gratuitously
gratuitously — adverb
1. When someone behaves gratuitously, they do something harmful, offensive, or insu
When someone behaves gratuitously, they do something harmful, offensive, or insulting even though there was no need to do it at all.
The film shows violence gratuitously, with several long fight scenes that add nothing to the plot.
adverb modifying main verb: shows violence gratuitously
Renata felt the reviewer had insulted her debut novel gratuitously, attacking the author rather than the book.
collocation: insult/attack X gratuitously
Daniel scolded his younger brother gratuitously, even though the boy had already apologised twice.
The new game has been criticised for gratuitously showing blood every time a character is hit.
Hui complained that the manager had embarrassed her gratuitously in front of the whole sales team.
- needlessly
more neutral; lacks the strong critical edge
- unnecessarily
everyday word for the same idea; less formal
- wantonly
formal, even stronger — suggests reckless cruelty
- justifiably
with good reason for the action
用法筆記
Almost always modifies a verb of harm, offense, or excess (insult, attack, hurt, show, swear, lie). Strong negative tone — the speaker is criticising the action as needless.
常見錯誤
gratuitously — adjective
1. A gratuitous remark, scene, or action is one that is harmful, offensive, or extr
A gratuitous remark, scene, or action is one that is harmful, offensive, or extra in a way that the situation does not call for.
Critics praised the thriller but objected to several gratuitous scenes of cruelty toward animals.
attributive: gratuitous + noun (scenes)
Anjali walked out of the meeting after a gratuitous comment about her accent from a senior partner.
collocation: gratuitous comment / remark
Reviewers said the new horror film was strong but spoiled by gratuitous violence in the final twenty minutes.
Zayd thought the speaker's attack on younger workers was gratuitous and completely off-topic.
The judge told the lawyer to drop the gratuitous insults and focus on the actual evidence.
- unwarranted
very close in meaning; common in critical writing
- uncalled-for
everyday alternative; slightly less formal
- needless
neutral version; lacks the critical edge
文法句型
gratuitous + noun
be gratuitous
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively in a critical voice: the speaker thinks the noun it modifies (violence, comment, insult, scene) had no justification. Distinguish from sense 2, which means 'free of charge' and has no negative tone.
常見錯誤
2. A gratuitous gift, service, or transfer is one that is given without asking for
A gratuitous gift, service, or transfer is one that is given without asking for any payment or return in exchange.
Under the contract, Ife provided a gratuitous loan of the equipment for the school's science fair.
legal register: gratuitous loan
The will treated the cottage as a gratuitous transfer to Christopher, with no money changing hands.
fixed phrase: gratuitous transfer
Sirin's law firm offers a small amount of gratuitous legal advice to local charities each year.
The bank refused to treat the family loan as a gratuitous gift and demanded a written repayment schedule.
- complimentary
everyday word for 'free as a courtesy'
- unpaid
stresses that no payment was received
- voluntary
stresses that the giver chose to act without obligation
文法句型
gratuitous + noun
用法筆記
Mostly limited to legal and formal writing. In everyday English, use 'free' or 'free of charge' instead. Distinguish from sense 1 (the harmful 'unnecessary' meaning), which is far more common in news, reviews, and general writing.