mecca

/ˈmekə/ (bre, ipa) · [mˈɛkə] /ˈmekə/ (ame, ipa) · [mˈɛkə] /ˈme-kə/ (ame, mw)

mecca — noun

  • meccasingular
  • meccasplural

1. the most sacred city of the Islamic world, located in western Saudi Arabia as th

1.名詞B1
釋義

the most sacred city of the Islamic world, located in western Saudi Arabia as the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad and the focal point of the annual Hajj pilgrimage and daily prayers

例句

Every year, millions of Muslims travel to Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage.

travel to Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage

The city of Mecca is closed to non-Muslim visitors under Saudi law.

文法句型

Mecca (the city)

用法筆記

The city name is almost always capitalized as Mecca, though the variant spelling Makkah is also used in academic and Arabic-language contexts.

常見錯誤

❌I visited Mecca' (used for a popular shopping centre).
✅I visited a shopping mecca.
💡The capitalized proper noun only refers to the city in Saudi Arabia; the lowercase form is used for the figurative sense.

2. a place, event, or institution that draws a large number of visitors or follower

2.名詞B2
釋義

a place, event, or institution that draws a large number of visitors or followers because it is strongly linked to a particular activity, interest, or community — for example, a mountain resort that attracts skiers, or a historic theatre that attracts drama enthusiasts

例句

The British Museum is a mecca for art lovers from around the world.

a mecca for [group of people]

Silicon Valley became a mecca for young tech entrepreneurs in the 1990s.

同義詞
  • hub

    emphasises activity and connection rather than attraction; 'a hub of activity'

  • magnet

    stresses the power to pull people in; 'a tourist magnet'

  • centre

    more neutral; 'a centre for the arts'

反義詞
  • backwater

    a place that is isolated and lacks activity or excitement

文法句型

a/the mecca + for + (people with an interest)

a/the mecca + of + (activity)

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1, this sense is usually written in lowercase. It is often followed by the preposition for to name the group attracted, or by of to name the domain. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 names ONE specific city, while sense 2 can apply to any location.

常見錯誤

❌Paris is a mecca of love.
✅Paris is a mecca for romantics.
💡When describing the type of person attracted, use for; use of before a domain (e.g. 'a mecca of fashion').
❌That coffee shop is a Mecca for students.
✅That coffee shop is a mecca for students.
💡The figurative sense should not be capitalized.