meaningful

/ˈmiːnɪŋfl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmiːnɪŋfl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmē-niŋ-fəl/ (ame, mw)

meaningful — adjective

  • meaningfulpositive
  • more meaningfulcomparative
  • most meaningfulsuperlative

1. describes a look, glance, gesture, or silence that is intended to communicate a

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describes a look, glance, gesture, or silence that is intended to communicate a particular thought or feeling without using words

例句

Marta gave her a meaningful look across the dinner table.

collocation: meaningful look / glance

The teacher's meaningful pause told the students to wait before answering.

collocation: meaningful pause / silence

同義詞
  • knowing

    suggests shared understanding between two people; narrower in application

  • significant

    broader term that can be used for both words and gestures

  • expressive

    focuses on the emotional content being shown clearly

反義詞
  • blank

    a blank look shows no emotion or intention

  • expressionless

    shows nothing about what the person is thinking

文法句型

meaningful + noun (look, glance, pause, silence, gesture)

be + meaningful

用法筆記

Frequently used with nouns that describe silent communication: look, glance, pause, silence, nod, gesture. The intended meaning is usually understood between the people involved but hidden from others.

常見錯誤

❌She gave him a meaningful speech about the project.
✅She gave him a meaningful look during the speech.
💡This sense only describes non-verbal signals, not spoken words.

2. having real value, importance, or seriousness — for example, a meaningful job th

2.形容詞B2
釋義

having real value, importance, or seriousness — for example, a meaningful job that gives you a sense of purpose, or a meaningful relationship that changes your life for the better

例句

Hui wants a career that feels truly meaningful and helpful to others.

gradable: truly meaningful / deeply meaningful

The award ceremony was a deeply meaningful moment for everyone in the room.

同義詞
  • worthwhile

    emphasises that the effort or time spent is justified

  • important

    broader; can refer to objective significance, not just personal value

  • valuable

    focuses on usefulness or benefit to someone

  • significant

    suggests notable impact or consequence

反義詞

文法句型

meaningful + noun (job, relationship, conversation, work, experience)

be + meaningful

meaningful + to + someone

用法筆記

Gradable — common modifiers include deeply, truly, genuinely, really, more, most. Subject is often an experience, relationship, work, or contribution. This is the most frequent sense of the word.

常見錯誤

❌This is a meaningful problem that needs an answer.
✅This is an important problem that needs an answer.
💡'Meaningful' implies personal or emotional value, not just objective significance.
❌I learned meaningful English words today.
✅I learned useful English words today.
💡'Meaningful' sounds too strong for everyday usefulness; use 'useful' for practical benefit.

3. easy to understand because the purpose, message, or arrangement is clear and wel

3.形容詞B2
釋義

easy to understand because the purpose, message, or arrangement is clear and well communicated

例句

The instructions were not meaningful enough for Putri to follow on her own.

pattern: not meaningful enough

Christopher added labels to the chart to make the data more meaningful to readers.

同義詞
  • clear

    simpler, more general; lacks the implication of purpose

  • comprehensible

    more formal; focuses on understandability

  • intelligible

    formal; only about being understood, not about purpose

反義詞

文法句型

meaningful + noun (data, information, text, result)

be + meaningful + to + someone

become / make + meaningful

用法筆記

Common in academic, analytical, or instructional contexts. The opposite of 'meaningless' in this sense is 'clear' or 'intelligible'. Distinguished from Sense 2 by its focus on comprehension rather than personal value.

常見錯誤

❌The data is very meaningful for our research.
✅The data is meaningful in our research.
💡When describing clarity/understandability, use 'meaningful in' or 'meaningful to', not 'for'.