graffiti
/ɡrəˈfiːti/ (bre, ipa) · /ɡrəˈfiːti/ (ame, ipa) · /grə-ˈfē-(ˌ)tē gra-, grä-/ (ame, mw) · /ɡrəˈfiː.ti/ (bre, ipa) · /ɡrəˈfiː.t̬i/ (ame, ipa)
graffiti — 名詞
1. words, images, or symbols painted, sprayed, or scratched onto public walls, buil
塗鴉
公共場所牆面上的圖文創作
words, images, or symbols painted, sprayed, or scratched onto public walls, buildings, trains, or other surfaces, typically done without official permission and often expressing humour, protest, or artistic style.
The abandoned factory walls were covered in colourful graffiti, including cartoon characters and political messages.
廢棄工廠的牆上布滿了色彩鮮豔的塗鴉，包括卡通人物和政治標語。
collocation: covered in graffiti
Most of the subway carriages had been tagged with graffiti by a local street-art collective.
大部分的地鐵車廂都被一個本地街頭藝術團體噴上了塗鴉。
collocation: tagged with graffiti
The city council launched a campaign to remove graffiti from historic buildings in the old quarter.
市議會發起了一項活動，要清除舊城區歷史建築上的塗鴉。
- street art
broader term covering legal and illegal public artwork, often more positive in connotation
- spray-paint art
focuses on the medium rather than the location; neutral in tone
- tag
refers specifically to a stylised signature or nickname, the simplest form of graffiti
- mural
a large wall painting that may be legal or commissioned; implies more planning and artistic skill
文法句型
graffiti + on + surface
covered in/with graffiti
用法筆記
Graffiti is uncountable in standard English — use 'a piece of graffiti' or 'graffiti' (no plural -s) rather than 'a graffiti' or 'graffitis'. The Italian singular 'graffito' exists but is extremely rare in everyday English.
常見錯誤
graffiti — 動詞
- graffitipresent simple I / you / we / they
- graffitis3rd person singular
- graffitiing-ing form
- graffitiedpast simple
1. to paint, spray, or draw words, images, or symbols onto walls, trains, signs, or
塗鴉；亂畫
在公共牆面上繪製未經許可的圖文
to paint, spray, or draw words, images, or symbols onto walls, trains, signs, or other publicly visible surfaces, usually without official permission.
Two teenagers were caught graffitiing the wall behind the petrol station late at night.
兩個青少年在深夜被抓到在加油站後面的牆上塗鴉。
verb -ing form: graffitiing
Someone had graffiti'd the school sign with black permanent marker during the weekend.
有人在週末的時候用黑色奇異筆在校門口標誌上亂畫。
irregular past: graffiti'd
The young artist learned to graffiti legally by joining a weekend street-art workshop.
那位年輕藝術家藉由參加週末街頭藝術工作坊，學會了合法塗鴉。
- spray-paint
emphasises the tool used; can be used for legal painting too
- tag
specifically means writing one's signature-style nickname in graffiti
- deface
has a negative, vandalism-focused meaning; implies damage rather than art
文法句型
graffiti + surface (object)
be graffitied/graffiti'd + by/with
用法筆記
The verb has two common past forms — 'graffitied' and 'graffiti'd' — both are accepted in informal writing. The contracted form 'graffiti'd' is more common and matches the Italian origin. The verb typically takes the surface as its direct object (transitive), not the content.