conjecture
/kənˈdʒektʃə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /kənˈdʒektʃər/ (ame, ipa) · /kən-ˈjek-chər/ (ame, mw) · /kənˈdʒek.tʃər/ (bre, ipa) · /kənˈdʒek.tʃɚ/ (ame, ipa)
conjecture — 名詞
- conjecturesingular
- conjecturesplural
1. an idea or view about something that someone has reached by guessing rather than
臆測；推測
缺乏證據、僅憑表象作出的推想
an idea or view about something that someone has reached by guessing rather than by knowing real facts, or the act of arriving at such an idea.
Rodrigo's claim that the missing keys were stolen is pure conjecture.
Rodrigo 聲稱遺失的鑰匙是被偷的，這純屬臆測。
collocation: pure conjecture
Without any witnesses, the police report relied heavily on conjecture about the driver's speed.
由於沒有目擊者，警方報告對駕駛車速的描述大多倚賴推測。
rely on conjecture (uncountable use)
Sayaka dismissed the rumour as idle conjecture and refused to comment further.
Sayaka 把那則傳聞當成無聊的臆測，拒絕進一步評論。
Many history books about the ancient king are based on conjecture rather than written records.
許多關於那位古代國王的歷史書都建立在臆測之上，而非文字紀錄。
The professor warned the students to label their conjectures clearly in the lab report.
教授提醒學生在實驗報告中清楚標明自己的各種推測。
- speculation
very close in meaning; slightly more about extended thinking aloud, while 'conjecture' often points to a single inferred conclusion
- guesswork
less formal; emphasises the unreliable method rather than the resulting idea
- supposition
more neutral and less suggestive of weak evidence; often used as a starting point for an argument
- hypothesis
scientific or academic; a guess put forward to be tested, not just an opinion
文法句型
pure conjecture
based on conjecture
用法筆記
Often appears as the uncountable mass noun in fixed frames: 'pure conjecture', 'based on conjecture', 'a matter of conjecture'. The countable plural 'conjectures' refers to individually identifiable guesses (e.g. several distinct theories).
常見錯誤
conjecture — 動詞
- conjecturepresent simple I / you / we / they
- conjectures3rd person singular
- conjecturing-ing form
- conjecturedpast simple
1. to form a view about why something happens or what is true, working only from ho
臆測；揣測
依據情況外觀而非實證去猜想原因
to form a view about why something happens or what is true, working only from how a situation looks rather than from solid evidence.
Reporters conjectured that the minister had resigned because of the budget scandal.
記者們臆測該部長是因為這次預算醜聞才辭職的。
conjecture + that-clause
Christopher could only conjecture about what had happened during the long blackout.
Christopher 對那場長時間停電期間發生的事只能加以揣測。
conjecture about + noun (intransitive)
Historians have long conjectured a peaceful contact between the two ancient tribes.
歷史學家長期以來都揣測那兩個古老部落之間曾有過和平接觸。
When the lights went out, Sivan conjectured that a tree had fallen on the power line.
燈一熄掉，Sivan 就猜想是一棵樹倒在電線上了。
It was widely conjectured that the painting had been hidden inside the chapel for centuries.
外界普遍揣測那幅畫已在小教堂裡藏了好幾個世紀。
- speculate
near-synonym; slightly more about thinking aloud over possibilities, less about reaching a single conclusion
- surmise
very formal and literary; emphasises drawing a conclusion from small clues
- hypothesize
scientific register; put forward an idea specifically to be tested
- guess
everyday register; neutral, no suggestion of careful reasoning
文法句型
conjecture + that-clause
conjecture about + noun
用法筆記
Frequently followed by a that-clause stating the guessed proposition. The passive 'it is/was conjectured that …' is common in academic writing when no specific person is named as the guesser. Distinguish from sense-less 'guess' — conjecture implies the speaker is reasoning from indirect signs, not picking blindly.