world
/wɜːld/ (bre, ipa) · /wɜːrld/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈwər(-ə)ld/ (ame, mw)
world — 名詞
- worldsingular
- worldsplural
1. the planet Earth, including every country, ocean, mountain, and city on it, as w
世界；地球
人類居住的地球及所有人事物
the planet Earth, including every country, ocean, mountain, and city on it, as well as all the people who live there.
Mount Fuji is one of the most famous sights in the world.
富士山是世界上最有名的景點之一。
collocation: in the world
People from all over the world visited the art exhibition in Paris.
來自世界各地的人們前來巴黎參觀藝術展。
collocation: all over the world
The airplane flew halfway around the world before landing in Dubai.
那架飛機繞了半個地球，最後降落在杜拜。
The world's population passed eight billion people in 2023.
2023 年，世界人口突破了八十億。
Rin and her classmates studied maps of every continent in the world.
Rin 和同學們研究了世界各洲的地圖。
用法筆記
Often used with 'the' as a singular noun referring to the one planet everyone lives on. No article is used in compounds such as 'world peace' or 'world history'.
常見錯誤
2. a particular area of activity, interest, or work; a specific group of people, co
界；領域
特定活動、興趣或人群的範圍
a particular area of activity, interest, or work; a specific group of people, countries, animals, or things that share a common feature.
The fashion world changes its trends faster than any other industry.
時尚界的潮流變化比任何其他產業都快。
pattern: the [domain] world
In the world of professional sports, athletes train for years to compete.
在職業運動的領域裡，運動員要訓練多年才能上場比賽。
pattern: the world of [domain]
The natural world holds millions of species that scientists have not yet identified.
自然界中有數百萬種科學家還未辨識的物種。
Adaeze works in the publishing world and edits books for a large company.
Adaeze 在出版界工作，為一家大公司編輯書籍。
The business world has changed a lot since remote work became common.
自從遠距工作普及以來，商界發生了很大的變化。
用法筆記
Follows the pattern 'the [adjective] world' (the natural world, the Arab world) or 'the world of [noun]' (the world of fashion, the world of science). When referring to a geographical region, the adjective is often a proper noun: 'the English-speaking world', 'the developing world'.
常見錯誤
3. any large object in space — for instance, a planet, moon, or star — that could p
行星；星球
太空中可能孕育生命的天體
any large object in space — for instance, a planet, moon, or star — that could possibly support or host life.
Astronomers believe other worlds may orbit stars in distant solar systems.
天文學家認為遙遠的太陽系中可能還有其他星球。
pattern: other worlds / distant worlds
The science fiction novel describes a frozen world where two suns rise each morning.
這本科幻小說描述了一個冰封的世界，每天有兩顆太陽升起。
Cyrus read about a newly discovered world orbiting a star far beyond our galaxy.
Cyrus 讀到一篇關於在銀河系外新發現一顆行星的文章。
Space telescopes allow us to study worlds that are billions of kilometres from Earth.
太空望遠鏡讓我們得以研究距離地球數十億公里的星球。
A rover sent back images of a dusty red world with mountains taller than Earth's.
探測車傳回了那顆塵土飛揚的紅色世界的影像，當地的山脈比地球的還高。
- planet
the standard scientific term; less literary than 'world'
- celestial body
formal technical term covering planets, stars, moons, asteroids
- globe
can refer to a round planet; poetic or visual in tone
用法筆記
Common in science fiction and space science. In everyday conversation, 'planet' is far more frequent than 'world' for this meaning.
4. the particular environment, relationships, activities, and experiences that make
生活圈
個人的環境、關係與經歷
the particular environment, relationships, activities, and experiences that make up a single person's life.
After losing her job, Talia felt as though her whole world had collapsed.
失去工作後，Talia 覺得自己的整個世界都崩塌了。
collocation: [possessive] whole world
Hiro's world revolves around his family and his small bookstore in Kyoto.
Hiro 的世界就是他的家人和他位於京都的小書店。
pattern: [possessive] world revolves around
When Aarav started university, he entered a whole new world of ideas and people.
Aarav 上大學後，進入了一個充滿新思想和新朋友的全新世界。
The virtual reality game let Brandon escape into a fantasy world of his own making.
那款虛擬實境遊戲讓 Brandon 逃進一個他自己打造的奇幻世界。
Moving to a new country opened up a world of unfamiliar customs for Élise.
搬到新國家後，Élise 進入了一個充滿陌生習俗的世界。
- life
broader; 'world' adds a sense of contained environment
- environment
more neutral and factual; less emotional
- universe
even broader; suggests everything someone knows or experiences
用法筆記
Frequently takes a possessive determiner (my world, her world, their world). The phrase 'a world of [something]' is common when describing new experiences opened up to someone.
常見錯誤
5. ordinary human existence on earth, with its material concerns and physical pleas
塵世；世俗
與精神信仰相對的物質人生
ordinary human existence on earth, with its material concerns and physical pleasures, especially when contrasted with spiritual or religious life.
The monks gave up all worldly possessions to devote themselves entirely to prayer.
那些修士捨棄了一切世俗的財產，全心投入祈禱。
collocation: worldly possessions (derived adjective)
Many religious teachings urge followers to look beyond this world toward the life to come.
許多宗教教導都鼓勵信徒超越這個世界，展望來世。
Father Okafor told the congregation their true home is in heaven, not in this world.
