gulf
/ɡʌlf/ (bre, ipa) · /ɡʌlf/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈgəlf/ (ame, mw)
gulf — 名詞
- gulfsingular
- gulfsplural
1. a wide stretch of salt water bounded by a curving coastline on three sides, with
海灣
三面被陸地包圍的大片海域
a wide stretch of salt water bounded by a curving coastline on three sides, with an opening that leads out to a larger ocean — for instance, the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of Thailand.
Hurricanes that form over the Gulf of Mexico often move toward the coast.
在墨西哥灣形成的颶風經常移向陸地。
proper noun construction: Gulf of + [place name]
Sahil's family lives near a calm gulf where small fishing boats dock every evening.
Sahil 一家人住在一個風平浪靜的海灣附近，每天傍晚都有小漁船停靠。
countable with modifier: a calm gulf
The ship took three days to cross the Gulf before reaching the port.
那艘船花了三天橫越海灣才抵達港口。
Warm waters in the Gulf provide a rich habitat for sea turtles and tropical fish.
海灣溫暖的海水為海龜和熱帶魚類提供了豐富的棲息地。
Yuna traced the outline of the Gulf on the classroom map with her finger.
Yuna 用手指在教室地圖上描出海灣的輪廓。
文法句型
the Gulf of [place name]
[adjective] gulf
用法筆記
Capitalized when part of a proper name (the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of Thailand). As a common noun, 'gulf' is larger than a 'bay' but smaller than a 'sea' — though boundaries are not always precisely defined.
常見錯誤
2. the Persian Gulf, its surrounding waters, and the countries along its coast — a
波斯灣
波斯灣及其周邊國家
the Persian Gulf, its surrounding waters, and the countries along its coast — a strategically important region often shortened to just 'the Gulf' in business and political reporting.
Oil exports from the Gulf drive the economy of several nearby countries.
來自波斯灣的石油出口推動了周邊幾個國家的經濟。
the Gulf as short form for the Persian Gulf region
Many workers from South Asia move to Gulf countries for better pay.
許多來自南亞的勞工為了更好的收入移居海灣國家。
Airlines based in the Gulf have expanded their routes across Asia and Africa.
總部設在海灣地區的航空公司已將其航線擴展到亞洲和非洲。
Isabela read a report about rising temperatures in the Gulf during summer.
Isabela 讀了一份關於夏季波斯灣水溫升高的報告。
- the Persian Gulf
the full formal name
- Gulf states
refers specifically to the bordering countries, not the body of water
文法句型
the Gulf
the Gulf states
Gulf [noun]
用法筆記
In news and business contexts, 'the Gulf' almost always refers to the Persian Gulf region, not to a generic gulf. The term 'Gulf states' usually means the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain).
常見錯誤
3. a very large and deep opening or crack in the surface of the earth, similar to a
深淵；裂口
地面上的巨大深坑或裂縫
a very large and deep opening or crack in the surface of the earth, similar to a chasm or abyss.
The earthquake opened a wide gulf in the hillside behind the village.
地震在村莊後面的山坡上裂開了一道寬闊的深淵。
Piotr peered over the edge of the gulf but could not see the bottom.
Piotr 探頭望向深淵的邊緣，但看不到底部。
literary use with 'edge of the gulf'
A narrow path wound around the rim of the gulf before reaching the bridge.
一條狹窄的小徑沿著深淵邊緣蜿蜒而行，才到達橋邊。
Heavy rain opened a gulf where the old road used to cross the hill.
豪雨在舊路原本越過山丘的地方沖出了一道裂口。
文法句型
a gulf in [the ground/surface]
[adjective] gulf
用法筆記
This sense is primarily literary or formal. In everyday conversation, 'hole', 'crack', or 'chasm' are more common. 'Gulf' here suggests a hole that is both very wide and very deep, often with dramatic or dangerous connotations.
4. a very large difference or division between two people, groups, or sets of ideas
鴻溝；分歧
人與人之間或群體間的重大差異
a very large difference or division between two people, groups, or sets of ideas that makes understanding or agreement difficult — for example, a gulf between rich and poor, or a gulf in political opinion.
A wide gulf separates the rich neighbourhoods from the poorer areas nearby.
富人社區與附近貧困地區之間存在一道巨大的鴻溝。
collocation: wide gulf
The cultural gulf between older and younger workers became hard to ignore.
老一輩與年輕工作者之間的文化鴻溝變得難以忽視。
Negotiators failed to bridge the gulf between the company and the union.
談判代表未能彌合公司與工會之間的鴻溝。
Dahlia felt a growing gulf between her own values and those of her boss.
Dahlia 感覺自己的價值觀和老闆的價值觀之間分歧日益擴大。
New policies aim to narrow the gulf in test scores between city and country schools.
新政策旨在縮小城市與鄉村學校之間考試成績的鴻溝。
- bridge
something that connects or unites; the act of closing a gulf
文法句型
gulf between [X] and [Y]
wide gulf in [area]
bridge/narrow/widen the gulf
用法筆記
Unlike 'gap' (which can be small or large), 'gulf' always implies a very large, difficult-to-cross division. Frequently used with verbs like 'bridge', 'narrow', 'widen', 'close'.
常見錯誤
gulf — 動詞
- gulfpresent simple I / you / we / they
- gulfs3rd person singular
- gulfing-ing form
- gulfedpast simple
1. to swallow up or completely overwhelm something, as if a deep hole or chasm were
吞噬；吞沒
像被深淵般完全吞沒
to swallow up or completely overwhelm something, as if a deep hole or chasm were pulling it down — for example, waters gulphing a ship or darkness gulphing a landscape.
The rising sea threatened to gulf the low-lying farmland near the coast.
不斷上升的海水威脅要吞噬海岸附近低窪的農田。
transitive verb: gulf + noun phrase (direct object)
In the old legend, a sea monster would gulf any ship that passed by.
在古老的傳說中，海怪會吞沒任何經過的船隻。
Darkness seemed to gulf the valley as the sun fell behind the ridge.
當太陽落到山脊後方時，黑暗似乎吞噬了整個山谷。
The thick mud seemed to gulf the construction site after the dam broke.
水壩決堤後，厚重的泥漿似乎吞噬了整個建築工地。
文法句型
gulf + noun phrase
用法筆記
This verb is extremely rare in modern English and is nearly always replaced by 'engulf' (which historically formed from 'en-' + 'gulf'). You may encounter it in older literary texts, but avoid using it in everyday writing or speech.