intolerant
/ɪnˈtɒlərənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈtɑːlərənt/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)in-ˈtä-lə-rənt -ˈtäl-rənt/ (ame, mw)
intolerant — adjective
- intolerantpositive
- more intolerantcomparative
- most intolerantsuperlative
1. treating people, opinions, or customs unlike one's own with hostility or contemp
treating people, opinions, or customs unlike one's own with hostility or contempt, rather than letting them exist peacefully alongside one's own.
Caio's grandfather is deeply intolerant of any religion that is not his own.
intolerant of + noun phrase (people / beliefs)
The new manager turned out to be intolerant of any opinion that disagreed with hers.
intolerant of + abstract noun (opinion / view)
Growing up in a small village, Sivan never met anyone openly intolerant of foreigners.
Teachers should not be intolerant of students who learn at a slower pace.
Kabir found the online forum too intolerant and quietly stopped posting there.
- bigoted
stronger; implies fixed prejudice, often about race or religion
- narrow-minded
milder; suggests limited outlook rather than active hostility
- prejudiced
emphasises the pre-judgement; can be unconscious
- tolerant
willing to accept differences without hostility
- open-minded
actively receptive to new or different ideas
文法句型
intolerant of [people/beliefs/behaviour]
用法筆記
Subject is typically a person, group, or institution; the object after 'of' is usually a belief, opinion, group of people, or behaviour. Distinguish from sense 2 (physical reaction to food/medicine): sense 1 is about attitude, never the body.
常見錯誤
2. having a body that cannot handle a specific food or drug normally, so eating or
having a body that cannot handle a specific food or drug normally, so eating or taking it causes pain, sickness, or other unpleasant symptoms.
Zola has been lactose-intolerant since she was a teenager.
compound form: [food]-intolerant
Many adults are intolerant of gluten without realising it for years.
intolerant of + food substance
The doctor warned Shirin that some patients are intolerant of this painkiller.
Antonia switched to almond milk because her son is intolerant of dairy.
Around one in ten children in the clinic was intolerant of one common food.
文法句型
intolerant of [food/medicine]
[food]-intolerant
用法筆記
Frequently appears in fixed compounds: 'lactose-intolerant', 'gluten-intolerant', 'dairy-intolerant'. Distinguish from 'allergic': intolerance causes digestive or general discomfort over hours; an allergy is a faster, immune-system reaction that can be life-threatening.
常見錯誤
3. describing a species of plant, tree, or wildlife that cannot live or develop pro
describing a species of plant, tree, or wildlife that cannot live or develop properly when exposed to a particular climate, soil type, or other natural condition.
Lavender is intolerant of wet, heavy clay soil and quickly dies there.
intolerant of + soil/climate condition
Tuan learned that his orchids were intolerant of direct afternoon sun.
Polar bears are intolerant of the warmer waters now appearing in the Arctic.
Coffee plants are notoriously intolerant of frost, even for one cold night.
Christopher chose hardy shrubs because his garden's birch trees were intolerant of drought.
- sensitive
milder; the organism reacts but may still survive
- vulnerable
focuses on risk; doesn't require the condition to be present yet
文法句型
intolerant of [environmental condition]
用法筆記
Subject is a plant, animal species, or biological system; the object after 'of' is an environmental factor (heat, cold, drought, salt, shade). Common in gardening, horticulture, and ecology writing.