formless

/ˈfɔːmləs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfɔːrmləs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfȯrm-ləs/ (ame, mw)

formless — 形容詞

  • formlesspositive
  • more formlesscomparative
  • most formlesssuperlative

1. describing something that does not have a clear, fixed, or regular shape; often

1.形容詞B2
釋義

不成形的；無固定形狀的

沒有明確形狀或結構的

describing something that does not have a clear, fixed, or regular shape; often used for objects, marks, or groups of things that are messy, unclear, or not well organized.

例句

The clay sat on the wheel as a formless lump before the potter shaped it.

陶土在陶輪上是一團不成形的泥塊，等待陶匠塑造。

formless lump — object without clear shape

Her early notes for the novel were a formless collection of ideas without any clear plot.

她的小說初稿只是一堆不成形的點子，沒有明確的情節。

同義詞
  • shapeless

    more common everyday word for something lacking a clear outer form, e.g. a shapeless old coat

  • amorphous

    more formal or technical; suggests something has no recognizable structure at all, e.g. an amorphous mass

  • vague

    used for ideas or plans rather than physical objects; means unclear rather than literally without shape

反義詞
  • shaped

    having a clear, definite form

  • structured

    organized with a clear arrangement of parts

常見錯誤

❌The water is formless.
✅The water has no fixed shape.
💡liquids naturally take the shape of their container, so calling them 'formless' is technically true but unusual; the word is more natural for solids or groups of things that lack expected structure.

2. existing only as an idea, energy, or spirit, without having a physical body or m

2.形容詞C1
釋義

無形的；非物質的

沒有具體形體或物質存在的

existing only as an idea, energy, or spirit, without having a physical body or material substance that can be seen or touched.

例句

Time is formless; you cannot hold it, yet it shapes every moment of your life.

時間是無形的；你無法握住它，但它卻塑造了你生命的每一刻。

formless concept — abstract idea with no physical shape

Ancient philosophers imagined the universe began as a formless void before anything took shape.

古代哲學家認為宇宙最初是一團無形的虛空，然後才漸漸成形。

同義詞
  • intangible

    cannot be touched; slightly more formal; often used for rights, assets, or qualities (intangible cultural heritage)

  • incorporeal

    very formal; describes something without a body, especially in religious or legal contexts

  • abstract

    broader term; refers to ideas or concepts rather than physical things

反義詞
  • physical

    having a material body or substance that can be seen and touched

  • concrete

    existing as a real, solid object rather than an idea

用法筆記

Subject is usually an abstract noun (time, energy, spirit, void, presence). This sense is common in philosophical, religious, and literary writing rather than everyday conversation.

常見錯誤

❌The shadow on the wall was formless.
✅The shadow on the wall had no clear shape.
💡a shadow is already non-physical; this sense refers to things that have NO physical form at all, not merely things that are hard to see clearly.