faith

/feɪθ/ (bre, ipa) · /feɪθ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfāth/ (ame, mw)

faith — 名詞

  • faithsingular
  • faithsplural

1. the feeling of being sure that someone or something is honest, reliable, or capa

1.名詞B1
釋義

信任；信心

對人或事物的信賴

the feeling of being sure that someone or something is honest, reliable, or capable, even when you cannot prove it with facts

例句

Mira showed complete faith in her lawyer's advice about the case.

Mira 對她的律師在案件上的建議表現出完全的信任。

collocation: have/show faith in [person]

The players never lost faith in their coach, even after five straight losses.

即使在連輸五場之後，球員們也從未對教練失去信心。

collocation: lose faith in [person]

同義詞
  • trust

    more personal and relational; 'trust' can be transitive ('I trust you'), while 'faith' needs 'in'

  • confidence

    based more on past evidence or proven ability; less emotional than 'faith'

  • reliance

    focuses on depending on someone for practical help rather than emotional belief

反義詞
  • doubt

    lack of certainty about someone's reliability or truthfulness

  • mistrust

    active suspicion that someone is dishonest or unreliable

文法句型

have faith in [person/thing]

lose faith in [person/thing]

have faith that [clause]

用法筆記

Followed by 'in' + noun phrase ('faith in democracy') or a that-clause ('faith that everything will work out'). The opposite is 'doubt' or 'suspicion'.

常見錯誤

❌I have faith to my doctor.
✅I have faith in my doctor.
💡'faith' takes the preposition 'in', not 'to'.
❌I have faith for the plan.
✅I have faith in the plan.
💡Use 'in', not 'for', after 'faith'.

2. a specific system of religious belief, such as Christianity, Islam, or Buddhism,

2.名詞B1
釋義

宗教；教派

特定的宗教信仰體系

a specific system of religious belief, such as Christianity, Islam, or Buddhism, with its own teachings, practices, and community of followers

例句

The conference brought together religious leaders from many different faiths.

這場會議匯集了來自許多不同宗教的領袖。

collocation: people of different/all faiths

Christopher was raised in the Catholic faith but later decided to explore Buddhism.

Christopher 在天主教信仰中長大，但後來決定探索佛教。

collocation: be raised in/brought up in the [religion] faith

同義詞
  • religion

    broader term that includes the institution, culture, and practices; 'faith' emphasises the belief system more

  • creed

    more formal, refers to a formal statement of religious beliefs rather than the whole religion

  • denomination

    a subgroup within a religion, such as Protestantism within Christianity

文法句型

the [adjective] faith

people of all faiths

[religion name] faith

用法筆記

Used countably when referring to distinct religions ('three major faiths'). Often preceded by 'the' + adjective ('the Jewish faith'). Not interchangeable with 'religion' in all contexts — 'faith' emphasises the belief aspect, while 'religion' includes the institutional and cultural dimensions.

常見錯誤

❌She belongs to Christian faith.
✅She belongs to the Christian faith.
💡Use 'the' before the name of the religion.

3. a strong personal belief in God, gods, or the teachings of a religion, felt deep

3.名詞B1
釋義

信仰；信念

對神的堅定信心

a strong personal belief in God, gods, or the teachings of a religion, felt deeply in the heart rather than proven by facts

例句

Faisal draws strength from his faith during times of difficulty and loss.

Faisal 在困難與失落的時候，從他的信仰中獲得力量。

collocation: draw strength from one's faith

The elderly nun said her faith in God had never wavered in seventy years.

那位年長的修女說，她七十年来對神的信仰從未動搖。

collocation: faith in God

同義詞
  • belief

    broader — can be secular or religious; 'faith' specifically implies a trust-based, often religious conviction

  • piety

    focuses on devout behaviour and religious devotion rather than inner conviction

  • spirituality

    broader range, may not involve a deity or organised religion

反義詞
  • doubt

    uncertainty or lack of conviction about religious teachings or the existence of God

  • atheism

    the belief that God or gods do not exist

文法句型

have faith

faith in God

strengthen one's faith

用法筆記

Uncountable when referring to the personal quality of believing ('a woman of deep faith'). Write 'a faith' only when specifying the religion (see sense 2). 'Faith' without an article is the general concept of spiritual conviction.

常見錯誤

❌She has a strong faith to God.
✅She has a strong faith in God.
💡Use 'in', not 'to', when specifying the object of religious faith.

4. the quality of staying loyal to a person, group, or promise, shown by acting hon

4.名詞B2
釋義

忠誠；信守

對承諾與義務的忠實

the quality of staying loyal to a person, group, or promise, shown by acting honestly and keeping commitments

例句

Lakan has always kept faith with his childhood friends, even after moving abroad.

Lakan 即使移居國外後，也始終忠於兒時的朋友。

idiom: keep faith with [person]

The union accused the company of negotiating in bad faith by hiding important information.

工會指控該公司隱瞞重要資訊，進行惡意談判。

idiom: in bad faith

同義詞
  • loyalty

    broader and more common; 'faith' in this sense specifically implies keeping promises

  • fidelity

    more formal, often used in legal or marital contexts

  • allegiance

    typically used for political or national loyalty

反義詞
  • betrayal

    the act of breaking someone's trust or being disloyal

  • treachery

    deliberate disloyalty, often with deception

文法句型

in good faith

in bad faith

keep faith with

break faith with

用法筆記

Dominantly used in fixed expressions. 'In good faith' means with honest intentions; 'in bad faith' means intending to deceive. 'Keep/break faith with' concerns loyalty to a person, group, or set of principles.

常見錯誤

❌They acted on good faith.
✅They acted in good faith.
💡The fixed phrase uses 'in', not 'on'.
❌He kept faith to his promise.
✅He kept faith with his promise.
💡Use 'with', not 'to', after 'keep faith'.

5. a strong conviction that something is true or right, or that something good will

5.名詞B2
釋義

信念；信心

無需證據的堅信

a strong conviction that something is true or right, or that something good will happen, even when there is no factual evidence to support it

例句

Renata took a leap of faith and moved to a country she had never visited.

Renata 憑著一股信念，搬到了一個她從未去過的國家。

idiom: leap of faith

The team's faith in the project never faded, even after all the early difficulties.

即使經歷了初期種種困難，團隊對這個計畫的信心從未消退。

同義詞
  • conviction

    a firmly held belief, often based on moral principles rather than hope

  • optimism

    focuses on expecting good outcomes rather than inner conviction about truth

  • hope

    a desire for something to happen, while 'faith' implies stronger certainty

反義詞
  • scepticism

    the tendency to question claims that lack proof

  • disbelief

    refusal or inability to accept something as true

文法句型

have faith in [something unproven]

faith that [clause]

leap of faith

article of faith

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is trust in a person or thing's known reliability; this sense is conviction in the truth of something despite lacking evidence. Often used in the phrases 'leap of faith' (trusting an uncertain outcome) and 'article of faith' (a principle accepted without question).

常見錯誤

❌I make a faith that it will work.
✅I have faith that it will work.
💡'Faith' takes 'have', not 'make'.
❌I take a faith and invest the money.
✅I take a leap of faith and invest the money.
💡'Leap of faith' is the fixed phrase, not just 'faith' alone.

faith — 動詞