thingamajig

/ˈθɪŋəmədʒɪɡ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈθɪŋəmədʒɪɡ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈthiŋ-ə-mə-ˌjig How to pronounce thingamajig (audio)/ (ame, mw)

thingamajig — noun

1. a placeholder word for an object — you say it when you cannot recall what someth

1.名詞B2
釋義

a placeholder word for an object — you say it when you cannot recall what something is called, or when you choose not to give its name

例句

João held up a little metal thingamajig and asked the group what it was.

stand-in for an object whose name the speaker does not know

Nora pointed at the thingamajig on the dashboard that keeps beeping.

同義詞
  • thingy

    even more casual; often used by children or in very relaxed speech

  • whatchamacallit

    more playful and drawn-out; suggests the speaker is making an effort to recall

  • doohickey

    implies a small mechanical gadget or tool

  • whatsitsname

    mainly British; otherwise very similar in tone and register

用法筆記

Spoken register only — this word belongs in conversation, not in essays or reports. It signals that the speaker either cannot retrieve a name or is being intentionally vague.

常見錯誤

❌The laboratory report described the thingamajig used in the experiment.
✅The laboratory report described the device used in the experiment.
💡Thingamajig is conversational; in formal or technical writing, use a precise term or a formal placeholder like 'device' or 'object.'
❌I bought a thingamajig at the shop.' (when you know it is a hammer).
✅I need the thingamajig
💡you know, the one for hitting nails.' — Use thingamajig when the name genuinely escapes you; if you know the word, say it.