imperfect
/ɪmˈpɜːfɪkt/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪmˈpɜːrfɪkt/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)im-ˈpər-fikt/ (ame, mw) · /ɪmˈpɜː.fekt/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪmˈpɝː.fekt/ (ame, ipa)
imperfect — adjective
- imperfectpositive
- more imperfectcomparative
- most imperfectsuperlative
1. not completely good or correct because there are faults or missing parts — for e
not completely good or correct because there are faults or missing parts — for example, an imperfect plan that has not thought about all the costs, or a piece of pottery with tiny cracks in its surface.
The carpenter rejected the wooden board because its surface had an imperfect finish with several rough patches.
collocation: imperfect finish / imperfect surface
Ana decided to serve the imperfect cake she had baked, even though one side was slightly burnt.
Andre admitted that his Spanish was imperfect, but he managed to order lunch and ask for directions.
Hassan knew the plan was imperfect because nobody had checked the cost of building materials first.
- flawed
The closest synonym. 'Flawed' often suggests a minor weakness in something otherwise good, while 'imperfect' is broader.
- defective
Stronger than 'imperfect'. Implies something does not work properly or is below standard. Often used for products.
- faulty
Similar to 'defective', but common for mechanical or electrical problems. 'Faulty wiring' is more natural than 'imperfect wiring'.
文法句型
imperfect + noun
be + imperfect
用法筆記
Describes objects, plans, skills, or systems that have minor flaws rather than major defects. Softer than 'defective' or 'faulty', which imply something does not work at all.
常見錯誤
2. relating to a verb form that describes an action in the past that was continuing
relating to a verb form that describes an action in the past that was continuing or not yet finished — used in languages like Spanish, French, and Italian to talk about ongoing past events, habits in the past, or background situations.
In Italian class, Emeka learned the imperfect forms of the verb 'mangiare', which means 'to eat'.
Umi struggled to understand when to use the imperfect tense versus the simple past in Spanish.
contrast: imperfect tense vs. simple past
Suki showed the class how 'I was walking' in English is similar to the imperfect verb form in Italian.
The sentence 'She was reading when the phone rang' contains an imperfect verb form that describes an ongoing past action.
- past continuous
English does not have an 'imperfect' tense but the past continuous is the closest functional equivalent.
文法句型
imperfect + verb form/tense/aspect
用法筆記
Only applies to languages that have a distinct imperfect verb form (e.g., Romance languages, Latin, Ancient Greek, Arabic). English does not have a separate imperfect tense — the past continuous (was/were + -ing) serves a similar function.
常見錯誤
imperfect — noun
1. a verb tense in certain languages that shows an action or situation in the past
a verb tense in certain languages that shows an action or situation in the past was continuing, repeated, or not completed — for example, used in French to describe what was happening when something else occurred, or to set the scene at the start of a story.
The teacher explained that the imperfect is used for background descriptions and repeated actions in past stories.
the imperfect (with definite article) refers to the tense as a grammatical category
Lucia practiced conjugating regular verbs in the imperfect for her Spanish grammar exam next week.
pattern: conjugate (verbs) in the imperfect
Wen wrote a short paragraph about his childhood using the imperfect to describe his daily routines.
In French, the imperfect can describe a situation that was in progress when another event suddenly happened.
- past continuous
In English grammar instruction, 'past continuous' is the standard term; 'imperfect' is used in foreign-language grammar contexts.
- imperfect tense
The full form of the noun phrase — identical in meaning to 'the imperfect'.
- simple past
The simple past (or preterite) refers to completed past actions, whereas the imperfect refers to ongoing or habitual past actions.
- preterite
In Romance languages, the preterite is the completed-past counterpart to the imperfect.
文法句型
the imperfect
in the imperfect
conjugate in the imperfect
用法筆記
Always used with 'the' when referring to the tense as a grammatical concept ('the imperfect'). Not all languages have an imperfect tense — in English, the past continuous or 'used to' express similar meanings.