adults
adults — 名詞
1. a person or animal whose body has stopped growing and has reached its full size
成人
已發育成熟的個人或動物
a person or animal whose body has stopped growing and has reached its full size and physical strength.
The course is designed for young adults who have just finished school.
這門課程是為剛畢業的年輕成人設計的。
collocation: young adult
As an adult, the Watanabe children were expected to help with the family bills.
渡邊家的孩子成年後就得幫忙分擔家裡的開銷。
countable noun: an adult
The lion cub will stay close to its mother until it becomes an adult.
那隻小獅子會待在母親身邊，直到長大成獅。
Many adults find it harder to learn a musical instrument than children do.
許多成人發現學樂器比小孩困難。
The zoo built separate areas for baby animals and adults.
動物園把幼獸和成獸的活動區分開來。
- grown-up
informal; common in everyday speech, less formal than adult
- grown person
emphasises the contrast with childhood; somewhat formal
文法句型
adult + verb
adjective + adult
用法筆記
In everyday conversation, 'grown-up' is a common informal alternative for the noun sense.
常見錯誤
adults — 形容詞
1. having reached the stage where growth is complete and the body is at its full si
成年的
已發育完全的
having reached the stage where growth is complete and the body is at its full size.
The adult elephant stood twice as tall as the calf beside it.
那頭成年大象的身高是旁邊小象的兩倍。
attributive adjective: adult elephant
Dr. Okafor bought an adult-size bicycle because the children's models were too small.
Okafor 醫生買了一台成人腳踏車，因為兒童款太小了。
adult-size as compound modifier
The adult population of the town is roughly twenty thousand people.
該鎮的成年人口約為兩萬人。
These beetles measure only two millimetres long as adult insects.
這種甲蟲成蟲的體長只有兩毫米。
An adult human has thirty-two permanent teeth in a healthy mouth.
健康的成年人口中有三十二顆恆齒。
- fully-grown
emphasises having reached maximum physical size; common for animals
- mature
broader meaning; can describe emotional or intellectual development as well
文法句型
adult + noun
be/become + adult
用法筆記
When used of animals, 'adult' refers to sexual maturity — the point at which the animal can reproduce — not just size.
常見錯誤
2. showing the sensible and responsible qualities that people expect from a mature
成熟的
表現出成熟行為的
showing the sensible and responsible qualities that people expect from a mature person — for example, dealing with a problem calmly instead of reacting with anger.
The young manager handled the criticism in a very adult way.
那位年輕的主管以非常成熟的方式應對批評。
collocation: adult way
It was an adult decision to apologise even though Lin was not entirely at fault.
就算 Lin 不完全是錯的一方，道歉仍是個成熟的決定。
collocation: adult decision
The students showed adult behaviour during the emergency drill.
全體學生在緊急演習中展現了成熟的態度。
The night-shift nurse took an adult attitude toward the patient's complaints.
那位值夜班的護士以成熟的態度面對病人的抱怨。
- responsible
more direct; emphasises being trusted to do the right thing
- mature
the most common alternative; slightly broader in scope
文法句型
adult + noun (behaviour/decision/manner)
be + adult
3. containing sexual material that is intended only for people old enough to see it
成人限制級
含有性內容不適合兒童
containing sexual material that is intended only for people old enough to see it legally, and not appropriate for children.
The website requires users to confirm their age before viewing adult content.
該網站要求使用者確認年齡才能觀看成人內容。
collocation: adult content
Some television channels only broadcast adult programmes after ten o'clock at night.
有些電視頻道只在晚上十點後播出成人節目。
collocation: adult programmes
The corner shop keeps adult magazines on the top shelf out of children's reach.
那間街角商店把成人雜誌放在兒童搆不到的上層貨架。
Many streaming services let parents block adult films from their children's accounts.
許多串流平台讓家長封鎖兒童帳號中的成人電影。
The movie was rated R for adult themes and strong language.
這部電影因成人主題及強烈語言而被列為限制級。
- pornographic
stronger and more direct; can sound judgmental or legal
- X-rated
informal; refers specifically to the old movie-rating category for sexually explicit films
- explicit
broader; can also refer to violence or coarse language
- family-friendly
suitable for viewers of all ages
- PG-rated
classified as suitable for children with parental guidance
文法句型
adult + noun (film/magazine/content/entertainment)
用法筆記
This sense is almost always used as an attributive adjective before a noun — you would not say 'this film is adult.' The terms 'adult entertainment' and 'adult industry' are common set phrases.