expletive

/ɪkˈspliːtɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈeksplətɪv/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈek-splə-tiv/ (ame, mw)

expletive — 名詞

  • expletivesingular
  • expletivesplural

1. an offensive expression that people use in speech or writing when pain, anger, o

1.名詞C1
釋義

髒話

帶冒犯性的粗俗字眼

an offensive expression that people use in speech or writing when pain, anger, or shock suddenly rises.

例句

When the hammer hit his thumb, Brian let out a sharp expletive.

鐵鎚砸到拇指時，Brian 脫口罵了一句髒話。

let out an expletive

The referee warned Salma after she shouted an expletive at the crowd.

Salma 朝觀眾吼出髒話後，裁判警告了她。

shout an expletive at + person/group

同義詞
  • swear word

    the most direct everyday equivalent

  • curse word

    common informal term, especially in North American English

  • profanity

    more formal and often uncountable

反義詞

文法句型

let out + an expletive

shout/use/write + an expletive

用法筆記

Often appears after verbs such as 'say', 'shout', 'use', or 'let out'. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 1 is the rude word itself, while sense 2 is the printed label that shows the rude word was removed.

常見錯誤

❌He said an expletive deleted at the driver.
✅He said an expletive at the driver.
💡'expletive deleted' is the reporting label in sense 2, not the rude word itself.

2. a label in a report or quotation that shows a rude word was removed instead of p

2.名詞C2
釋義

刪節詞

引文裡標示已刪粗話的字樣

a label in a report or quotation that shows a rude word was removed instead of printed.

例句

In the court transcript, the threat appeared as '[expletive]' beside his name.

在法庭逐字稿裡，這句威脅在他名字旁寫成「刪節詞」。

appear as [expletive] in a transcript

The magazine printed 'expletive deleted' before the actor's angry reply.

那本雜誌在演員憤怒的回話前印上了「expletive deleted」這個刪節詞。

同義詞
  • bleep

    more common for spoken audio where the rude word is covered by a sound

  • redaction

    broader term for removed text, not only offensive language

反義詞

文法句型

appear as + [expletive]

replace + insult/slur + with + expletive

用法筆記

Usually appears in journalism, transcripts, or official reports where the original insult is not printed. Unlike sense 1, this use points to missing language rather than the spoken rude word itself.

3. a word or short phrase added to complete a sentence or the beat of a line withou

3.名詞C2
釋義

填充語

補足句型或節奏的詞語

a word or short phrase added to complete a sentence or the beat of a line without carrying meaning by itself.

例句

The professor said the opening 'there' acts as an expletive in that sentence.

教授說那句句首的 there 在該句裡是填充語。

act as an expletive

Lan underlined 'it' and labeled it an expletive on her grammar sheet.

Lan 在她的文法講義上把 it 劃線，並標成填充語。

label it an expletive

同義詞
  • filler

    broader term that is less technical

  • dummy word

    used in grammar for a word with little meaning of its own

  • padding

    stresses the extra length or space being filled

反義詞

文法句型

act as + an expletive

label + word + as + expletive

用法筆記

Rare outside grammar, rhetoric, or literary discussion. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about a structurally added word, not offensive language.

expletive — 形容詞