fish
/fɪʃ/ (bre, ipa) · [fˈɪʃ] /fɪʃ/ (ame, ipa) · [fˈɪʃ] /ˈfish/ (ame, mw)
fish — noun
- fishplural
1. A water-dwelling creature with gills for breathing, a body protected by scales,
A water-dwelling creature with gills for breathing, a body protected by scales, and fins used for moving through water. The word also refers to the meat of this animal when cooked and eaten as food.
Mira watched the small orange fish swim around the glass tank at the pet store.
countable noun: one fish, two fish (plural same)
The fishermen pulled a net full of shiny silver fish onto the deck of the boat.
The Okafor family eats fish at least three times a week because it is healthy.
In the clear river near Minh's village, you can see fish swimming near the rocks.
Yan ordered grilled fish with lemon and herbs at the new restaurant downtown.
- seafood
broader category that includes fish, shellfish, and other edible sea creatures
- aquatic animal
very formal or scientific; includes all water creatures, not just fish
文法句型
fish (countable) for the animal
fish (uncountable) for the food
用法筆記
The plural form is usually 'fish' (same as singular). The form 'fishes' exists but is rare and used mainly when talking about different species of fish at the same time.
常見錯誤
❌ 'The fish is an animal that lives in water.' (when referring to the animal class) — This is grammatically correct but 'Fish are animals that live in water' sounds more natural for general statements.
2. A person who seems unusual, odd, or difficult to understand because their behavi
A person who seems unusual, odd, or difficult to understand because their behaviour or personality is noticeably different from what is considered normal.
The new teacher seemed like a cold fish on the first day, barely smiling at anyone.
idiom: cold fish (unfriendly person)
Nobody at the party knew what to say to Eric because he was such a strange fish.
Isabela thought her neighbour was a rather odd fish, always gardening at midnight.
Alessia is a bit of an odd fish — she collects vintage door handles from old houses.
- normal person
not a single word but the most common opposite concept
文法句型
a/an + adjective + fish
用法筆記
Almost always used with an adjective before 'fish' — common patterns are 'odd fish', 'strange fish', 'cold fish'. The adjective describes what kind of unusual person they are.
常見錯誤
fish — verb
- fishpresent simple I / you / we / they
- fishes3rd person singular
- fishing-ing form
- fishedpast simple
1. To attempt to pull fish out of a river, lake, sea, or other body of water using
To attempt to pull fish out of a river, lake, sea, or other body of water using equipment such as a rod and line, a net, or a trap, whether for food or as a leisure activity.
Every Sunday morning, Ishaan goes fishing with his uncle at the lake near their house.
go + fishing (common activity pattern)
The local fishermen fish the river for salmon during the autumn months each year.
fish + [water body] + for + [fish type]
Yuna learned to fish when she was six years old and has loved it ever since.
It is illegal to fish in this part of the harbour without a special licence from the government.
Mira and her brother spent the whole afternoon fishing off the wooden pier near the beach.
- angle
more formal/old-fashioned; specifically refers to fishing with a rod and line
文法句型
go + fishing
fish + [body of water]
fish + for + [type of fish]
用法筆記
The phrase 'go fishing' is the most common way English speakers refer to the activity. When used transitively, the object is a body of water ('fish the lake') or a type of fish ('fish for trout').
常見錯誤
2. To search for something by feeling around with your hands, especially in a bag,
To search for something by feeling around with your hands, especially in a bag, pocket, or dark space where you cannot see what you are touching.
Piotr fished in his jacket pocket for the keys but found only a crumpled receipt.
fish + in + [place] + for + [object]
Alessia fished around in her handbag while the bus driver waited for the fare.
The old man fished through the drawer looking for a pair of reading glasses.
Nellie fished a coin out of the bottom of her backpack to buy a bottle of water.
文法句型
fish + for + something
fish + in/through + container
用法筆記
Often used with 'out' (fish something out = pull it out after searching) or 'around' (fish around = search by groping). The object being searched for is introduced by 'for'.
3. To use indirect remarks or hints in order to receive praise, information, or a c
To use indirect remarks or hints in order to receive praise, information, or a compliment from someone, instead of making a direct request.
Kofi kept saying how tired he was from working late, clearly fishing for sympathy.
fish for [abstract noun]: compliments, sympathy, information
When Mira asked whether people thought she was smart, everyone knew she was fishing for compliments.
The reporter tried fishing for information about the mayor's plans for the old market building.
Ziad was clearly fishing for an invitation when he mentioned he had no plans for the weekend.
- ask directly
opposite approach — open and straightforward
文法句型
fish + for + [abstract noun]
用法筆記
Almost always used in the continuous form ('fishing for') or in a progressive/participial construction. The objects are typically abstract nouns like 'compliments', 'praise', 'information', 'sympathy', or 'an invitation'.
常見錯誤
4. To catch so many fish from a particular area of water that very few or no fish r
To catch so many fish from a particular area of water that very few or no fish remain there. Almost always used in the passive/past-participle form 'fished out' to describe a water body that has been emptied of its fish.
The lake near the village was completely fished out after decades of commercial net fishing.
passive: be + fished out
Many coastal waters around the world have been fished out by large factory ships.
Local officials warned that the river would be fished out within five years if no limits were set.
Kofi read an article about how the North Sea had been fished out by the 1990s due to overfishing.
- overfished
more specific — implies excessive fishing that harms the population
- depleted
broader — can mean any resource, not just fish
- restocked
when fish are deliberately put back into a water body
文法句型
be + fished out
fish + [water body] + out
用法筆記
This sense is almost exclusively found in the passive construction 'be fished out' (e.g. 'the lake is fished out'). The active form 'They fished out the lake' is grammatically possible but rare. Do not confuse with 'fish (something) out' meaning 'pull something out of water' — that is a different phrasal verb use of verb sense 1.
常見錯誤
5. In cricket and baseball, when a player swings at a delivery or pitch that is far
In cricket and baseball, when a player swings at a delivery or pitch that is far outside the normal hitting area, often connecting poorly or missing the ball entirely.
The batsman fished at a wide delivery outside off stump and edged it to the wicketkeeper.
cricket terminology: fish at a wide delivery
Eric fished for a breaking ball outside the strike zone and struck out swinging.
The coach told the young player to stop fishing at balls outside the off stump.
Piotr watched the batter fish at a high fastball and miss it by a wide margin.
- swing wildly
more general, not specific to cricket or baseball
- chase
used in cricket for playing at a ball outside off stump
文法句型
fish + for + [ball]
用法筆記
Primarily used in cricket commentary and coaching. In baseball the equivalent action is simply called 'swinging at a bad pitch'. This sense is not common in everyday American English conversation.