leanness
/ˈliːnnəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈliːnnəs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlēnnə̇s/ (ame, mw)
leanness — 名詞
1. a slim, physically fit body shape with very little extra fat, typically built th
精瘦；結實
身材纖瘦且體脂少、結實有型
a slim, physically fit body shape with very little extra fat, typically built through exercise or training.
The marathon coach praised Aoi for the leanness she had built up after six months of training.
馬拉松教練稱讚 Aoi 經過六個月訓練後練出的精瘦體態。
the leanness of [a person's body]
James admired the leanness of the professional dancers warming up on the stage.
James 欣賞舞台上熱身的職業舞者們那種結實精瘦的身形。
the leanness of [people] — focuses on physical fitness
Years of swimming gave Lien a leanness that made every movement look effortless.
多年游泳讓 Lien 練出一身結實，每個動作看起來都毫不費力。
The doctor explained that healthy leanness comes from balanced eating, not from skipping meals.
醫師說明，健康的精瘦體態來自均衡飲食，而不是不吃飯。
文法句型
the leanness of [person/body part]
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person or a person's body. Distinguish from sense 3 (about scarcity): this sense always carries a positive sense of fitness or athletic shape.
常見錯誤
2. the quality of meat that contains very little fat.
瘦肉；少脂
肉類脂肪含量極低的特性
the quality of meat that contains very little fat.
The butcher recommended this cut of beef for its tenderness and remarkable leanness.
肉販推薦這塊牛肉，理由是它的軟嫩和明顯的少脂。
the leanness of [meat]
Bilal chose chicken breast for its leanness, since his doctor had asked him to cut down on fat.
Bilal 挑選雞胸肉因為它的少脂，醫師曾要求他減少脂肪攝取。
Customers at the farmer's market often ask about the leanness of the lamb before buying.
農夫市集的客人經常會先問羊肉的瘦度再決定要不要買。
Mira prefers turkey to pork because of the leanness of the meat.
Mira 比起豬肉更喜歡火雞肉，原因就是肉質的少脂。
- low-fat content
more technical, used on food labels
文法句型
the leanness of [meat]
用法筆記
Object is always a type of meat (beef, chicken, lamb, pork). Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about food, not about a person's body.
3. a situation in which there is too little of something important, especially mone
匱乏；拮据
資源、食物或金錢嚴重不足的狀態
a situation in which there is too little of something important, especially money, food, or business activity.
After the bad harvest, the village faced years of leanness and had to ration grain.
歉收之後，村子面對好幾年的匱乏，必須配給糧食。
years of leanness — common time-period phrasing
The shop owner spoke about the leanness of the winter months, when very few tourists came.
店主談起冬季幾個月的拮据，那段時間幾乎沒有遊客上門。
the leanness of [a period of time]
Élise looked back on the leanness of her student years with a kind of pride.
Élise 帶著某種驕傲，回想自己學生時代的那段拮据日子。
The report described the leanness of public funding for rural schools during the recession.
報告描述了經濟衰退期間鄉村學校公共經費的匱乏。
- scarcity
more general; can apply to specific items
- meagerness
close synonym; emphasises how little is available
- austerity
implies deliberate cutting back, often economic
文法句型
the leanness of [a period/time]
用法筆記
Subject typically a period of time (years, months, era) or a resource (funding, supply, harvest). Formal register; in everyday speech, 'shortage' or 'hard times' are more common.
常見錯誤
4. the quality of a company being efficient by keeping costs low and staff numbers
精簡；精實
組織人力與成本壓低、運作有效率
the quality of a company being efficient by keeping costs low and staff numbers small.
Investors praised the start-up for the leanness of its operations and quick decision-making.
投資人讚賞這間新創公司營運的精實，以及快速做決策的能力。
the leanness of [operations/staff]
After the merger, the new CEO promised to keep the leanness that had made the smaller firm successful.
合併之後，新任執行長承諾要保住原本小公司成功的那種精簡。
Yael argued that the leanness of the team was its greatest strength during the crisis.
Yael 主張，團隊的精實正是這次危機中最大的優勢。
The factory's leanness allowed it to respond to customer orders within a single day.
工廠的精實讓它能在一天之內回應客戶的訂單。
- efficiency
more general; doesn't emphasise small size
- streamlined structure
phrase meaning organised to avoid waste
- bloat
informal; too many staff or unnecessary costs
- bureaucracy
excessive rules and staff that slow things down
文法句型
the leanness of [a company/organization]
用法筆記
Subject is usually a company, team, department, or operation. Often used positively in business writing to describe efficient structure with minimal waste.
常見錯誤
5. the quality of having only what is needed, without anything extra or decorative.
簡練；簡約
只保留必要元素、不加多餘裝飾
the quality of having only what is needed, without anything extra or decorative.
Critics admired the leanness of the novel's prose, which never used a word more than necessary.
評論家欣賞這本小說文字的簡練，從不多用一個字。
the leanness of [a style/text]
The architect designed the chapel with a leanness that made every wooden beam feel essential.
建築師設計這座小教堂時追求一種簡練，讓每根木樑都顯得不可或缺。
Renata praised the leanness of the documentary, noting that nothing on screen was wasted.
Renata 讚賞這部紀錄片的簡練，指出畫面上沒有任何浪費。
Trang chose the chair for its leanness — clean lines and no extra ornament.
Trang 挑這張椅子是因為它的簡約——線條乾淨、沒有多餘裝飾。
- minimalism
deliberate art/design style of using few elements
- economy
as in 'economy of style'; using only what is needed
- sparseness
close synonym; emphasises emptiness around the few elements
- ornateness
lots of decoration
- elaborateness
complex with many added details
文法句型
the leanness of [a design/style/text]
用法筆記
Subject usually a creative work (writing, film, design, music) or a piece of code. Formal; appears mostly in criticism, design writing, or essays.