mastery

/ˈmɑːstəri/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmæstəri/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈma-st(ə-)rē/ (ame, mw)

mastery — noun

1. very high skill and confident understanding in a subject or activity

1.名詞C1
釋義

very high skill and confident understanding in a subject or activity

例句

Jude's mastery of jazz piano impressed the older music teachers.

mastery of + skill area

After months of practice, Amihan gained mastery of the new sewing machine.

gain mastery of + tool

同義詞
  • expertise

    often stresses specialist knowledge in a field or profession

  • proficiency

    suggests solid, dependable ability that meets a good standard

  • command

    often emphasizes confident control, especially in performance or language use

反義詞

文法句型

mastery of + subject/activity

用法筆記

Usually followed by of and a field, technique, tool, or subject. Common with verbs like gain, achieve, develop, and show. Stronger than skill because it suggests ease and control, not just basic ability.

常見錯誤

❌She is mastery of French grammar.
✅She has mastery of French grammar.
💡Mastery is a noun, so it normally follows have, gain, show, or develop.

2. a state in which you fully control a person, feeling, or situation

2.名詞C1
釋義

a state in which you fully control a person, feeling, or situation

例句

By dawn, Folake had mastery over the crowd outside the gate.

mastery over + group

Years of therapy gave Christopher mastery over his fear of bridges.

mastery over + emotion

同義詞
  • control

    the most general word for directing people or events

  • command

    can stress authority or immediate power over others

  • dominance

    often suggests stronger or more unequal power

反義詞
  • helplessness

    lack of power to direct events or protect yourself

  • loss of control

    failure to keep power over a person, feeling, or situation

文法句型

mastery over + person/situation

mastery of + feeling/physical response

用法筆記

Usually followed by over when talking about people, feelings, groups, or situations. Often appears with gain, keep, lose, or have. Distinguish this sense from sense 1, which is about expert ability rather than power over something.

常見錯誤

❌The coach had mastery of the team through fear.
✅The coach had mastery over the team through fear.
💡When meaning control of people or situations, mastery usually takes over.