indiscriminate

/ˌɪndɪˈskrɪmɪnət/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɪndɪˈskrɪmɪnət/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌin-di-ˈskri-mə-nət -ˈskrim-nət/ (ame, mw)

indiscriminate — 形容詞

  • indiscriminatepositive
  • more indiscriminatecomparative
  • most indiscriminatesuperlative

1. describing an action that affects many people or things without picking which on

1.形容詞C1
釋義

不分對象的

不加挑選、不論對象的，常造成傷害

describing an action that affects many people or things without picking which ones, often causing harm because no thought is given to who or what is hit.

例句

The indiscriminate bombing of the village killed dozens of farmers and their children.

對該村莊的不分對象的轟炸炸死了數十名農民和他們的孩子。

attributive: indiscriminate + noun (bombing) describing harm-causing action

Doctors warn against the indiscriminate use of antibiotics for every minor sore throat.

醫生警告，不要為了每一次小小的喉嚨痛就濫用抗生素。

collocation: indiscriminate use of [substance]

同義詞
  • random

    everyday word; lacks the strong negative judgement of 'indiscriminate'

  • haphazard

    stresses lack of plan rather than lack of care about who gets hurt

  • wholesale

    stresses large scale of an action, often destructive (wholesale destruction)

  • undiscriminating

    milder; usually about taste or judgement, not violence

反義詞
  • selective

    chooses carefully on stated criteria

  • targeted

    aimed precisely at one chosen group, common in military and policy contexts

  • discerning

    shows good judgement, usually about taste or quality

文法句型

indiscriminate + noun (attack, bombing, use, killing)

indiscriminate in + noun

用法筆記

Frequently attributive before nouns of violence, removal, or consumption (bombing, attack, killing, use, hiring, slaughter). When predicative with 'in + noun', the tone softens and can describe taste or habit rather than harm.

常見錯誤

❌He is an indiscriminate person.
✅He is indiscriminate in his choice of friends.
💡'indiscriminate' rarely describes a person on its own; pair it with 'in + area' to say what they fail to be choosy about.
❌The teacher gave indiscriminate praise to the student.
✅The teacher gave indiscriminate praise to every student.
💡the word implies many targets, so a single recipient does not fit.