sailor

/ˈseɪlə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈseɪlər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsā-lər/ (ame, mw)

sailor — noun

  • sailorsingular
  • sailorsplural

1. Someone who serves as a crew member on a ship or boat, doing tasks such as steer

1.名詞B1
釋義

Someone who serves as a crew member on a ship or boat, doing tasks such as steering, repairing equipment, and handling cargo.

例句

As a young sailor on a cargo ship, Asher learned to tie knots and climb rigging.

sailor on + [ship type]

Piotr's grandfather was a sailor who traveled to ports all over the world.

同義詞
  • seaman

    More formal register; often used in official documents, naval contexts, or legal language

  • mariner

    Literary or old-fashioned; common in historical writing and formal titles

  • crew member

    Focuses on the person's role within a team rather than the profession itself

反義詞
  • landsman

    Someone with no experience at sea

文法句型

sailor + on + [ship/boat]

sailor + verb of action

用法筆記

Can refer to both officers and regular crew, though it emphasizes hands-on shipboard work rather than command duties.

常見錯誤

❌The sailor from the yacht race won the trophy.' (when meaning a sports sailor)
✅The sailor on the cargo ship worked twelve-hour shifts.
💡'sailor' can mean either a professional crew member or a sports sailor; context about work and ship type disambiguates.

2. A person who enjoys sailing boats with sails as a hobby, for leisure, or in raci

2.名詞B2
釋義

A person who enjoys sailing boats with sails as a hobby, for leisure, or in racing competitions.

例句

Xiu is an experienced sailor who races her small boat every weekend at the lake.

experienced sailor + races + [body of water]

The coastal club has over a hundred sailors who compete in regional regattas.

同義詞
  • yachtsman

    Specifically someone who sails a yacht; often suggests higher income or leisure-oriented sailing

  • boatman

    More general; can refer to anyone who operates a boat, not necessarily using sails

文法句型

sailor + verb of recreation

experienced sailor

常見錯誤

❌My uncle is a sailor in the navy.' (when meaning a sports sailor)
✅My uncle is a sailor who takes his boat out on the lake every Sunday.
💡'sailor' in the sports sense refers to recreational sailing, not military service.

3. Used in the phrases 'a good sailor' and 'a bad sailor' to describe whether a per

3.名詞B2
釋義

Used in the phrases 'a good sailor' and 'a bad sailor' to describe whether a person becomes sick from the movement of a boat on water — not about their skill or job.

例句

Tomás is a good sailor — he never feels sick on the roughest ferry crossing.

good sailor — never feels sick

Reema was a bad sailor and spent most of the cruise lying in her cabin.

文法句型

a good/bad sailor

用法筆記

Only used in the fixed expressions 'a good sailor' and 'a bad sailor'. Does not comment on sailing ability or profession — it exclusively refers to whether someone gets seasick.

常見錯誤

❌He is a good sailor, so the captain trusts him with steering the ship.' (mixing sense 1 and sense 3)
✅He is a good sailor
💡he never gets seasick even in stormy weather.' — 'good sailor' in this sense only refers to not getting seasick, not to competence or rank.