standards

/ˈstæn.dəd/ (bre, ipa) · [stˈændɚdz] /ˈstæn.dɚd/ (ame, ipa) · [stˈændɚdz] /ˈstan-dərd How to pronounce standard (audio)/ (ame, mw)

standards — noun

1. levels of quality or achievement that people expect, approve of, or use to judge

1.名詞B2
釋義

levels of quality or achievement that people expect, approve of, or use to judge work, products, or behaviour

例句

The hospital raised its hygiene standards after families complained about dirty bathrooms.

raise hygiene standards

By modern standards, the apartment was small, cold, and badly lit.

by modern standards

同義詞
  • quality

    broader and less focused on an expected level used for judgment

  • level

    works for ability or achievement, but sounds less formal

  • benchmark

    often a chosen point for comparison rather than a general expectation

反義詞

文法句型

high standards

standards of + noun

by modern standards

meet/fall below standards

用法筆記

Often appears in phrases such as 'high standards', 'meet standards', and 'by modern standards'. Distinguish from sense 3: this sense judges quality or achievement, while sense 3 names an agreed model or rule to follow.

常見錯誤

❌The work is in a high standard.
✅The work is of a high standard.
💡use 'of' before standard in this pattern.

2. rules about right and wrong that a person, group, or society believes people sho

2.名詞C1
釋義

rules about right and wrong that a person, group, or society believes people should follow

例句

The school said racist jokes broke the standards expected in every classroom.

standards expected in every classroom

After the scandal, voters questioned whether the mayor had any ethical standards.

ethical standards

同義詞
  • principles

    stresses personal beliefs more than shared social expectations

  • values

    broader and often refers to what a person cares about

  • ethics

    more formal and especially common in professional discussion

反義詞
  • corruption

    suggests dishonest behaviour rather than proper conduct

  • misconduct

    names behaviour that breaks accepted moral rules

文法句型

ethical standards

standards of behaviour

uphold standards

standards expected of + person/group

用法筆記

This sense is usually plural and often appears with words such as 'ethical', 'professional', or 'moral'. Unlike sense 1, it is about right conduct rather than general quality, and unlike sense 3, it is about principles people should obey rather than technical rules or models.

常見錯誤

❌He has a high standard of honesty.
✅He has high standards of honesty.
💡this sense is normally plural when talking about moral rules.

3. accepted models or rules that people use as shared points of reference in work,

3.名詞C1
釋義

accepted models or rules that people use as shared points of reference in work, trade, measurement, or design

例句

All plugs sold here must follow the same safety standards for voltage and shape.

safety standards for voltage and shape

The company updated its data standards so every team stored dates the same way.

data standards

同義詞
  • norms

    broader and often used for social habits as well as formal models

  • specifications

    more exact and technical, especially for products or materials

  • criteria

    usually refers to test points for judgment, not a full common model

反義詞

文法句型

industry standards

national standards

standards for + noun

comply with standards

用法筆記

Use this sense for formal rules, models, or specifications that different people agree to follow. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is a quality level, while sense 3 is the shared rule or reference point itself.

常見錯誤

❌Our software follows high standards.
✅Our software follows industry standards.
💡this sense usually names the actual shared rule, not just general quality.

4. songs or other well-known pieces of music that performers have kept playing for

4.名詞C1
釋義

songs or other well-known pieces of music that performers have kept playing for many years

例句

The pianist ended with two jazz standards that everyone in the bar knew.

jazz standards

Their wedding band mixed new pop songs with a few old standards.

old standards

同義詞
  • classics

    broader and can refer to films, books, or songs

  • favourites

    less specific because a favourite need not be long established

反義詞
  • new releases

    describes recently issued songs rather than long-established ones

文法句型

jazz standards

old standards

sing/play the standards

用法筆記

This sense is common in music talk, especially with a genre word such as 'jazz' or 'gospel'. It refers to pieces that stay popular over many years, not just songs that are currently famous.

5. cars that require the driver to change gears by hand instead of letting the car

5.名詞C1
釋義

cars that require the driver to change gears by hand instead of letting the car do it automatically

例句

Back then, most taxi companies in the city still used standards.

used standards

Walid learned to drive standards on his uncle's farm truck.

drive standards

同義詞
  • manuals

    short informal label for manual-transmission cars

  • stick shifts

    very informal North American term focusing on the gear stick

反義詞
  • automatics

    cars that change gears without the driver doing it by hand

文法句型

drive standards

buy standards

standards and automatics

用法筆記

Mostly heard in North American speech when people contrast manual cars with automatics. Many speakers would also say 'manuals' or 'stick shifts' instead.

常見錯誤

❌I bought a standard automatic.
✅I bought a standard.' / 'I bought a car with manual transmission.
💡this sense contrasts with automatic, so the two do not combine.

6. long narrow flags, often with two pointed ends, used by rulers, armies, or group

6.名詞C2
釋義

long narrow flags, often with two pointed ends, used by rulers, armies, or groups as emblems

例句

The museum displayed royal standards beside swords and painted shields.

royal standards

As the parade began, riders carried bright standards through the castle gate.

carry standards

同義詞
  • banners

    broader word for large flags or hanging signs

  • pennants

    often narrower and more triangular than standards

文法句型

royal standards

battle standards

carry standards

用法筆記

This sense belongs mainly to historical, royal, or ceremonial contexts. In everyday English, people would usually say 'flag' unless the long, emblem-like form matters.