critic

/ˈkrɪtɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkrɪtɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkri-tik/ (ame, mw)

critic — 名詞

  • criticsingular
  • criticsplural

1. someone who expresses strong disapproval of a person, idea, or course of action,

1.名詞B2
釋義

批評者

公開表達反對或不滿的人

someone who expresses strong disapproval of a person, idea, or course of action, often publicly.

例句

Élise's mother became the loudest critic of her plan to move abroad.

Élise 的母親成了反對她移居國外計畫的最大聲批評者。

collocation: critic + of + noun phrase

Critics of the new law say it does not protect the environment at all.

新法律的批評者認為它根本沒有保護環境。

passive construction with 'critics of'

同義詞
  • detractor

    more formal, emphasizes active opposition rather than just disapproval

  • opponent

    broader — a person on the other side of an argument, not necessarily voicing negative judgment

  • fault-finder

    informal, focuses on noticing small flaws rather than expressing strong disapproval

反義詞
  • supporter

    someone who approves of and backs a person or plan

  • advocate

    someone who publicly speaks in favor of a cause or person

文法句型

critic + of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Subject of the disapproval can be a person, a plan, a policy, or an institution. The phrase 'one's own harshest critic' is a fixed expression describing someone who judges themselves very severely.

常見錯誤

❌He is a critic of art when he said the painting was ugly.
✅He is a critic of modern art and often says paintings are meaningless.
💡'critic of' requires a defined target (art, policy, plan), not a single action.

2. a person paid to form and publish opinions about creative works such as films, b

2.名詞B1
釋義

評論家

以評論電影、書籍等為業的人

a person paid to form and publish opinions about creative works such as films, books, music, and plays, typically for a newspaper, magazine, or website.

例句

The film critic gave the new drama four stars in Saturday's paper.

這位影評人在週六的報紙上給這部新劇情片打了四顆星。

typical context: 'film critic + gives rating'

Kwame works as the main restaurant critic for a popular city blog.

Kwame 是某熱門城市美食部落格的主要餐廳評論家。

pattern: critic + for + publication/outlet

同義詞
  • reviewer

    nearly interchangeable but slightly less formal; emphasizes the act of reviewing rather than the professional identity

  • commentator

    broader — analyzes news, politics, or culture, not specifically creative works

文法句型

critic + for + publication type

用法筆記

Commonly preceded by the type of work reviewed: film critic, music critic, book critic, restaurant critic, theater critic. The person's views are published — this sense implies a public platform, not private opinion.

常見錯誤

❌The teacher was a film critic because she always told us her opinion of movies.
✅The teacher worked as a film critic for a local newspaper on weekends.
💡a critic in this sense has a professional or regular publication role, not just anyone who gives opinions.

3. a person who makes careful, thoughtful judgments about a subject, pointing out b

3.名詞C1
釋義

評議者

對事物進行有根據的評價者

a person who makes careful, thoughtful judgments about a subject, pointing out both its good and bad sides based on analysis.

例句

The historian is a leading critic of the traditional view of the war.

這位歷史學者是傳統戰爭觀的主要評議者。

academic context: 'critic of the traditional view'

Environmental critics argue that the plan does not reduce pollution enough.

環保評議者認為該計畫減少汙染的程度不足。

pattern: '[domain] critics argue that…'

同義詞
  • analyst

    more neutral — emphasizes examination rather than judgment

  • evaluator

    more formal, focuses on assessing value or quality systematically

  • judge

    stronger connotation of authority and final verdict

文法句型

critic + of + abstract noun phrase

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense implies thoughtful, reasoned evaluation (not merely disapproval). The critic may point out strengths too. Common in academic, policy, and professional discourse. Subject is typically an abstract idea, theory, method, or policy.

常見錯誤

❌My dad is a critic of my fashion choices.
✅My dad is a critic of the school's dress code policy.
💡sense 3 applies to reasoned evaluation of systems or ideas, not personal taste.

4. a person who closely studies and judges the quality, meaning, or technique behin

4.名詞C1
釋義

藝評人

分析與評析藝術創作的人

a person who closely studies and judges the quality, meaning, or technique behind paintings, music, dance, and theatrical performances.

例句

The literary critic examined how the author used light and darkness as symbols throughout the novel.

這位文學評論者分析了作者如何在整部小說中運用光明與黑暗作為象徵。

focus on analytical technique and symbolism

Tara studied lighting design and movement to become a theater critic with technical knowledge.

Tara 學習了燈光設計與肢體動作，為成為具備技術知識的劇場評析者做準備。

同義詞
  • connoisseur

    emphasizes expert knowledge and refined taste rather than public evaluation

  • interpreter

    focuses on explaining meaning rather than judging quality

  • appraiser

    more formal, often used in professional valuation contexts

文法句型

critic + of + art form

用法筆記

Overlaps with sense 2 but emphasizes the depth of analysis rather than the act of publishing an opinion. A film critic (sense 2) may give a star rating; an art critic (sense 4) analyzes technique, symbolism, and cultural meaning. Often used with specific art forms: literary critic, art critic, dance critic, theater critic.