fans
fans — noun
1. a person who follows a singer, team, sport, or activity with strong interest and
a person who follows a singer, team, sport, or activity with strong interest and eager support.
Kwame and his cousins are devoted fans of the Accra Lions.
fans of + team
Bao became a jazz fan after hearing live music in Tainan.
Tanvi waved at the actor, but the fans behind the barrier screamed louder.
Online fans shared clips from the match all night.
文法句型
fan of + person/team/activity
big fan of + noun
用法筆記
Usually followed by 'of' when you name the person, team, or activity. Stronger than simply liking something, because it suggests loyalty and repeated interest.
常見錯誤
2. used after 'be' to express dislike or only weak enthusiasm for someone or someth
used after 'be' to express dislike or only weak enthusiasm for someone or something.
Ryan is not a fan of cold showers before work.
'not a fan of' + noun
Asher was never a fan of noisy restaurants near the station.
My grandmother is not a fan of driving after dark.
The children were not fans of the bitter cough medicine.
- dislike
plain everyday verb; more direct than this expression
- not care for
polite expression, especially in conversation
- love
much stronger positive feeling
- be keen on
informal positive expression for strong interest
文法句型
be not a fan of + noun
be not a fan of + -ing
用法筆記
Almost always appears after a form of 'be' and usually in negative statements. Softer and more conversational than simply saying 'hate' or 'dislike'.
常見錯誤
3. a powered machine with spinning blades that pushes air through a room or other s
a powered machine with spinning blades that pushes air through a room or other space.
Linh turned the fan toward the kitchen after the soup boiled.
turn the fan toward + place
We bought two fans when the classroom air conditioner broke.
The ceiling fan shook slightly during the evening storm.
Darius cleaned dust from the fan before switching it on.
- electric fan
fuller phrase that makes the power source explicit
- blower
more technical and often used for stronger machines
- ventilator
can mean a ventilation device, but is less common in everyday speech for this object
文法句型
turn on + fan
fan + blows air
ceiling fan
用法筆記
This usually means an electric or battery-powered device. Distinguish from sense 4, which is a hand-held object moved by a person.
4. a hand-held folding object, often made of paper or cloth, that you wave to creat
a hand-held folding object, often made of paper or cloth, that you wave to create a breeze.
Dahlia opened her silk fan while waiting in the temple yard.
open + fan
Tourists bought painted fans from a street stall in Kyoto.
Ari cooled the baby with a paper fan on the train.
The dancer dropped one of her red fans backstage.
- folding fan
emphasises that it opens and closes
- paper fan
used when the material matters
- hand fan
the clearest full phrase in everyday English
文法句型
open + fan
wave + fan
paper fan
用法筆記
Often refers to a folding fan carried by hand, especially in hot weather, dance, or ceremonial settings. Distinguish from sense 3, which normally uses a motor.
fans — verb
1. to move a fan or similar object so that cooler air reaches a person.
to move a fan or similar object so that cooler air reaches a person.
Jisoo fans her face with a magazine during the power cut.
fan + object + with + item
The nurse fanned the feverish child with a folded menu.
Iker stood by the grill and fanned his neck with cardboard.
Caio fanned his grandmother until the bus windows finally opened.
文法句型
fan + somebody/yourself + with + object
用法筆記
Usually takes a person or body part as the object and often adds a 'with' phrase naming the thing used to create the airflow.
2. to direct extra air toward a fire so that the flames burn more strongly.
to direct extra air toward a fire so that the flames burn more strongly.
Bao fans the coals with a tray to start dinner faster.
fan + the coals
The camper fanned the fire until the wet wood caught.
Ryan knelt beside the stove and fanned the flames gently.
A cook fanned the charcoal while smoke filled the alley.
- smother
to reduce air so the fire weakens or dies
文法句型
fan + the fire/flames/coals
用法筆記
The object is usually 'fire', 'flames', or 'coals'. This is literal; the figurative emotion sense is sense 3.
3. to make anger, fear, or other harmful feelings grow stronger and spread further.
to make anger, fear, or other harmful feelings grow stronger and spread further.
Rumours on social media fanned the crowd's anger after the vote.
fan + anger
One careless joke fanned old tensions between the two brothers.
The headline only fanned public fear about the missing child.
Their shouting match fanned panic in the packed station.
文法句型
fan + anger/fear/panic/tension
用法筆記
Often used with emotions or conflict words such as 'fear', 'anger', 'panic', and 'tension'. It usually suggests that the result is harmful.
4. to open, arrange, or move things so they spread in a broad shape like an opened
to open, arrange, or move things so they spread in a broad shape like an opened fan.
The cards fanned across the table when Kwame dropped the box.
fan across + surface
Her black hair fanned over the pillow after the long flight.
Workers fanned the photos on the floor to sort them.
The parade route fanned out from the old train station.
- gather
to bring things back together into a smaller space
文法句型
fan + object + out
object + fans out
fan across/over + surface
用法筆記
Can be transitive or intransitive. The image is usually visual: cards, hair, roads, and people spread outward from one place.
5. in baseball, to make a hitter miss enough pitches to be called out on strikes.
in baseball, to make a hitter miss enough pitches to be called out on strikes.
The rookie pitcher fanned two batters in the final inning.
fan + batter (baseball)
Linh's fastball fanned the cleanup hitter with three straight strikes.
Our ace has fanned nine hitters since the third inning.
The reliever fanned the side and ended the threat.
- strike out
the standard baseball phrase and the clearest equivalent
- whiff
informal baseball verb, often focusing on the miss itself
文法句型
fan + batter/hitter
fan the side
用法筆記
This is a baseball term, especially in American English reporting. It is more informal and headline-like than the standard phrase 'strike out'.