flip-flop

/ˈflɪp.flɒp/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈflɪp.flɑːp/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈflip-ˌfläp/ (ame, mw) · /ˈflɪp flɒp/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈflɪp flɑːp/ (ame, ipa)

flip-flop — 名詞

1. A light, flat open shoe that you hold on your foot with a thin V-shaped strap se

1.名詞A2
釋義

夾腳拖；人字拖

一種開放式輕便拖鞋

A light, flat open shoe that you hold on your foot with a thin V-shaped strap separating the biggest toe from the second toe. Flip-flops are most often worn in warm weather or at the beach.

例句

After the rain stopped, Maya kicked off her flip-flops and walked barefoot on the wet grass.

雨停後，Maya 踢掉她的夾腳拖鞋，赤腳走在濕漉漉的草地上。

collocation: kick off flip-flops

Carlos bought a new pair of bright blue flip-flops for his beach holiday in Thailand.

Carlos 買了一雙亮藍色的新夾腳拖鞋，準備去泰國海灘度假。

collocation: a pair of flip-flops

同義詞
  • thong

    the same style of shoe; thong is more common in Australian and New Zealand English, while flip-flop is the dominant term in the US and UK

  • sandal

    a broader category of open shoe; flip-flops are a specific type of sandal with a V-shaped strap between the toes

文法句型

a pair of flip-flops

用法筆記

The word flip-flop is most often used in the plural form flip-flops, even when referring to a single pair. This is the standard way to talk about the footwear item. Many people use the singular flip-flop only when talking about one shoe of the pair (e.g., I lost a flip-flop).

常見錯誤

❌I bought a flip-flop at the store.
✅I bought a pair of flip-flops at the store.
💡Flip-flops are a pair of shoes, so the plural form is the default way to refer to the item.

2. A sudden and complete change from one opinion, plan, or policy to the opposite o

2.名詞B2
釋義

政策急轉彎

完全改變原本的計畫或立場

A sudden and complete change from one opinion, plan, or policy to the opposite one, especially when this makes the person or group seem unreliable.

例句

The senator's flip-flop on climate policy surprised even his most loyal supporters.

這位參議員在氣候政策上的立場急轉彎，讓連他最忠實的支持者都感到意外。

collocation: flip-flop on [issue]

Voters criticized the mayor for her latest flip-flop over the proposed new airport.

選民批評市長在新建機場提案上最新的一次急轉彎。

同義詞
  • reversal

    a more formal and neutral term; a policy reversal does not carry the same negative judgment as a flip-flop

  • U-turn

    an equally informal term for a complete change of direction; U-turn is slightly more common in British English

  • about-face

    a sudden change to the opposite opinion; about-face is more dramatic and suggests a military-style turn

反義詞

文法句型

a flip-flop on [issue]

用法筆記

This sense is most common in political and business journalism. It carries a strongly negative connotation — calling someone's action a flip-flop suggests they are weak, dishonest, or driven only by popularity rather than principle. Less negative alternatives include change of heart, reversal, or shift in policy.

常見錯誤

❌The CEO made a flip-flop about the merger.
✅The CEO did a flip-flop on the merger.
💡The preposition on is standard, not about, when introducing the topic of the reversal.

flip-flop — 動詞