virtuous

/ˈvɜːtʃuəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈvɜːrtʃuəs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈvər-chə-wəs ˈvərch-wəs/ (ame, mw)

virtuous — adjective

  • virtuouspositive
  • more virtuouscomparative
  • most virtuoussuperlative

1. A virtuous person behaves honestly, kindly, and fairly, choosing to do the right

1.形容詞B2
釋義

A virtuous person behaves honestly, kindly, and fairly, choosing to do the right thing even when nobody is watching or when it is difficult.

例句

Mrs. Kowalski was known as a virtuous woman who always returned lost money to its owner.

collocation: virtuous woman / virtuous person

Ananya tries to lead a virtuous life by volunteering at the community kitchen every weekend.

collocation: lead a virtuous life

同義詞
  • righteous

    stronger religious or moral tone; often used in formal or biblical contexts

  • moral

    broader and more neutral; focuses on principles rather than character

  • ethical

    emphasises professional or societal standards of right conduct

反義詞
  • immoral

    opposite of morally good; knowingly doing wrong

  • wicked

    stronger disapproval; suggests evil intent

用法筆記

Commonly appears with nouns such as 'person', 'life', 'woman', 'man', 'act'.

常見錯誤

❌She was a virtue teacher.
✅She was a virtuous teacher.
💡'virtue' is a noun; 'virtuous' is the adjective form.
❌He always does virtue things.
✅He always does virtuous things.
💡Use the adjective 'virtuous', not the noun 'virtue', to modify a noun.

2. Showing or feeling that you believe you are morally better than other people, es

2.形容詞C1
釋義

Showing or feeling that you believe you are morally better than other people, especially in a way that annoys them.

例句

Jamal got tired of his colleague's virtuous remarks about everyone else's lunch choices.

disapproving use: virtuous remarks

Sofia rolled her eyes at the virtuous tone of the blog post about eco-friendly living.

同義詞
反義詞
  • humble

    modest about one's own qualities or achievements

用法筆記

This sense is always critical or mocking. Common in informal speech and writing about someone's behaviour. Subject is often a person's 'tone', 'expression', 'attitude', or 'remarks'.

常見錯誤

❌He gave a virtuous speech about helping the poor' (without context of disapproval).
✅He gave a virtuous speech about helping the poor, but his tone made everyone uncomfortable.
💡Without a critical context, readers may interpret this as Sense 1 (genuinely moral). Add words like 'holier-than-thou' or describe an annoying tone to make Sense 2 clear.

3. Old-fashioned or formal — not having had sex; sexually pure, especially in the c

3.形容詞C1
釋義

Old-fashioned or formal — not having had sex; sexually pure, especially in the context of virginity before marriage or faithfulness within marriage.

例句

In many traditional stories, the young heroine is expected to remain virtuous until her wedding day.

old-fashioned register: remain virtuous

Father Okafor spoke about living a virtuous life in his sermon on purity.

同義詞
  • chaste

    most direct synonym; also formal and old-fashioned

  • pure

    broader meaning; can refer to general innocence as well as sexual purity

反義詞
  • promiscuous

    having many sexual partners; opposite of sexually restrained

用法筆記

Rare in modern everyday conversation; occurs mostly in historical fiction, religious writing, or formal discussions of traditional values. Distinguish from Sense 1: this sense specifically relates to sexual conduct, whereas Sense 1 covers general moral behaviour.

常見錯誤

❌She is a very virtuous woman because she donates to charity.' (If the speaker means charitable behaviour, use Sense 1.)
✅She is a virtuous woman because she donates to charity.
💡This is fine for Sense 1, but if you specifically mean sexual purity, the context must make that clear. Add 'pure', 'chaste', or a reference to marriage/virginity.