fashion

/ˈfæʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfæʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfa-shən/ (ame, mw) · /ˈfæʃ.ən/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfæʃ.ən/ (ame, ipa)

fashion — noun

  • fashionsingular
  • fashionsplural

1. The set of choices in clothing, hair, and appearance that are widely liked and c

1.名詞A2
釋義

The set of choices in clothing, hair, and appearance that are widely liked and copied within a community during a specific period.

例句

Yasmin always checks fashion magazines before buying new clothes for the season.

collocation: fashion magazines / fashion industry

The fashion for wearing wide-legged trousers returned after twenty years.

pattern: fashion for + [garment]

同義詞
  • style

    broader term — can be personal or timeless, not tied to current popularity

  • trend

    implies movement and change over a shorter period; more data-driven

  • vogue

    more formal; suggests intense but brief popularity in elite circles

  • craze

    stronger, shorter-lived enthusiasm; often implies irrational excitement

常見錯誤

This jacket is a fashion
This jacket is in fashion' or 'This jacket is fashionable
💡'fashion' is not a countable noun when referring to style; use 'in fashion' or 'fashionable' for describing items.

2. The habit or practice of choosing styles, products, or behaviors because they ar

2.名詞B1
釋義

The habit or practice of choosing styles, products, or behaviors because they are currently popular, often in order to feel accepted by others.

例句

Minh follows fashion closely and buys whatever the influencers recommend.

collocation: follow fashion

Some people change their phone every year just to stay in fashion.

同義詞
  • trends

    plural noun focusing on specific items rather than the general habit

  • popularity

    focuses on the state of being liked, not the act of pursuing it

用法筆記

Subject is typically a person or group. Often used with verbs like 'follow', 'keep up with', 'care about'. This sense does not refer to a specific style (see sense 1) but to the general social practice of pursuing what is currently popular.

常見錯誤

I follow the fashion of wearing sneakers
I follow fashion' or 'I keep up with fashion
💡'follow fashion' is a general activity; for a specific style, use 'in fashion' or 'trending'.

3. Used for describing a situation where someone consumes or does something in extr

3.名詞B2
釋義

Used for describing a situation where someone consumes or does something in extremely large amounts, as if they believe there will soon be no chance to continue.

例句

Lakshmi has been buying novels like they are going out of fashion.

idiom: like it's going out of fashion

On the hot day, children ate ice cream like it was going out of fashion.

同義詞
  • greedily

    describes the manner, not the fixed idiom

  • excessively

    more formal; describes the quantity without the idiomatic frame

用法筆記

Only used in the fixed expression 'like it is going out of fashion' or 'as if it is going out of fashion'. The comparison is deliberately exaggerated and informal.

4. A particular manner or method in which an action is performed or something happe

4.名詞B1
釋義

A particular manner or method in which an action is performed or something happens.

例句

Jessica spoke to the children in a calm and gentle fashion.

pattern: in a + [adjective] + fashion

The new manager runs the office in a very organized fashion.

同義詞
  • manner

    interchangeable but equally formal; 'manner' can also imply personal behaviour

  • way

    less formal and more common in everyday speech

  • mode

    more technical or academic; used in formal writing

用法筆記

Commonly follows the pattern 'in a [adjective] fashion' where the adjective describes the manner. This is a slightly more formal alternative to 'in a [adjective] way'. Not used with the adjective 'fashionable' — that belongs to sense 1.

5. To a limited or barely acceptable degree; able to perform a task but without muc

5.名詞B2
釋義

To a limited or barely acceptable degree; able to perform a task but without much skill or success.

例句

Sofie can play the piano after a fashion, though she still needs much more practice.

idiom: after a fashion

Gabriel fixed the broken chair after a fashion, but it still wobbled under weight.

同義詞
  • somehow

    focuses on the difficulty overcome, not the poor quality of the result

  • barely

    suggests the skill level is at the minimum threshold

反義詞
  • skillfully

    doing something with expertise, the opposite of barely managing

  • well

    to a high standard, the opposite of poorly

用法筆記

Only used in the fixed phrase 'after a fashion', which always follows a verb describing the task. The phrase is mildly understating — the speaker is being polite about the poor quality.

常見錯誤

He plays guitar after fashion
He plays guitar after a fashion
💡the 'a' is required; 'after a fashion' is a fixed expression.

fashion — verb