ingrained

/ɪnˈɡreɪnd/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈɡreɪnd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈin-ˌgrānd (ˌ)in-ˈgrānd/ (ame, mw)

ingrained — adjective

  • ingrainedpositive
  • more ingrainedcomparative
  • most ingrainedsuperlative

1. used to describe beliefs, attitudes, habits, or personal qualities that have bee

1.形容詞B2
釋義

used to describe beliefs, attitudes, habits, or personal qualities that have been part of a person or group for such a long time that changing or removing them is extremely difficult.

例句

Vikram's ingrained habit of checking his email constantly made it hard to focus during meetings.

collocation: ingrained habit

The ingrained distrust between the two departments took the new manager years to overcome.

collocation: ingrained distrust

同義詞
  • deep-seated

    very similar in meaning; often preferred for feelings and fears that exist at a fundamental level

  • entrenched

    stronger tone; suggests the belief or habit is actively defended against change, especially in politics

  • inherent

    refers to a quality that is a natural, permanent part of a person's character rather than one acquired over time

反義詞
  • superficial

    describes something that does not go deep or serious

  • temporary

    describes something that will not last long

文法句型

ingrained + noun

用法筆記

Typically appears in formal or analytical contexts describing long-standing social traits or personal patterns. The subject is usually an abstract noun (a belief, a habit, a prejudice) rather than a concrete thing.

常見錯誤

❌She has an ingrained smile.
✅She has an ingrained habit of smiling.
💡ingrained describes long-standing habits or qualities, not one-time expressions or facial features.

2. used to describe dirt, stains, or other substances that have been pressed or wor

2.形容詞B2
釋義

used to describe dirt, stains, or other substances that have been pressed or worked so deeply into the surface of a material that ordinary cleaning methods cannot remove them.

例句

Years of cooking without a fan left ingrained grease that no cleaner could remove.

collocation: ingrained grease

Decades of foot traffic had left ingrained dirt that Diego could not scrub out of the floorboards.

pattern: left + ingrained dirt that [person] could not [verb] out of

同義詞
  • embedded

    more general term for anything fixed firmly inside a surrounding material; can be used for both literal and figurative meanings

  • imbedded

    less common spelling variant of embedded, sometimes preferred in US technical writing

反義詞
  • surface-level

    describes dirt or a substance that sits on top of a surface and is easy to wipe away

文法句型

ingrained + noun (dirt, stain, grease)

用法筆記

Used for physical substances such as dirt, grime, grease, ink, or oil that have penetrated a porous or rough surface. The stain or substance is the grammatical subject; the object that holds it is described as having ingrained dirt rather than being ingrained itself.

常見錯誤

❌The ingrained plate was dirty.
✅The plate had ingrained dirt on it.
💡ingrained describes the dirt or stain itself, not the object that holds it.