cherub

/ˈtʃerəb/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈtʃerəb/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈcher-əb ˈche-rəb/ (ame, mw)

cherub — 名詞

  • cherubsingular
  • cherubsplural

1. a kind of angel that painters and sculptors usually show as a chubby naked baby

1.名詞C1
釋義

小天使

藝術作品中胖嘟嘟的有翅小天使

a kind of angel that painters and sculptors usually show as a chubby naked baby with little wings on its back.

例句

Cherubs with golden wings floated across the painted ceiling of the old chapel.

金翅小天使飄浮在老教堂彩繪的天花板上。

plural subject in an art-description context

Sade pointed to a stone cherub holding a harp above the cathedral doorway.

Sade 指向大教堂門上方一個抱著豎琴的石雕小天使。

premodifier: 'stone cherub' for sculpted form

同義詞
  • putto

    art-history term for the same chubby winged child figure, especially in Renaissance painting

  • seraph

    another angel type, but ranked higher and not shown as a child

用法筆記

Most often appears in descriptions of European religious art, especially Renaissance and Baroque painting or sculpture; rarely used outside artistic or decorative contexts.

常見錯誤

❌A cherub flew down from heaven and saved the village.
✅An angel flew down from heaven and saved the village.
💡'cherub' refers to the art figure, not an angel in a story or scripture context.

2. a charming child who looks sweet and acts politely — often said warmly by adults

2.名詞C1
釋義

乖巧的孩子

形容乖巧又惹人疼愛的小孩

a charming child who looks sweet and acts politely — often said warmly by adults about a young child who is on their best behaviour.

例句

Christopher sat quietly through the long dinner, a perfect little cherub in his Sunday clothes.

Christopher 安靜地撐完那頓長長的晚餐，穿著週日禮服活像個乖巧的小天使。

collocation: 'perfect little cherub' as warm praise

Aunt Eliska said her grandson was an absolute cherub all weekend at the lake house.

Eliska 阿姨說她孫子整個週末在湖邊小屋都乖得不得了。

intensifier: 'absolute cherub' (informal praise)

同義詞
  • angel

    very common informal praise for a well-behaved child; broader and more frequent than 'cherub'

  • darling

    affectionate label for any sweet child or person, not limited to good behaviour

反義詞
  • brat

    informal: a badly-behaved or spoiled child

用法筆記

Subject is almost always a young child, and the speaker is usually an adult expressing affection or mild surprise at good behaviour; often used with positive intensifiers like 'perfect', 'absolute', or 'little'.

常見錯誤

❌My teenage brother is a real cherub at home.
✅My little nephew is a real cherub at home.
💡'cherub' in this sense almost only describes young children, not teenagers or adults.