troll
/trɒl/ (bre, ipa) · [trˈol] /trəʊl/ (ame, ipa) · [trˈol] /ˈtrōl How to pronounce troll (audio)/ (ame, mw) · /trəʊl/ (bre, ipa) · [trˈol] /troʊl/ (ame, ipa)
troll — noun
- trollsingular
- trollsplural
1. In Scandinavian folklore, a mythical being that dwells in caves, under bridges,
In Scandinavian folklore, a mythical being that dwells in caves, under bridges, or inside mountains — large ones are often dangerous creatures, while smaller ones enjoy tricking humans.
A children's book tells of a friendly troll under a bridge who helps travelers.
article + troll who lives under [place]
In an old Norwegian legend, a troll caught outside at sunrise will turn to stone.
Linh's grandmother warned that trolls hide in forests and play tricks on hikers.
The museum displayed a life-sized troll sitting on gold coins inside a fake cave.
- elf
usually graceful, good-natured, and lives in forests rather than caves
文法句型
a troll
the troll
trolls (plural)
用法筆記
Countable noun. In modern English, this sense is most common when talking about fairy tales, fantasy fiction, or Scandinavian culture rather than real beliefs.
常見錯誤
2. A person who posts deliberately offensive or annoying comments on the internet,
A person who posts deliberately offensive or annoying comments on the internet, hoping to anger others or simply to attract notice.
The forum moderator banned several trolls who had been insulting new members all week.
moderator banned several trolls who + [offensive behaviour]
Saira chose to ignore the troll who posted rude comments under every photo.
Internet trolls often create fake accounts so nobody can trace their real identity online.
Jabari reported a troll who sent threatening messages in the gaming chat room.
文法句型
a troll
internet troll
trolls (plural)
用法筆記
Countable noun. Very common in online contexts. The best general advice given to learners is 'do not feed the trolls' — meaning do not reply, because trolls want attention.
常見錯誤
3. An intentionally upsetting or provocative message posted online to anger readers
An intentionally upsetting or provocative message posted online to anger readers or trigger arguments.
The forum thread was taken down because it contained nothing but troll posts designed to start fights.
contain nothing but troll posts — clearly referring to messages, not people
Stefan deleted the troll as soon as he saw it was starting a pointless argument.
A single clever troll can turn peaceful discussion into a shouting match within minutes.
The website installed automatic filters to remove common trolls before other users could see them.
文法句型
a troll
post a troll
trolls (plural)
用法筆記
Countable noun. Distinguish from sense 2 (the person): 'a troll' posted by 'a troll'. Context usually makes the meaning clear, but if you say 'There are trolls in the forum', it could mean either people or messages.
常見錯誤
troll — verb
- trollpresent simple I / you / we / they
- trolls3rd person singular
- trolling-ing form
- trolledpast simple
1. When fishing, to pull a hook with bait behind a slow-moving boat so that fish in
When fishing, to pull a hook with bait behind a slow-moving boat so that fish in the water chase after it and bite.
Tomás spent the morning trolling for salmon near the coast with his father's boat.
troll for [type of fish]
The two fishermen trolled slowly along the riverbank and caught three large trout before noon.
Instead of casting from shore, they trolled with the engine at low speed.
Yael learned to troll for mackerel during summer holidays at her aunt's cottage.
- trail
more general — means to pull something behind without the fishing-specific meaning
文法句型
troll for [fish]
troll [body of water]
go trolling
用法筆記
Can be used transitively ('troll the lake') or intransitively ('troll for bass'). The noun form 'trolling' is often used for the activity itself ('We went trolling off the pier.').
常見錯誤
2. To look through a large number of people, places, or items in the hope of findin
To look through a large number of people, places, or items in the hope of finding something specific you want or need.
Ramon trolled through online job listings every evening after his shift at the factory.
troll through [collection of items]
The detective trolled the busy market square for anyone who matched the witness description.
Charlotte trolled the second-hand furniture stores for an old wooden desk for her study.
Mateo spent the weekend trolling antique shops for a vintage watch.
文法句型
troll through [places]
troll for [target]
troll [place]
用法筆記
Less common than 'search' or 'browse'. Often carries a sense of patience or thoroughness — looking through many options over time rather than a quick check. Frequently followed by 'through' or 'for'.
常見錯誤
3. To post insulting or deliberately provocative content on a website or social med
To post insulting or deliberately provocative content on a website or social media platform, aiming to anger other users or trigger arguments.
Someone was trolling the fan forum by posting spoilers in every thread.
trolling [place] by + [method]
Jin was banned from the chat room for trolling with offensive cultural jokes.
Instead of answering the travel question, Selim started trolling the thread with unrelated political remarks.
The celebrity has learned to ignore people who troll her social media posts.
文法句型
troll [somewhere/someone]
troll [website]
be trolling
用法筆記
This sense is specifically about online behaviour. For offline annoying behaviour, use sense 4. The verb is often used in the continuous form ('He is trolling the forum').
常見錯誤
4. To deliberately say or do something annoying or upsetting to someone, mainly to
To deliberately say or do something annoying or upsetting to someone, mainly to get a reaction or for amusement.
Nellie loves to troll her brother by pretending she ate his dessert.
troll [person] by [verb]-ing
Some people troll political discussions just to watch others lose their temper and argue.
The student was sent to the office for trolling the substitute teacher.
Ramón's friends joked that he trolled the office by changing the printer language.
文法句型
troll someone
stop trolling
troll [person] about [topic]
用法筆記
Can describe behaviour both online and offline, unlike sense 3 which is limited to internet posting. The provocations in this sense are often playful or teasing rather than truly hateful, but context determines severity.