congenital

/kənˈdʒenɪtl/ (bre, ipa) · /kənˈdʒenɪtl/ (ame, ipa) · /kən-ˈje-nə-tᵊl kän-/ (ame, mw)

congenital — 形容詞

  • congenitalpositive
  • more congenitalcomparative
  • most congenitalsuperlative

1. A congenital medical condition is present from the moment a person is born — it

1.形容詞B2
釋義

先天

出生時就存在的疾病或缺陷

A congenital medical condition is present from the moment a person is born — it exists at birth rather than being caught or developing later in life.

例句

Chioma was born with a congenital heart defect that required surgery when she was a toddler.

Chioma 出生時就患有先天性心臟缺陷，在很小的時候就需要動手術。

collocation: congenital + [body part/condition]

The paediatrician told Vikram's parents that the baby's mild congenital hip problem would correct itself over time.

小兒科醫師告訴 Vikram 的父母，嬰兒輕微的先天性髖關節問題會隨著時間自行改善。

同義詞
  • inborn

    less technical, used for both physical traits and personal qualities

  • innate

    broader meaning; covers talents, instincts, and traits, not limited to medical conditions

反義詞
  • acquired

    describes a disease or condition that develops after birth, such as an acquired infection

文法句型

congenital + [medical condition]

用法筆記

Almost always used attributively (before the noun it describes), as in 'a congenital heart defect.' The predicative form ('the condition is congenital') is possible but much less common.

常見錯誤

❌She has a hereditary disease that she caught from her mother.
✅She has a congenital disease.
💡'congenital' means present at birth, which is not the same as 'hereditary' (passed from a parent through genes). A congenital condition may or may not be hereditary.

2. When a bad quality is described as congenital in a person, it appears to be buil

2.形容詞C1
釋義

天性

根深蒂固的負面特質

When a bad quality is described as congenital in a person, it appears to be built into their nature from the start and is very unlikely to change.

例句

Diego is a congenital liar — he cannot tell the truth even about things that do not matter.

Diego 是個天生的騙子——他連不重要的小事都無法說實話。

collocation: congenital liar

Deepa's congenital pessimism made it hard for anyone in the office to keep a positive mood around her.

Deepa 天性悲觀，讓辦公室裡很少有人能在她身邊保持愉快的心情。

同義詞
  • innate

    neutral in tone — can describe good or bad traits, whereas 'congenital' in this sense is always negative

  • inherent

    more formal and neutral; does not carry the same negative implication

  • inveterate

    stronger, usually of a long-standing habit or practice rather than a character trait

反義詞
  • learned

    acquired through experience or education rather than present from the start

文法句型

congenital + [negative quality noun]

用法筆記

Only used for negative personal qualities — never for positive traits. Common nouns that follow it include liar, pessimist, inability, dishonesty, laziness, and tendency to [something negative].

常見錯誤

❌His congenital kindness made everyone like him.
✅His congenital dishonesty made everyone distrust him.
💡The figurative sense of 'congenital' is reserved for bad qualities only.