choppy

/ˈtʃɒpi/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈtʃɑːpi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈchä-pē/ (ame, mw)

choppy — 形容詞

  • choppypositive
  • choppiercomparative
  • choppiestsuperlative

1. covered with many short, rough waves that keep the surface restless

1.形容詞B2
釋義

波浪起伏

水面有許多短而亂的小浪

covered with many short, rough waves that keep the surface restless

例句

By noon, the bay had turned choppy, and the ferry slowed near the pier.

到中午時，海灣已變得波浪起伏，渡輪靠近碼頭時放慢了速度。

choppy water affecting boat travel

Wind from the north made the lake choppy during Mia's rowing lesson.

北風吹得湖面波浪起伏，正好碰上 Mia 的划船課。

make + water + choppy

同義詞
  • rough

    broader term for unpleasant sea conditions, not only short waves

  • wavy

    more neutral and less strongly suggests difficult conditions

  • rippled

    usually milder, with smaller surface movement

反義詞
  • calm

    with little or no wave movement

  • smooth

    surface looks flat and undisturbed

  • glassy

    especially for water that is very still and shiny

用法筆記

Usually describes water surfaces such as seas, rivers, lakes, or bays. It suggests many short waves rather than one huge storm wave.

常見錯誤

❌The beach was choppy and soft under our feet.
✅The sea was choppy, and the sand was soft under our feet.
💡'choppy' describes the moving water, not the sand on the beach.

2. changing sharply and unpredictably, with short good periods mixed with bad ones

2.形容詞C1
釋義

起伏不定

表現常忽好忽壞，難以預測

changing sharply and unpredictably, with short good periods mixed with bad ones

例句

After the tax news, tech shares stayed choppy for the rest of the week.

稅務消息一出後，科技股在那週剩下的時間裡都持續起伏不定。

choppy market movement

Ticket sales were choppy, so the theater cut two weekday shows.

票房起伏不定，所以那家劇院取消了兩場平日演出。

同義詞
  • volatile

    more formal and especially common in finance

  • unstable

    broader term for a situation that does not stay steady

  • erratic

    emphasizes irregular changes that are hard to predict

反義詞
  • steady

    continuing at a fairly even level

  • stable

    not changing sharply

  • smooth

    progressing without sharp disruptions

用法筆記

Common with markets, sales, talks, or business periods. Distinguish from sense 3: this sense is about unstable progress over time, not a signal or image stopping and restarting.

常見錯誤

❌The stock market was choppy because the internet kept breaking.
✅The stock market was choppy because prices kept jumping up and down.
💡here 'choppy' describes unstable movement in results or prices, not a technical connection problem.

3. breaking off or freezing again and again instead of continuing smoothly

3.形容詞B2
釋義

斷斷續續

聲音、畫面或連線常停住又恢復

breaking off or freezing again and again instead of continuing smoothly

例句

Our call turned choppy when the train entered the tunnel under the hill.

火車開進山下隧道時，我們的通話就變得斷斷續續。

choppy call = broken connection

The livestream looked choppy on Leo's old phone during the concert.

演唱會期間，那場直播在 Leo 的舊手機上看起來斷斷續續。

同義詞
  • jerky

    focuses on movement that jumps instead of flowing smoothly

  • broken

    more general term for sound or video that cuts out

  • patchy

    often used for weak or unreliable signal coverage

反義詞
  • smooth

    continuing without jumps or freezes

  • clear

    especially for audio or picture quality

  • stable

    connection or playback stays even

用法筆記

Often used for audio, video, calls, or online connections. It suggests repeated brief breaks rather than one complete failure.

常見錯誤

❌The screen was choppy because the movie was boring.
✅The screen looked choppy because the video kept freezing.
💡this sense is about broken movement or connection quality, not whether the content is interesting.

4. cut into uneven lengths to create a broken, layered look

4.形容詞C1
釋義

長短不齊

髮型刻意剪成高低不一的層次

cut into uneven lengths to create a broken, layered look

例句

The stylist gave Hana a choppy bob that framed her jaw.

設計師替 Hana 剪了一個長短不齊的鮑伯頭，剛好修飾她的下顎線。

choppy + hairstyle noun

A choppy fringe made the haircut look playful instead of formal.

長短不齊的瀏海讓那個髮型看起來俏皮，而不是正式。

同義詞
  • layered

    broader and often softer; not always as sharply uneven

  • jagged

    stronger and rougher, sometimes suggesting a poor finish

  • textured

    salon term for hair shaped to add movement and separation

反義詞
  • even

    cut to the same length throughout

  • sleek

    smooth and neat rather than broken into pieces

  • blunt

    cut straight across with a clean line

用法筆記

Used mainly in hair and beauty contexts. The unevenness is usually intentional and stylistic, not simply a bad haircut.

常見錯誤

❌Her hair was choppy because it was wet from the rain.
✅Her hair looked choppy because it had been cut into uneven layers.
💡this sense describes the way the hair is cut, not how it feels after getting wet.

5. made of short parts that jump too quickly from one point to another, so it feels

5.形容詞C1
釋義

不連貫的

文字或談話轉折太急，讀聽起來斷開

made of short parts that jump too quickly from one point to another, so it feels disconnected

例句

The article felt choppy because every paragraph ended after two short sentences.

那篇文章讀起來很不連貫，因為每一段都只用兩個短句就結束。

choppy writing style

Jisoo's presentation sounded choppy when she skipped between unrelated slides.

Jisoo 一直在不相關的投影片之間跳來跳去，所以簡報聽起來很不連貫。

同義詞
  • disjointed

    formal term for parts that do not connect smoothly

  • fragmented

    emphasizes that the whole feels broken into separate pieces

  • abrupt

    focuses on sudden transitions from one point to another

反義詞
  • fluent

    ideas or speech move forward easily and naturally

  • coherent

    all parts connect clearly in meaning

  • smooth

    transitions do not feel sudden or broken

用法筆記

Used for writing, speaking, or editing that does not flow smoothly from one idea to the next. Distinguish from sense 3: this sense is about style or organization, not a technical signal problem.

常見錯誤

❌Her essay was choppy because the printer stopped twice.
✅Her essay was choppy because the ideas jumped around and did not connect well.
💡this sense judges the style of the writing itself, not a machine problem while printing.