agile

/ˈædʒaɪl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈædʒl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈa-jəl -ˌjī(-ə)l/ (ame, mw)

agile — 形容詞

1. describes a person or animal that can change direction, climb, jump, or run smoo

1.形容詞C1
釋義

敏捷；矯健

身體動作靈活、反應快的

describes a person or animal that can change direction, climb, jump, or run smoothly without losing balance or speed.

例句

The goat was agile enough to climb the steep cliff above the village.

那隻山羊很矯健，能爬上村莊上方陡峭的懸崖。

predicative: be agile enough to + verb

Linnea is so agile that she leapt over the fence in one smooth motion.

Linnea 身手非常敏捷，一個動作就俐落地翻過圍籬。

intensifier: so agile that…

同義詞
  • nimble

    near-synonym; emphasises light, neat movement, often of fingers or feet.

  • lithe

    suggests slim, graceful flexibility, often of dancers or cats.

  • spry

    informal; usually praises an older person who is still active.

反義詞
  • clumsy

    moves awkwardly and bumps into things.

  • stiff

    joints or muscles that do not bend easily.

用法筆記

Subject is typically a person, animal, or body part. Often paired with verbs of movement (leap, climb, dodge, turn). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about the body, not the mind.

常見錯誤

❌My grandmother is very agility for her age.
✅My grandmother is very agile for her age.
💡'agility' is the noun; 'agile' is the adjective.

2. describes a mind or thinker that takes in new facts fast, switches between ideas

2.形容詞C1
釋義

思路靈活

頭腦反應快、思路靈活的

describes a mind or thinker that takes in new facts fast, switches between ideas easily, and finds clever answers under pressure.

例句

The lawyer has an agile mind and answered every question without hesitation.

那位律師頭腦靈活，每個問題都能毫不猶豫地回答。

common collocation: agile mind

Daily puzzles can keep your brain agile well into old age.

每天動動腦的小遊戲，可以讓你的大腦到老都保持機敏。

keep + brain/mind + agile

同義詞
  • sharp

    very common; suggests a quick, accurate thinker.

  • quick-witted

    good at clever or funny replies in the moment.

  • astute

    more formal; suggests careful judgement, not just speed.

反義詞
  • slow

    takes a long time to understand or react.

  • dull

    lacks energy and quickness in thinking.

用法筆記

Subject is usually 'mind', 'brain', 'thinking', or 'thinker'. Often modified by 'mentally' or 'intellectually'. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is metaphorical and never describes the body.

常見錯誤

❌She is agile in math.
✅She has an agile mind for math.
💡'agile' (mental sense) modifies a noun like 'mind' or 'thinking', not a topic directly.

3. describes a way of running projects or teams that breaks the work into short cyc

3.形容詞C2
釋義

敏捷式的

工作以短週期推進、隨時調整計畫的

describes a way of running projects or teams that breaks the work into short cycles, checks results often, and changes the plan whenever new information comes in.

例句

The Berlin office uses agile methods, so teams meet every morning to review progress.

柏林辦公室採用敏捷式工作方法，團隊每天早上都會開會檢視進度。

collocation: agile methods / agile methodology

After moving to an agile workflow, the developers now ship features every two weeks.

改採敏捷式流程後，開發人員現在每兩週就能推出新功能。

agile workflow / agile process

同義詞
  • adaptive

    stresses the ability to change to fit new conditions.

  • lean

    related management style focused on cutting waste and short cycles.

  • flexible

    broader; any system that can be adjusted, not only project work.

反義詞
  • waterfall

    traditional rival approach where each stage finishes before the next begins.

  • rigid

    process that cannot be changed once it is set.

用法筆記

Often capitalised as 'Agile' when naming the formal software-development framework. Typical noun partners: methods, methodology, workflow, team, project, sprint, transformation. Distinguish from senses 1 and 2: subject is an organisation, process, or way of working, not a person's body or mind.

常見錯誤

❌We do agile in our company.
✅We use agile methods in our company.
💡'agile' is an adjective; pair it with a noun like 'methods', 'workflow', or 'team'.