters often called women 'dolls' as a casual compliment.

historical register: common in older American films

Elena's grandfather still calls her 'doll' sometimes, which she finds charming but old-fashioned.

同義詞
  • darling

    a warmer, affectionate term that can be used for any loved person regardless of gender

  • sweetheart

    a common term of endearment, less dated than 'doll'

  • babe

    a modern informal term for an attractive person, similar register

文法句型

call someone (a) doll

somebody's doll

you're a doll

用法筆記

This sense is informal and can be seen as old-fashioned or patronising when used to refer to a woman. Many younger speakers avoid it. The phrase 'you're a doll' (thanking someone for a favour) is still heard occasionally and is less likely to cause offence.

常見錯誤

❌She is a very professional doll at work.
✅She is a very professional woman at work.
💡Using 'doll' for a woman in a professional setting sounds disrespectful.

❌ 'He called his female boss 'doll' during the meeting.' — Avoid this term in workplace or formal contexts; use her name or title instead.