song

/sɒŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /sɔːŋ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsȯŋ/ (ame, mw)

song — noun

  • songsingular
  • songsplural

1. a piece of music created to be sung by a person, with lyrics that tell a story o

1.名詞A1
釋義

a piece of music created to be sung by a person, with lyrics that tell a story or express feelings

例句

Liam sang his favorite song to the children at the school concert.

collocation: sang + favorite song

The old radio played a cheerful song that made everyone clap along.

同義詞
  • tune

    refers mainly to the melody, and can be instrumental; 'song' always includes lyrics

  • track

    refers to a recorded song on an album or playlist; more informal and modern

  • number

    a song performed as part of a show or concert program; suggests a single item in a set

反義詞
  • silence

    absence of music or vocal sound

  • instrumental

    a piece of music without any singing or lyrics

文法句型

song + about + topic

song + for + person or occasion

常見錯誤

❌She made a beautiful song.
✅She wrote a beautiful song.
💡In English, songs are 'written' or 'composed', not 'made'.
❌I hearing a song now.
✅I am listening to a song now.
💡The verb 'listen to' is used for hearing music by choice.

2. the activity of using your voice to produce musical sounds, thought of as a gene

2.名詞A2
釋義

the activity of using your voice to produce musical sounds, thought of as a general practice or art

例句

Lakshmi broke into song while she was washing the dishes after dinner.

idiomatic phrase: broke into song

The audience burst into song when the famous tune began to play.

pattern: burst into song (uncountable noun)

同義詞
  • singing

    more everyday and active; 'song' as an uncountable noun sounds more artistic or poetic

  • vocal music

    more formal and genre-specific, refers to music performed with voices

反義詞
  • silence

    absence of any vocal music or singing

文法句型

burst into song

song as an art form

用法筆記

This sense is uncountable and does not take an article when referring to the general activity. It often appears in fixed phrases such as 'burst into song' or 'the joy of song'.

常見錯誤

❌I love song.
✅I love singing.' or 'I love song as an art form.
💡When used uncountably for the general activity, it often needs context or a modifier to sound natural.

3. the pleasant set of notes a bird makes with its voice, especially when communica

3.名詞A2
釋義

the pleasant set of notes a bird makes with its voice, especially when communicating with other birds or looking for a partner

例句

Lucas woke up early to the song of birds outside his window.

collocation: song of [plural] birds

The blackbird's song echoed through the quiet forest in the morning.

同義詞
  • birdsong

    the same meaning as a single compound word; slightly more poetic or formal

  • call

    a simpler, shorter bird sound used for communication, less musical than a 'song'

反義詞
  • noise

    unpleasant, harsh sound, opposite of the pleasant musical quality of birdsong

  • silence

    absence of bird sounds

文法句型

song of + bird species

用法筆記

Describes bird vocalizations specifically; for other animals use 'call' or 'sound'. Not used for mechanical or artificial sounds.

常見錯誤

❌I heard the song of a dog outside.
✅I heard the song of a bird outside.' or 'I heard a dog barking.
💡'Song' for animals is used primarily for birds, not mammals.

4. an extremely low amount of money, much less than the usual value — almost always

4.名詞B2
釋義

an extremely low amount of money, much less than the usual value — almost always used in the phrase 'for a song' meaning very cheaply

例句

Yael bought the old wooden desk for a song at the weekend market.

fixed phrase: for a song

The shop was selling winter coats for a song to clear the old stock.

同義詞
  • bargain

    a thing bought for less than the usual price; 'for a song' describes the price, 'bargain' describes the purchase

  • steal

    an extremely good deal; more informal and emphatic than 'bargain'

反義詞
  • fortune

    a very large amount of money, the opposite of the tiny sum implied by 'a song'

文法句型

for a song

用法筆記

Only used in the fixed prepositional phrase 'for a song'. Never used as a standalone countable noun (do not say 'I paid a song'). Always refers to the price of a purchase, not to the item itself.

常見錯誤

❌I bought this for song.
✅I bought this for a song.
💡The fixed phrase always requires the article 'a' before 'song'.
❌He sold the car at a song.
✅He sold the car for a song.
💡The correct preposition is 'for', not 'at'.