shorts

/ʃɔːts/ (bre, ipa) · /ʃɔːrts/ (ame, ipa)

shorts — noun

1. A piece of clothing that covers your body from the waist down to the upper part

1.名詞A1
釋義

A piece of clothing that covers your body from the waist down to the upper part of your legs, stopping at or above the knees — worn in warm weather, for sports, or when you want to move freely.

例句

Emma wore a pair of cotton shorts and a white T-shirt to the beach.

collocation: a pair of shorts

The children put on their shorts and ran outside to play in the garden.

同義詞
  • short trousers

    British English term for the same garment, less common in everyday speech

  • cut-offs

    informal term for shorts made by cutting the legs off full-length trousers, especially jeans

  • bermuda shorts

    a specific style that reaches to just above the knee, more formal than sporty shorts

反義詞
  • trousers

    long leg covering that reaches the ankles

  • jeans

    long denim trousers

文法句型

plural form (a pair of shorts, two pairs of shorts)

用法筆記

Always used in the plural form. To count them, say 'a pair of shorts' or 'two pairs of shorts' — never 'a short'.

常見錯誤

❌I bought a short for the summer.
✅I bought a pair of shorts for the summer.
💡'shorts' is a plural noun; use 'a pair of' to refer to one item.
❌She put on her short and went jogging.
✅She put on her shorts and went jogging.
💡the singular 'short' is an adjective, not a noun meaning clothing.

2. A loose-fitting piece of underwear for men that covers the lower part of the bod

2.名詞B1
釋義

A loose-fitting piece of underwear for men that covers the lower part of the body, with a cut similar to the type that boxers wear during a fight.

例句

Theo prefers wearing cotton boxer shorts because they are more comfortable than tight briefs.

boxer shorts — specific type

Aisha bought her husband a pack of three pairs of shorts from the menswear department.

quantifier: a pack of / pairs of

同義詞
  • boxer shorts

    the full name for this style of men's underwear

  • boxers

    informal short form of 'boxer shorts'

  • underpants

    general term for men's underwear, includes other styles like briefs

反義詞
  • briefs

    tight-fitting men's underwear, the opposite cut to loose boxer shorts

文法句型

plural form (a pair of shorts, boxer shorts)

用法筆記

Also called 'boxer shorts' or simply 'boxers'. Always plural — use 'a pair of shorts' for one item. Distinct from sense 1 (knee-length outer clothing); this sense refers exclusively to underwear worn under other clothes.

常見錯誤

❌I need to buy a short for the gym.
✅I need to buy a pair of shorts for the gym.
💡'shorts' is always plural whether referring to outerwear or underwear.
❌He wore shorts under his trousers.' (ambiguous)
✅He wore a pair of boxer shorts under his trousers.
💡specify 'boxer' to avoid confusion with knee-length outer shorts.