wisdom

/ˈwɪzdəm/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈwɪzdəm/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈwiz-dəm/ (ame, mw)

wisdom — noun

1. the capacity to draw on what you have learned through life and apply it well whe

1.名詞B2
釋義

the capacity to draw on what you have learned through life and apply it well when deciding what action to take or what guidance to offer.

例句

Iris showed great wisdom in choosing a career that matched her natural talents.

uncountable noun + in [gerund] pattern

The village elders were respected for their wisdom in settling local disputes.

possessive: their wisdom + in [gerund]

同義詞
  • judgment

    more specific — refers to the ability to assess a situation and decide, which can be good or poor

  • insight

    emphasises the ability to see the true nature of a situation, often suddenly or intuitively

  • common sense

    practical, everyday good judgment that most people are expected to have; narrower than wisdom

反義詞

文法句型

uncountable

often used with possessive: someone's wisdom

常見錯誤

❌He has a lot of wisdoms about investing.
✅He has a lot of wisdom about investing.
💡'wisdom' is an uncountable noun and does not take a plural form.

2. the body of knowledge and beliefs that a particular group of people has develope

2.名詞B2
釋義

the body of knowledge and beliefs that a particular group of people has developed gradually and handed down over centuries.

例句

The book shares ancient wisdom about farming and predicting the changing seasons.

adjective + wisdom: ancient wisdom

Traditional Chinese wisdom teaches that health depends on balance in daily life.

adjective + wisdom: traditional Chinese wisdom

同義詞
  • knowledge

    broader — includes any information or understanding, not necessarily accumulated over time

  • lore

    more specific — refers to traditional knowledge or stories about a particular subject

  • teachings

    focuses on the instructional aspect of passed-down wisdom

文法句型

uncountable

often modified by an adjective: ancient wisdom, traditional wisdom

用法筆記

Frequently modified by adjectives such as 'ancient,' 'traditional,' 'folk,' or 'oral.' This sense focuses on collective cultural knowledge rather than an individual's mental ability.

3. a belief or opinion that is accepted by most people in a society, often without

3.名詞C1
釋義

a belief or opinion that is accepted by most people in a society, often without being questioned.

例句

Conventional wisdom says that eating breakfast is important for your health.

fixed phrase: conventional wisdom + says that-clause

Élise challenged the accepted wisdom that remote workers are less productive.

verb + wisdom: challenge the [adjective] wisdom

同義詞
反義詞
  • counterculture

    a way of life opposed to the accepted norms

  • heresy

    an opinion that goes against what is generally accepted, especially in a religious context

文法句型

uncountable

almost always in the fixed phrases: conventional wisdom, received wisdom

用法筆記

Rarely used outside the fixed expressions 'conventional wisdom' and 'received wisdom.' The phrase typically introduces a belief that is later questioned or proven wrong.

常見錯誤

❌The wisdom is that exercise is good for you.
✅Conventional wisdom says that exercise is good for you.
💡'wisdom' alone does not mean 'what most people believe'; use the full phrase 'conventional wisdom.'

4. the habit of making careful and sensible choices, especially by thinking about p

4.名詞B2
釋義

the habit of making careful and sensible choices, especially by thinking about possible dangers or problems before you act.

例句

Vikram had the wisdom to save part of his income every month.

pattern: have the wisdom to [infinitive]

Sumin questioned the wisdom of driving home through the heavy snowstorm.

pattern: question the wisdom of [gerund]

同義詞
反義詞

文法句型

uncountable

patterns: have the wisdom to [verb], question/doubt the wisdom of [gerund]

用法筆記

Focuses on the quality of a specific decision or action rather than a person's general ability (sense 1). Frequently appears in the patterns 'have the wisdom to [do something]' and 'question/doubt the wisdom of [doing something].'

常見錯誤

❌He acted with wisdom when he invested all his money in one stock.
✅He had the wisdom to spread his investments across different funds.
💡investing all money in one stock is the opposite of prudent wisdom; the example should show careful, risk-aware decision-making.