hygienic
/haɪˈdʒiːnɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /haɪˈdʒenɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌhī-ˈjē-nik -ˈje- also -jē-ˈe-nik/ (ame, mw)
hygienic — adjective
- hygienicpositive
- more hygieniccomparative
- most hygienicsuperlative
1. kept clean enough that germs cannot grow or spread, so people are unlikely to ge
kept clean enough that germs cannot grow or spread, so people are unlikely to get sick from touching or eating something.
Walid wiped down the kitchen counter with bleach to keep it hygienic before cooking.
predicative use after 'keep' + object
Hospital staff must wash their hands often for hygienic reasons.
attributive: hygienic reasons / hygienic conditions
The food market in Bangkok was bright, busy, and surprisingly hygienic.
Mizuki keeps her bento boxes in a hygienic container with a tight lid.
It is not hygienic to share a toothbrush, even with someone in your family.
- sanitary
near-identical; slightly more formal and common in public-health writing (sanitary conditions, sanitary inspection).
- sterile
stronger — totally free of all germs; used of medical equipment and operating rooms, not everyday cleaning.
- clean
everyday word; 'clean' covers visible cleanliness, while 'hygienic' specifically implies safe from germs.
- unhygienic
the direct opposite; describes places or practices that allow germs to spread.
- dirty
broader; can mean visually unclean without the germ-and-illness focus of 'unhygienic'.
用法筆記
Frequently predicative after 'keep' / 'be' (keep something hygienic; not hygienic), and attributive before nouns about practices or conditions (hygienic reasons, hygienic conditions, hygienic container). Typical subjects are places, surfaces, equipment, or practices — rarely people.