heterogeneous

/ˌhetərəˈdʒiːniəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌhetərəˈdʒiːniəs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌhe-tə-rə-ˈjēn-yəs ˌhe-trə-, -ˈjē-nē-əs/ (ame, mw)

1.形容詞C1

釋義

A group or collection that is heterogeneous contains many different types of things or people that do not all share the same features.

例句

Élise teaches a heterogeneous group of students from nine different countries.

heterogeneous group of + [plural noun]

The garden contains a heterogeneous mix of flowers native to four continents.

heterogeneous mix of + [noun]

同義詞

diverse
Less formal and far more common; works for both people and things in everyday contexts
varied
Emphasizes contrast across items without the scientific tone; good for general use
mixed
Informal and shorter; often used for groups that contain both positive and negative elements
miscellaneous
Suggests items thrown together without a clear organising principle; slightly less precise

反義詞

homogeneous
Direct opposite — made of the same kind of parts or people throughout
uniform
Emphasizes sameness of appearance or quality across all members of a group

heterogeneous + noun

heterogeneous in + [aspects]

Common in academic and professional writing. Be careful with spelling — the word is often misspelled as 'heterogenous' (missing the second 'e').

❌The group was heterogenous and hard to manage.

✅The group was heterogeneous and hard to manage.

💡The correct spelling has a second 'e' after 'r': hetero-gene-ous.

❌The city has a heterogeneous food scene.

✅The city has a diverse food scene.

💡For everyday topics, 'diverse' or 'varied' sounds more natural; 'heterogeneous' is very formal.

heterogeneous — adjective