picture
/ˈpɪktʃə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · [pˈɪktʃɚ] /ˈpɪktʃər/ (ame, ipa) · [pˈɪktʃɚ] /ˈpik-chər/ (ame, mw) · /ˈpɪk.tʃər/ (bre, ipa) · [pˈɪktʃɚ] /ˈpɪk.tʃɚ/ (ame, ipa)
picture — noun
- picturesingular
- picturesplural
1. something you can look at, such as a drawing, painting, or photograph, made to r
something you can look at, such as a drawing, painting, or photograph, made to represent someone, somewhere, or an object
Lena hung a wedding picture above the piano in the living room.
hang a picture on + wall
The child drew a bright picture of her dog in class.
draw a picture of + animal
Please email me the picture from our trip to Tainan.
A small picture of his grandmother stood beside the bed.
文法句型
a picture of + person or thing
draw or paint a picture
hang a picture on + wall
用法筆記
Often followed by `of` plus the person or thing shown. Common verbs are `draw`, `paint`, `take`, `hang`, and `frame`.
2. the visual part that appears on a television, projector, or movie screen
the visual part that appears on a television, projector, or movie screen
The picture froze during the storm, but the sound continued.
picture contrasted with sound
Can you adjust the picture on the classroom projector?
adjust the picture
The picture looked too dark until Ben changed the TV settings.
From the back row, the picture filled the whole screen.
文法句型
the picture on + screen
adjust the picture
a clear or dark picture
用法筆記
Often appears with words such as `screen`, `TV`, `projector`, `signal`, or `settings`. Distinguish from sense 1, which is a photo or drawing you can keep.
3. an image you see in your head when you remember or imagine a person, place, or e
an image you see in your head when you remember or imagine a person, place, or event
I still have a clear picture of the beach at sunset.
a clear picture of + place
When Mia said old red house, a picture formed in my mind.
picture formed in my mind
The song brought back a picture of our school bus.
A picture of her face stayed in my head all day.
- image
a broad word for something seen in the mind or on a surface
- impression
focuses more on the feeling or idea left in your mind
- memory
used when the image comes from the past rather than pure imagination
文法句型
a picture of + memory
have a picture in your mind
a clear picture of + place
用法筆記
Often used with `of` or with phrases such as `in your mind` and `in your head`. Distinguish from sense 1: no real photo or drawing has to exist.
常見錯誤
4. the general state of things in a place, group, or area of life
the general state of things in a place, group, or area of life
The jobs picture has improved since the new bridge opened.
noun modifier + picture
The health picture in mountain villages is slowly getting better.
the picture in + place
Those closed shops show only part of the picture downtown.
After the storm, the farming picture changed across the county.
文法句型
the economic or health picture
part of the picture
the picture in + place
用法筆記
Usually singular and often modified by nouns such as `economic`, `health`, `jobs`, or `political`. Distinguish from sense 7, which is the description, not the actual state of affairs.
5. a movie, especially when people are speaking in an older style or in the film bu
a movie, especially when people are speaking in an older style or in the film business
We watched an old picture about jazz musicians in New York.
older word for movie
The studio plans to release the picture next spring.
release a picture
Her first picture won two awards at the Seoul festival.
After dinner, Grandpa still calls every movie a picture.
文法句型
watch a picture
release a picture
star in a picture
用法筆記
Common in older speech and in film-industry talk. Distinguish from sense 6, which refers to movies in general or to the movie world.
6. movies as entertainment or as a line of work, usually in the plural form `pictur
movies as entertainment or as a line of work, usually in the plural form `pictures`
As a teenager, Nora dreamed of working in pictures.
work in pictures
That actor left pictures after the war and opened a hotel.
On rainy Saturdays, they went to the pictures downtown.
Two brothers found steady work in pictures after the new studio opened.
- cinema
the usual word for the art or world of films, especially in British English
- movies
the everyday plural term for films as entertainment
- film world
explicitly points to the business or cultural world of filmmaking
文法句型
go to the pictures
work in pictures
leave pictures
用法筆記
Usually appears in set plural phrases such as `go to the pictures` or `work in pictures`, not for one single film. Distinguish from sense 5, which means one movie.
常見錯誤
7. a spoken or written description that helps you see a scene or situation in your
a spoken or written description that helps you see a scene or situation in your mind
Her letter gave a vivid picture of camp life.
give a picture of + life
The novel builds a sad picture of life near the port.
One short sentence gave a picture of the empty house.
The report offers a picture of daily life on the island.
- description
the broad everyday word for telling what something is like
- portrayal
more formal and often used for the way a person or world is presented
- sketch
can mean a short, selective description rather than a full one
文法句型
give a picture of + life or event
offer a picture of + place
a vivid picture of + scene
用法筆記
Often follows verbs such as `give`, `offer`, or `build` and is usually followed by `of`. Distinguish from sense 4, where picture means the actual overall situation.
picture — verb
- picturepresent simple I / you / we / they
- pictures3rd person singular
- picturing-ing form
- picturedpast simple
1. to see someone, something, or an event in your mind
to see someone, something, or an event in your mind
Picture the kitchen after ten children have baked cookies.
picture + noun phrase
Can you picture living on a boat all winter?
picture + -ing form
Rosa pictured how the room would look with yellow walls.
At first, I could not picture his face without glasses.
文法句型
picture + noun phrase
picture + -ing form
picture + how or what clause
用法筆記
Often takes a direct object for the image in your mind, an `-ing` form for an activity, or a `how` or `what` clause for details. Distinguish from verb sense 2, which is about presenting something to other people.
常見錯誤
2. to create a strong image of someone or something, either in words or in a visual
to create a strong image of someone or something, either in words or in a visual work
The stamp pictures a crane standing in shallow water.
picture + scene or person
In the novel, the city is pictured as bright and cruel.
passive: be pictured as + adjective
Her diary pictured school life as noisy but warm.
Newspapers pictured the town as a place of danger.
文法句型
picture + object + as + noun or adjective
be pictured as + complement
picture + scene or person
用法筆記
Often takes `object + as + noun or adjective`, and passive use is common in reviews, history, and reporting. Distinguish from verb sense 1, which stays inside one person's imagination.