delinquent
/dɪˈlɪŋkwənt/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈlɪŋkwənt/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈliŋ-kwənt -ˈlin-/ (ame, mw) · /dɪˈlɪŋ.kwənt/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈlɪŋ.kwənt/ (ame, ipa)
delinquent — 名詞
- delinquentsingular
- delinquentsplural
1. a young person, especially a teenager, who repeatedly breaks the law or behaves
少年犯
經常違法或違反規範的青少年
a young person, especially a teenager, who repeatedly breaks the law or behaves in ways that society treats as wrong.
The neighbourhood centre runs after-school classes for young delinquents at risk of dropping out.
社區中心為有輟學風險的少年犯開設課後輔導班。
collocation: young delinquents
By the age of fifteen Imran had been labelled a delinquent by every teacher at the school.
到了十五歲，Imran 已經被學校每一位老師貼上少年犯的標籤。
passive: be labelled a delinquent
Salma volunteers at a shelter that helps juvenile delinquents finish their schooling.
Salma 在一家協助少年犯完成學業的庇護所擔任志工。
Most of the boys at the boot camp were petty delinquents who had stolen bicycles or sprayed graffiti.
管教營裡的男孩大多是偷腳踏車或亂塗鴉的小混混。
- offender
neutral legal term; can be any age, while 'delinquent' implies a minor
- troublemaker
informal; covers bad behaviour even when no law is broken
- young offender
official UK legal label for a minor who has been convicted
文法句型
a juvenile delinquent
young delinquents
用法筆記
Often modified by 'juvenile' or 'young'; the noun strongly implies a minor rather than an adult criminal. Distinguish from sense 2, which is about unpaid debts and may refer to companies or adults.
常見錯誤
2. a person, company, or other body that has not paid money owed by the date it was
欠款人
未在到期日付清款項的個人或公司
a person, company, or other body that has not paid money owed by the date it was due.
The city published a list of property-tax delinquents on its official website last Friday.
市政府上週五在官方網站公布了一份房產稅欠款人名單。
compound noun: tax delinquent
Felix wrote to every delinquent on his books, warning that the account would be sent to collections.
Felix 寫信給帳上每一位欠款人，警告對方帳戶將會被送交催收。
The bank classifies any borrower more than ninety days behind as a delinquent.
銀行把逾期超過九十天的借款人歸類為欠款人。
Most credit-card delinquents in the report had lost their jobs during the recession.
報告中大多數的信用卡欠款人都是在景氣衰退期間失業的。
- payer
someone who pays as agreed
文法句型
a delinquent on a loan
tax delinquents
用法筆記
Mostly American English; British usage prefers phrases like 'defaulter' or 'someone in arrears'. The word treats the unpaid party as a category, often in legal, banking, or tax-collection writing.
常見錯誤
delinquent — 形容詞
- delinquentpositive
- more delinquentcomparative
- most delinquentsuperlative
1. of a young person or their actions: repeatedly breaking the law, or doing things
違法的
（多指青少年）做出違法或反社會行為的
of a young person or their actions: repeatedly breaking the law, or doing things that society treats as seriously wrong.
Charlotte's brother went through a delinquent phase in high school but later trained as a nurse.
Charlotte 的哥哥高中時有一段行為偏差的時期，後來受訓成了護理師。
collocation: delinquent phase
The film follows a group of delinquent teenagers who spray-paint the walls of a quiet seaside town.
這部片描述一群行為偏差的青少年，在一座安靜的海濱小鎮牆上亂噴漆。
collocation: delinquent teenagers
Social workers in Hui's district try to reach delinquent children before they enter the court system.
Hui 那一區的社工，會在違法少年走進法院前就先接觸他們。
Spraying graffiti on the war memorial is a clearly delinquent act, not a piece of street art.
在戰爭紀念碑上噴漆是明顯的違法行為，不能算是街頭藝術。
- law-abiding
respectful of laws and rules
文法句型
delinquent behaviour
delinquent youth
delinquent acts
用法筆記
Almost always used before a noun (attributive). Subjects are typically young people or the actions of young people; using it for serious adult crime sounds too soft.
常見錯誤
2. behind on paying money that is already due, such as a bill, loan, or tax.
逾期未付的
（帳款、稅金等）已過期限尚未繳清
behind on paying money that is already due, such as a bill, loan, or tax.
The bank sent a final letter to every customer with a delinquent loan of more than three months.
銀行寄出最後通知信，給每一位貸款逾期未付超過三個月的客戶。
collocation: delinquent loan
Aoi discovered that her landlord's property taxes had been delinquent for almost a year.
Aoi 發現房東的房產稅已經逾期未付將近一年。
predicative: be delinquent (of money owed)
Caio's accountant warned him that one more delinquent payment would damage his credit score.
Caio 的會計師警告他，再多一筆逾期未付的款項就會影響他的信用評分。
The city auctioned off houses with delinquent water bills going back many years.
市政府拍賣了一些多年水費逾期未付的房屋。
- overdue
everyday word for the same idea; preferred in British English
- in arrears
fixed phrase used after a noun; common in housing and tax contexts
- outstanding
neutral; simply means 'still to be paid', without blaming anyone
文法句型
a delinquent account
delinquent taxes
delinquent loans
用法筆記
Mainly American English; in British English you would normally say 'overdue' or 'in arrears'. The subject is the money owed (a loan, bill, tax, account), not the person who owes it — for the person, use sense 1 of the noun.
常見錯誤
3. not doing something that is part of your job, role, or responsibility.
失職的
沒有做到該負責或該完成的事
not doing something that is part of your job, role, or responsibility.
The report found that several inspectors had been delinquent in checking the city's older bridges.
報告發現好幾位檢查員在檢查市內較老舊的橋樑上有所失職。
pattern: delinquent in + -ing
Stefan apologised to the board for being delinquent in filing the quarterly safety reports.
Stefan 向董事會道歉，承認自己在繳交季度安全報告上怠忽職守。
pattern: delinquent in + -ing
Reuben felt he had been delinquent as a son after not visiting his mother for three years.
Reuben 三年沒去探望母親，覺得自己作為兒子十分失職。
The judge accused the lawyer of being delinquent in her duty to inform her client of the offer.
法官指控那位律師沒有盡到告知委託人和解條件的義務，明顯失職。
- diligent
careful and thorough in carrying out duties
- conscientious
guided by a strong sense of right and wrong about one's responsibilities
文法句型
delinquent in one's duties
delinquent in reporting
用法筆記
Used after a linking verb (predicative) and usually followed by 'in' + an -ing form or noun. The fault is one of omission — failing to do what was expected — rather than active wrongdoing as in sense 1.