shrines
shrines — noun
- shrinessingular
- shrinesesplural
1. A building, structure, or natural spot that people consider sacred because of it
A building, structure, or natural spot that people consider sacred because of its link to a religious figure, a saint, or a holy object. People go there to pray, make offerings, or show devotion.
Every morning, Ryo stops at the small shrine near the river to pray before school.
collocation: at + shrine; purpose: to pray
The hilltop Buddhist shrine is covered in red banners and stone lanterns.
Pilgrims walked for three days to reach the shrine of the village patron saint.
Nora left rice and a coin at the Shinto shrine as an offering.
- temple
a larger building for worship, common in Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism; a shrine is often smaller and may be part of a temple complex
- sanctuary
emphasises the holy, protected nature of the space; more formal than shrine
- chapel
a small Christian place of prayer, often within a larger building; less tied to relics or saints
文法句型
shrine + to + saint/deity
at/in + shrine
用法筆記
This sense focuses on a place that is sacred due to religious associations. Distinguish from sense 2, where the place is a memorial for a person rather than a religious site.
常見錯誤
2. An object, collection of items, or specific location set up in memory of a notab
An object, collection of items, or specific location set up in memory of a notable person after their death. Visitors often leave flowers, notes, or personal belongings there as a mark of respect.
Fans turned the singer's old apartment building into a shrine covered with flowers and letters.
pattern: turn + place + into + a shrine
A granite shrine in the town square honours the soldiers who died in the war.
collocation: shrine + honours + person
Emre visits a small roadside shrine every year on the date of his brother's accident.
The museum keeps a shrine-like display of the scientist's lab equipment and notebooks.
- memorial
a more general term for anything that helps people remember a person or event; less emotional/spiritual than shrine
- monument
usually a large, permanent stone or metal structure built by an official body; less personal than a shrine
- cenotaph
a monument built in memory of people buried elsewhere; formal and uncommon in everyday speech
文法句型
shrine + to + person
turn + place + into + a shrine
用法筆記
Frequently followed by 'to' to indicate the person being remembered, e.g. 'a shrine to the victims'. The place does not have to be religious — it can be a simple spot or even a virtual page.
常見錯誤
shrines — verb
- shrinespresent simple I / you / we / they
- shrineses3rd person singular
- shrinesing-ing form
- shrinesedpast simple
1. To keep something safe and treat it with great honour, as if placing it inside a
To keep something safe and treat it with great honour, as if placing it inside a sacred container or protected space. Often used for memories, valued objects, or important traditions.
The national archive shrines the poet's handwritten letters in a climate-controlled vault.
pattern: shrine + object + in + place
The community's most precious traditions are shrined in the annual harvest festival.
often passive: be + shrined + in
Manuela shrines her grandmother's silver bracelet in a velvet-lined box on the shelf.
Old photographs from the war are shrined behind glass in the town hall corridor.
- discard
to throw away or stop caring about something once valued
文法句型
shrine + object + in/within + place
be + shrined + in/within + place
用法筆記
This verb is uncommon in everyday conversation. The more frequent modern equivalent is 'enshrine'. It usually appears in formal, literary, or ceremonial contexts, often in the passive voice ('is shrined', 'are shrined').