Okafor 神父告訴會眾，他們真正的家在天堂，不在這個世界。
In her final years Beatrix focused more on spiritual growth than worldly concerns.
在生命的最後幾年，Beatrix 更注重靈性成長，而非世俗的事。
The saint turned away from the world to live in complete solitude.
那位聖人遠離塵世，獨自隱居修行。
- earth
shorter form used in phrases like 'on earth'; broader
- mortal life
emphasises the temporary nature of human existence
- the secular world
formal; emphasises non-religious aspects
- heaven
the spiritual afterlife in many religions
- the afterlife
general term for existence after death
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 4 (PERSONAL SPHERE): sense 5 contrasts earthly/material life with spiritual or afterlife, while sense 4 describes a person's everyday experiences without that contrast. This sense is most common in religious, philosophical, or literary contexts.
world — 形容詞
- worldpositive
- worldercomparative
- worldestsuperlative
1. relating to the entire planet, all human society, or international affairs rathe
世界的
與全世界或國際事務相關的
relating to the entire planet, all human society, or international affairs rather than to a single country or local area.
World peace is a goal that every nation claims to support.
世界和平是每個國家都宣稱支持的目標。
collocation: world peace
The United Nations deals with major world issues such as climate change and poverty.
聯合國處理氣候變遷與貧窮等重大世界議題。
collocation: world issues
Paul took a course in world history that covered events from every continent.
Paul 修了一門世界歷史課，涵蓋各大洲的重大事件。
World leaders gathered in Geneva to discuss a new climate agreement.
世界各國領袖齊聚日內瓦，討論一項新的氣候協議。
The economist wrote a book about world trade and its effect on poor countries.
那位經濟學家寫了一本關於世界貿易及其對貧困國家影響的書。
- global
can be used both before and after nouns; more common in scientific contexts
- international
focuses on relations between countries rather than the whole planet
用法筆記
Always used before a noun (attributive). Cannot follow a linking verb: 'This problem is world' is incorrect. Use 'global' or 'worldwide' after a linking verb instead.
常見錯誤
2. existing, happening, or recognised in every part of the world; extending across
遍及世界的
存在或發生於全球各地的
existing, happening, or recognised in every part of the world; extending across the entire planet.
The singer became a world celebrity after her album sold ten million copies.
那位歌手專輯賣了一千萬張之後，成了世界名人。
collocation: world celebrity
Deng's coffee company built a world distribution network across forty countries.
Deng 的咖啡公司在四十個國家建立了全球經銷網絡。
The disease spread at world scale within just a few months of the outbreak.
疫情爆發後幾個月內，那種疾病就在世界範圍內擴散開來。
Mayumi's research achieved world recognition in the field of marine biology.
Mayumi 的研究在海洋生物學領域獲得了全球性的肯定。
The film festival draws world attention every year with its premieres and red-carpet events.
每年那個影展都以首映和星光大道活動吸引全世界的關注。
- localised
limited to a small area
用法筆記
This sense combines with nouns to mean that something is present or recognised everywhere. It is especially common in compounds such as world-famous, world-renowned, and world-class, though those are increasingly written as hyphenated compounds.
3. involving, affecting, or applying to the whole planet or all of human society; n
全球性的
影響或涉及整個地球的
involving, affecting, or applying to the whole planet or all of human society; not limited to one region.
The Second World War changed the political landscape of every inhabited continent.
第二次世界大戰改變了每個有人居住的大洲的政治格局。
collocation: World War [number]
World events such as the Olympic Games bring people from many nations together.
奧運這類全球盛事將許多國家的人民聚集在一起。
Climate change is a world problem that no single government can solve by itself.
氣候變遷是一個全球性的問題，沒有任何一個國家能獨自解決。
The pandemic became a world crisis that affected hospitals, schools, and businesses everywhere.
疫情成了一場世界危機，影響了各地的醫院、學校和商家。
Mauricio presented a world outlook on energy policy at the international summit.
Mauricio 在國際高峰會上提出了對全球能源政策的看法。
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (WORLDWIDE): sense 2 describes something that exists or is recognised everywhere geographically, whereas sense 3 describes something whose scope or impact extends to the entire planet — an event, problem, or policy that affects everyone.
4. recognised internationally as one of the best or most important in a particular
世界級的
國際公認頂尖或重要的
recognised internationally as one of the best or most important in a particular field.
Mauricio is a world authority on climate science and advises several governments.
Mauricio 是氣候科學領域的世界權威，為多國政府提供諮詢。
collocation: world authority
The museum displays world treasures from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Mesopotamia.
這間博物館展出古埃及、希臘和美索不達米亞的世界級珍寶。
Chef Talia earned a world reputation for her innovative plant-based tasting menu.
主廚 Talia 以創意蔬食套餐贏得了世界級聲譽。
The university recruited a world expert in artificial intelligence from South Korea.
那所大學從南韓聘請了一位世界級的人工智慧專家。
Beatrix performed at a world venue that hosts only the finest classical musicians.
Beatrix 在一個只邀請頂尖古典音樂家的世界級場地演出。
- world-class
the full compound; more common and explicit in modern usage
- world-renowned
emphasises fame rather than quality
- top
informal; less precise
- unknown
not recognised internationally
- second-rate
of lower quality
用法筆記
Often interchangeable with 'world-class', though 'world' alone is more compressed and used in fixed collocations. The full compound 'world-class' is more common in modern English for this meaning.