outwardly

/ˈaʊtwədli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈaʊtwərdli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈau̇t-wərd-lē/ (ame, mw)

outwardly — adverb

1. judging only from what can be seen or from the impression given, rather than fro

1.副詞B2
釋義

judging only from what can be seen or from the impression given, rather than from the true feelings or facts underneath.

例句

Nora looked outwardly calm during the interview, but her hands shook under the table.

outwardly + adjective to contrast appearance with inner feeling

Tomas's cafe seemed outwardly successful, yet half its tables stayed empty.

outwardly + successful for appearance vs reality

同義詞
  • apparently

    close when you mean how something seems, but it does not always suggest a hidden inner contrast as strongly

  • visibly

    focuses on what people can literally see, not necessarily on a difference between image and reality

  • superficially

    stronger and often negative, suggesting only a shallow surface view

反義詞
  • inwardly

    the direct opposite when the real feeling is hidden inside

  • genuinely

    focuses on what is truly the case rather than how things merely seem

文法句型

outwardly + adjective

outwardly + calm / cheerful / polite / confident

outwardly + seem / look + adjective

用法筆記

Common with adjectives that describe feelings, behavior, or judgments, such as calm, cheerful, polite, fair, and confident. It often appears in sentences with but, though, or while to show a gap between visible appearance and the hidden truth.

常見錯誤

The pipes run outwardly along the wall.
The pipes run externally along the wall.
💡outwardly usually describes visible appearance or behavior, not physical position on the outside of something.
an outwardly calm teacher
a teacher who seems calm outwardly' or 'a calm teacher
💡outwardly is an adverb, so it does not normally go directly before a noun.