ideal

/aɪˈdiːəl/ (bre, ipa) · /aɪˈdiːəl/ (ame, ipa) · /ī-ˈdē(-ə)l ˈī-ˌdē(-ə)l/ (ame, mw) · /aɪˈdiː.əl/ (bre, ipa) · /aɪˈdiː.əl/ (ame, ipa)

ideal — adjective

  • idealpositive
  • more idealcomparative
  • most idealsuperlative

1. having all the qualities that make something perfectly suited to a particular us

1.形容詞B1
釋義

having all the qualities that make something perfectly suited to a particular use, purpose, or situation — for example, a car that is ideal for driving in the city, or an ideal time to visit a country.

例句

The hotel is in an ideal location for exploring the old town.

ideal location / ideal for + gerund

Samir is the ideal person to lead the project because of his experience.

ideal + noun + to-infinitive

同義詞
  • perfect

    very close in meaning; 'perfect' is more absolute and implies no flaws, while 'ideal' focuses on suitability for a purpose

  • optimal

    more technical and formal; commonly used for systems, conditions, and processes

  • best

    less formal and broader in meaning; works in most everyday situations

反義詞
  • unsuitable

    direct opposite — not at all right for a particular purpose

  • imperfect

    having flaws or defects, the opposite of being perfect

文法句型

be ideal for [noun/gerund]

be ideal to [infinitive]

ideal + noun (ideal candidate / ideal location)

用法筆記

Commonly used in the patterns 'be ideal for [something/doing something]' and 'be ideal to [do something]'. The noun it modifies is often a person, time, place, or object that suits a specific need.

常見錯誤

❌This weather is ideal to swimming.
✅This weather is ideal for swimming.
💡Use 'for' (not 'to') before a gerund or noun describing an activity.
❌She is an idealistically candidate.
✅She is an ideal candidate.
💡Do not add '-ly' to 'ideal' to form an adverb when a simple adjective is needed.

2. existing only as a mental picture, concept, or desire, with no chance of becomin

2.形容詞B2
釋義

existing only as a mental picture, concept, or desire, with no chance of becoming real in the actual world — for example, an ideal society that could never work in practice, or an ideal plan that is too expensive to carry out.

例句

Brandon dreams of running a beachfront café — an ideal life his banking job can never give him.

ideal + noun — imagined scenario contrasting with reality

Sayaka's plan to travel the world by bicycle sounded ideal but was never practical.

同義詞
  • imaginary

    closest in meaning; 'imaginary' simply means not real, while 'ideal' adds the idea of being perfect inside the imagination

  • hypothetical

    more formal and used in logical reasoning; lacks the 'perfect' connotation of 'ideal'

  • theoretical

    based on principle rather than practice; 'ideal' is a subtype of theoretical that also implies perfection

反義詞
  • real

    direct opposite — actually existing in the world

  • practical

    opposite in the sense of being achievable and workable

文法句型

ideal + noun (ideal world / ideal society)

in an ideal world + [clause]

用法筆記

Frequently appears in the fixed phrase 'in an ideal world', which introduces a hypothetical scenario that contrasts with how things really are. This sense is often used with words like 'in theory', 'in principle', or 'ideally' to acknowledge that the idea is not achievable.

常見錯誤

❌The ideal solution we discussed worked perfectly in the meeting.
✅The ideal solution we discussed only existed in our imagination.
💡When used in the 'imaginary' sense, the thing described cannot be real or practical; if it works, use sense 1 (BEST POSSIBLE) instead.

ideal — noun