monstrosity

/mɒnˈstrɒsəti/ (bre, ipa) · /mɑːnˈstrɑːsəti/ (ame, ipa) · /män-ˈsträ-sə-tē/ (ame, mw)

monstrosity — noun

  • monstrositysingular
  • monstrositiesplural

1. a thing — most often a building, statue, or piece of furniture — whose huge size

1.名詞C1
釋義

a thing — most often a building, statue, or piece of furniture — whose huge size combines with painful ugliness to make people complain whenever they see it.

例句

The new concrete office tower next to the cathedral is a real monstrosity.

common collocation: a real monstrosity (intensifier)

Folake wanted to throw out the bright purple sofa, calling it a velvet monstrosity.

pattern: a [adjective + noun] monstrosity

同義詞
  • eyesore

    neutral-to-negative; an ugly thing in a setting, not necessarily huge

  • abomination

    much stronger moral disgust; can apply to acts and ideas, not only objects

  • carbuncle

    British, famously used of ugly buildings; mostly journalistic

反義詞
  • masterpiece

    object praised for beauty and skill — direct opposite when talking about buildings or art

文法句型

a monstrosity of [noun]

this/that monstrosity

用法筆記

Subject of the complaint is usually large and visible — a building, vehicle, statue, or oversized object. Strong negative judgement; speakers use it to invite the listener to share their dislike, so it does not fit neutral or admiring contexts.

常見錯誤

❌My new earrings are a tiny monstrosity.
✅My new earrings are hideous.
💡monstrosity implies large size, so it does not fit small objects.
❌The painting is a beautiful monstrosity.
✅The painting is a striking, unusual piece.
💡monstrosity is always negative; it cannot be paired with positive adjectives.