oratory
/ˈɒrətri/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɔːrətɔːri/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈȯr-ə-ˌtȯr-ē ˈär-/ (ame, mw)
oratory — noun
1. the ability to hold people's attention and move them when speaking to a group
the ability to hold people's attention and move them when speaking to a group
Mayor Chen's oratory turned a tense school meeting into a hopeful evening.
possessive + oratory for speaking skill
Many voters remembered the mayor's oratory long after the debate ended.
collocation: remember someone's oratory
The class studied Lincoln's oratory in history and speech lessons.
At the flooded town hall, Mayor Lopez's oratory calmed angry parents.
At the factory gate, Sara's oratory drew cheers from tired workers.
- public speaking
neutral everyday term for speaking to an audience
- eloquence
focuses on graceful and moving expression, not only on public speeches
- rhetoric
often used in academic or critical contexts and can sound less admiring
- speechmaking
points to the practice of giving speeches and sounds less elevated
用法筆記
Usually uncountable when it names speaking skill or style, especially in political, legal, and religious settings. Distinguish from noun/2, which names a place for prayer.
常見錯誤
2. a small room or chapel set aside for quiet prayer or worship
a small room or chapel set aside for quiet prayer or worship
A small oratory stands behind the hospital garden for staff prayers.
countable noun: a small oratory
The sisters met in the oratory before breakfast each morning.
preposition pattern: in the oratory
Visitors were asked to keep silent near the old stone oratory.
The house has an upstairs oratory with candles and simple chairs.
- chapel
often larger and more public than an oratory
- prayer room
plain descriptive term without the formal religious tone
- shrine
can suggest a holy place connected with a saint or sacred object, not just a room for prayer
用法筆記
Countable in this sense and often used for a private religious space inside a house, school, or hospital. Distinguish from noun/1, which is about speaking skill.