sermon

/ˈsɜːmən/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsɜːrmən/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsər-mən/ (ame, mw)

sermon — noun

  • sermonsingular
  • sermonsplural

1. a speech about God, faith, and moral questions that a priest or minister deliver

1.名詞B2
釋義

a speech about God, faith, and moral questions that a priest or minister delivers during a service of Christian worship, usually taking a passage from the Bible as its starting point

例句

The priest gave a powerful sermon on forgiveness that made many people in the church cry.

sermon on [topic] — prepositional phrase for subject

Grandpa listens to the Sunday sermon on the radio because he cannot walk to church anymore.

同義詞
  • homily

    a shorter, more informal religious talk, often given without a written script

  • address

    a formal speech of any kind; less specific to religious settings

  • preaching

    the activity of giving sermons, not a single talk

文法句型

a sermon on [topic]

deliver/give/hear a sermon

用法筆記

Countable noun. Frequently used with a possessive determiner (e.g. 'his sermon,' 'the pastor's sermon') or with 'on' to introduce the topic (a sermon on peace). Common adjectives: powerful, moving, short, long, boring, inspiring.

常見錯誤

❌The sermon talked about love.
✅The sermon was about love.
💡Use 'be about' rather than 'talked about' for the subject of a speech.
❌I went to a sermon yesterday.
✅I heard a sermon yesterday.' or 'I went to church and heard a sermon.
💡'Hear' or 'listen to' is the natural verb for receiving a sermon.

2. a long and usually unwanted talk in which someone tells another person how to be

2.名詞B2
釋義

a long and usually unwanted talk in which someone tells another person how to behave or live, often in a way that feels judgemental or self-righteous

例句

Every time I visit, my aunt gives me a long sermon about getting married and having children.

give + indirect object + a sermon about [topic]

I sat through another sermon from my uncle on how young people waste their money.

a sermon from [someone] on [topic]

同義詞
  • lecture

    similar meaning but less moralizing; can be about any topic

  • scolding

    shorter, angrier, and more direct than a sermon

  • tirade

    long, angry speech expressing strong disapproval

反義詞
  • praise

    expression of approval rather than criticism

  • compliment

    a brief positive remark, not a long talk

文法句型

give someone a sermon about [topic]

get a sermon from someone

用法筆記

Common in informal spoken English. The tone is almost always negative — the person receiving the sermon does not welcome it. Often used in the pattern 'give someone a sermon' or 'get a sermon from someone.' Distinguish from sense 1 (RELIGIOUS TALK), which refers to an actual church sermon.

常見錯誤

❌Stop sermon me about my grades!
✅Stop giving me a sermon about my grades!
💡'Sermon' is a noun, not a verb; use 'give someone a sermon.'
❌My dad gave a sermon at me.
✅My dad gave me a sermon.
💡The correct structure is 'give + indirect object + a sermon,' not 'give a sermon at someone.'