robots

IPA/ˈrəʊ.bɒt/
KK[rˈobˌɑts]IPA/ˈroʊ.bɑːt/

robots — noun

  • robotssingular
  • robotsesplural

1. a machine with a computer inside that can carry out jobs by itself, without a pe

1.名詞B1
釋義

a machine with a computer inside that can carry out jobs by itself, without a person telling it what to do

例句

Nala watched a robot stack boxes at the warehouse all by itself.

The factory in Osaka now uses robots to weld metal frames together.

used for a specific industrial task (welding)

同義詞
  • automaton

    more formal; often suggests a mechanical figure that mimics a living creature

  • android

    a robot built to look like a human being, common in science fiction

  • droid

    informal science-fiction term for a robot with a human-like personality

用法筆記

Used for any machine that senses its surroundings and acts on its own. A simple appliance like a washing machine, which only follows a fixed timer cycle, is not normally called a robot.

常見錯誤

❌The washing machine is a robot.
✅The washing machine is an appliance, not a robot.
💡A robot must be able to sense and respond to its environment; a machine that blindly follows a fixed cycle does not qualify.

2. a person who gets things done with machine-like speed and skill but shows no emo

2.名詞B2
釋義

a person who gets things done with machine-like speed and skill but shows no emotion or human warmth

例句

Rin called her boss a robot because he never smiled at anyone.

collocation: call someone a robot

After ten hours of work, Chiara felt like a robot going through the motions.

collocation: feel like a robot

同義詞
  • automaton

    more formal; emphasises mechanical, unthinking behaviour rather than lack of emotion specifically

反義詞
  • free spirit

    someone spontaneous and emotionally expressive, the opposite of a rigid, unfeeling person

用法筆記

This is a figurative use. When you call a person a robot, you are criticising their lack of feeling or warmth, not praising their efficiency alone.

常見錯誤

❌He is a robot because he works fast.
✅He is a robot because he works fast and never shows any feeling.
💡This sense is about the absence of emotion, not just speed or productivity.

3. a set of coloured lights at a road crossing that tells drivers when to stop, slo

3.名詞B2
釋義

a set of coloured lights at a road crossing that tells drivers when to stop, slow down, or go

例句

Ilan stopped his car the moment the robot turned from green to orange.

South African usage: robot = traffic light

The robot at the corner of Main Road has been broken since last Tuesday.

同義詞

用法筆記

Only used in South African English. Speakers of other varieties of English will not understand this meaning and will think you are talking about a machine.

常見錯誤

❌The robot is red so you must stop' (said to a non-South African).
✅The traffic light is red so you must stop.
💡Outside South Africa, robot only means a machine; people will not know you mean a traffic light.