curve
curve — 形容詞
- curvepositive
- curvercomparative
- curvestsuperlative
1. describes something that bends smoothly outward or inward, rather than being str
彎曲的
平滑彎曲而非筆直的
describes something that bends smoothly outward or inward, rather than being straight or flat — like the shape of a rainbow or the edge of a circle.
Gabriel carefully drew a curved line across the page with his pencil.
Gabriel 用鉛筆在紙上仔細畫了一條彎曲的線。
attributive use: curved + noun (line)
The curved handle of the old teapot felt warm in Soraya's hand.
那把舊茶壺彎曲的把手在 Soraya 手中感覺很溫暖。
A curved road ahead forced Caio to slow down before the bridge.
前方彎曲的道路迫使 Caio 在過橋前放慢了速度。
The garden had a curved stone path that led past the roses.
花園裡有一條彎曲的石徑，通向玫瑰叢。
- straight
without bends or curves at all
常見錯誤
curve — 名詞
- curvesingular
- curvesplural
1. a smooth, continuously bending mark or shape with no straight sections or sharp
曲線
連續彎曲的線條或形狀
a smooth, continuously bending mark or shape with no straight sections or sharp corners — such as the side of a circle, the winding path of a river, or the turn in a road.
The river followed a gentle curve through the valley for miles.
那條河沿著山谷蜿蜒形成一道平緩的曲線，綿延數英里。
gentle curve — common collocation for gradual bend
Wei drew a smooth curve on the board to show the class a parabola.
Wei 在白板上畫了一條流暢的曲線，向全班展示拋物線。
The road ahead had a sharp curve that drivers needed to watch for at night.
前方道路有個急轉彎，夜間駕駛需要特別留意。
The designer used soft curves in the new chair to give it a modern look.
設計師在新椅子上使用了柔和的曲線，使其看起來更具現代感。
- straight line
a line with no bends at all
用法筆記
Countable. A 'sharp curve' is a tight bend; a 'gentle curve' is a wide, gradual one. 'Soft curves' is often used in design to mean rounded, non-angular shapes.
常見錯誤
2. the curved path that a ball takes through the air after being hit or kicked with
弧線
球在空中飛行的彎曲路徑
the curved path that a ball takes through the air after being hit or kicked with spin, so that it does not travel in a straight line.
The tennis shot had a beautiful curve that dropped the ball just inside the line.
那記網球打出了漂亮的弧線，球剛好落在界內。
Gita practiced kicking the ball with a curve so it would go around the defenders.
Gita 練習踢出弧線球，讓球繞過防守球員。
kick + with a curve — typical sports usage
Jude put a curve on his golf shot and landed the ball near the hole.
Jude 的高爾夫球打出了弧線，球穩穩落在洞口附近。
The goalkeeper was not ready for the curve on the free kick from Trang.
守門員沒料到 Trang 自由球踢出的弧線。
用法筆記
Often used with verbs like 'put a curve on', 'give it a curve', or 'has a curve'. Common in football (soccer), tennis, golf, and baseball contexts.
3. in baseball, a pitch delivered with spin so the ball curves on its way to the ba
曲球
棒球中會轉彎的投球方式
in baseball, a pitch delivered with spin so the ball curves on its way to the batter, swinging downward or to the side to make it harder to hit.
The pitcher threw a curve that fooled the batter and struck him out.
投手投出了一個曲球，騙過了打者並將他三振出局。
Justin had trouble hitting curves during the championship game last Saturday.
Justin 在上週六的冠軍賽中打不好曲球。
hitting curves — verb + plural curves for this pitch type
The coach showed the young players how to throw a curve without hurting their arms.
教練向年輕球員示範如何投曲球而不傷到手臂。
A good curve spins sharply and drops as it reaches home plate.
好的曲球會劇烈旋轉，並在到達本壘板時向下墜落。
- curveball
the full, more common name for this pitch
- breaking ball
a broader category that includes curveballs and sliders
- fastball
a straight, fast pitch that does not curve
用法筆記
Also called a 'curveball' — both forms are common in American English. This term is specific to baseball and may not be familiar to learners in countries where baseball is not played.
常見錯誤
4. a surprising problem or challenge that someone must face, especially one that co
難題
出乎意料的困難狀況
a surprising problem or challenge that someone must face, especially one that comes without warning and makes a situation more difficult than expected.
The interview threw her a curve when they asked about her accounting skills.
面試官突然問起她的會計能力，讓她措手不及。
throw [someone] a curve — fixed idiom-like phrase
Life often throws you a curve just when everything seems to be going well.
人生往往在你覺得一切順利時突然給你出難題。
Esteban's sudden resignation was a real curve for the whole marketing team.
Esteban 突然辭職，對整個行銷團隊來說是個難題。
The rain threw a curve at their outdoor wedding plans at the last minute.
