trait

/treɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /treɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtrāt British also ˈtrā/ (ame, mw)

trait — noun

1. a quality in a person's character that shows in how they think, feel, and behave

1.名詞B2
釋義

a quality in a person's character that shows in how they think, feel, and behave — for example, being naturally patient, honest, or quick to anger.

例句

Élise's most noticeable trait is her endless patience with struggling students.

adjective + trait: most noticeable trait

A stubborn streak is a common trait in children who are learning to assert themselves.

trait in somebody: trait in children

同義詞
  • characteristic

    more neutral and general; wider use for both people and things

  • quality

    often positive; focuses on a good or desirable feature

  • attribute

    formal; often used in professional or technical contexts

  • mannerism

    narrower — only covers small physical or verbal habits

文法句型

adjective + trait

trait of + noun/-ing form

trait in somebody

用法筆記

Often modified by an adjective (positive, negative, dominant, rare) to evaluate the quality. The pattern 'a trait of + noun/gerund' describes something seen as typical of a group: 'a trait of good leaders'.

常見錯誤

❌Generous is a good trait to have.
✅Generosity is a good trait to have.
💡use a noun (generosity), not an adjective (generous), with 'trait'.
❌One of her trait is patience.
✅One of her traits is patience.
💡'one of' must be followed by a plural noun.

2. a physical or biological feature that is passed from parents to children through

2.名詞B2
釋義

a physical or biological feature that is passed from parents to children through genes — for example, eye color, blood type, or a tendency toward a particular disease.

例句

Curly hair is a dominant genetic trait in Yuna's family on her mother's side.

genetic trait + dominant/recessive distinction

The biologist showed how flower color is a trait passed through a single gene.

simple trait = controlled by one gene

同義詞

文法句型

genetic/inherited + trait

trait for + noun

dominant/recessive + trait

用法筆記

Common in biology and medicine. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 is about physical or biological features (eye color, disease risk), not personality. For genetic inheritance, trait is typically paired with dominant, recessive, inherited, or genetic.

常見錯誤

❌Blue eyes are a personality trait.
✅Blue eyes are a genetic trait.
💡physical features are inherited traits, not personality traits.