那場雨在最後一刻打亂了他們的戶外婚禮計劃。
文法句型
throw + someone + a curve
用法筆記
This meaning comes from the baseball term 'curveball'. It is almost always used in the phrase 'throw (someone) a curve' or 'a curve (for someone)'. The noun alone does not carry this meaning outside of these fixed expressions.
常見錯誤
5. a plotted line in a chart that shows the relation between two changing values —
圖線
圖表上顯示變化關係的線條
a plotted line in a chart that shows the relation between two changing values — for instance, how sales rise over months or how temperature climbs during a week.
The curve on the graph showed a steady increase in sales over the year.
圖表上的曲線顯示全年銷售額穩步增長。
Jude plotted a curve that represented the growth of the plant each week.
Jude 畫了一條圖線，代表那株植物每週的生長情況。
plot a curve — common academic pattern
The curve went up sharply after the new product was launched in March.
新產品在三月上市後，圖線急遽上升。
The teacher asked the students to draw a curve for their experiment data.
老師要求學生根據實驗數據繪製一條圖線。
A steep learning curve means you must learn a lot in a short time.
陡峭的學習曲線意味著你必須在短時間內學會很多東西。
- plot
refers to the data points on a graph, not the line connecting them
- trend line
a specific type of line showing the general direction of data
用法筆記
Common in compound nouns: 'learning curve', 'demand curve', 'bell curve', 'growth curve'. A 'learning curve' is especially common in everyday language and refers to the rate of learning something new.
常見錯誤
6. the rounded shapes formed by parts of a person's body, such as the hips, waist,
身體曲線
人體凹凸有致的圓潤線條
the rounded shapes formed by parts of a person's body, such as the hips, waist, or shoulders, often looked at as a pleasing or attractive feature.
The dress was designed to follow a woman's natural curves.
這件洋裝的設計旨在貼合女性的自然身體曲線。
The artist spent hours sketching the gentle curves of the model's body.
那位藝術家花了數小時勾勒模特兒身體柔和的曲線。
gentle curves — describing body shape as elegant
Gita liked the way the jacket fit snugly around the curves of her shoulders.
Gita 喜歡這件外套貼合她肩膀曲線的感覺。
The mannequin's curves were carefully shaped to match the new clothing line.
人體模型的曲線經過精心塑造，以配合新款服裝系列。
用法筆記
Usually used in the plural ('curves'). Can also refer to the rounded shape of objects like cars, furniture, or architecture that suggests elegance.
常見錯誤
7. the general direction in which a situation, technology, or practice is developin
趨勢
發展或變化的總體方向
the general direction in which a situation, technology, or practice is developing or changing over time.
The company stayed ahead of the curve by adopting new technology early.
該公司因及早採用新科技而保持領先。
ahead of the curve — fixed phrase meaning more advanced than others
The school was behind the curve when it came to digital learning tools.
這所學校在數位學習工具方面落後了。
behind the curve — fixed antonym phrase
Being ahead of the curve in fashion means knowing trends before they become popular.
在時尚領域保持領先意味著要在潮流流行之前就掌握趨勢。
The government was behind the curve on changes to environmental policy.
政府在環境政策變革方面落後了。
用法筆記
This sense is almost always used in the fixed phrases 'ahead of the curve' (more advanced or up-to-date) and 'behind the curve' (outdated or slower to adapt). The noun 'curve' does not carry this meaning outside of these phrases.
常見錯誤
curve — 動詞
- curvepresent simple I / you / we / they
- curves3rd person singular
- curving-ing form
- curvedpast simple
1. to bend smoothly in a rounded shape rather than continuing straight; or to make
彎曲；轉彎
形成彎曲形狀或沿弧線移動
to bend smoothly in a rounded shape rather than continuing straight; or to make something take that shape — like a road turning around a hill or someone bending a wire into a circle.
The road curves sharply to the left just past the old church.
那條路在舊教堂旁邊向左急轉彎。
intransitive: road + curve + direction phrase
Soraya curved the wire into a perfect circle for her art project.
Soraya 把鐵絲彎成一個完美的圓圈，作為她的藝術作品。
transitive: curve + object + into + shape
The river curves through the forest for several miles before reaching the lake.
那條河蜿蜒穿過森林好幾英里，最後流入湖泊。
Gabriel curved the metal strip around the pipe to hold it in place.
Gabriel 把金屬條彎在管子周圍，將其固定住。
The path curved gently around the lake past the tall pine trees.
那條小徑沿著湖邊緩緩彎曲，經過高大的松樹。
- straighten
to make or become straight
文法句型
curve + adverb of direction
curve + object + into/around
用法筆記
Intransitive use (the road curves) is more common. Transitive use (she curved the wire) requires a direct object. The verb often appears with direction phrases like 'to the left', 'around', 'through', or 'into'.