leech
/liːtʃ/ (bre, ipa) · /liːtʃ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlēch/ (ame, mw)
leech — 名詞
- leechsingular
- leechesplural
1. a small, soft-bodied worm, usually black or brown, found in damp ground or fresh
水蛭；螞蝗
吸食人或動物血液的小型環節蠕蟲
a small, soft-bodied worm, usually black or brown, found in damp ground or freshwater, that sticks to a person or animal's skin and feeds by sucking blood.
Arjun pulled three leeches off his ankles after wading through the rice paddy.
Arjun 涉過稻田後，從腳踝拔下三隻水蛭。
pull leeches off [body part]
The forest stream was full of small black leeches that clung to the children's legs.
森林裡那條溪滿是黑色的小水蛭，緊緊吸附在孩子們的腿上。
leech clung to [body part] — typical action verb
Doctors once used leeches to draw blood from sick patients before modern medicine arrived.
在現代醫學出現之前，醫生曾經用水蛭幫病人放血。
Yael felt something soft on her neck and screamed when she saw the fat leech.
Yael 感覺脖子上有個軟軟的東西，看到那隻肥水蛭時尖叫了出來。
Hikers in the wet forest wear long socks to keep leeches off their skin.
在潮濕森林裡健行的人會穿長襪，避免水蛭爬上皮膚。
- bloodsucker
general label for any blood-feeding creature; less specific than leech
文法句型
a leech
leeches in/on [place]
用法筆記
Often appears with verbs of attaching or removing: 'a leech attached itself to', 'pull a leech off', 'a leech dropped off'. Plural 'leeches' is more common than the singular outside of medical contexts.
常見錯誤
2. an unkind word for someone who keeps taking money, food, or favours from another
寄生蟲
長期依附他人、不勞而獲的人
an unkind word for someone who keeps taking money, food, or favours from another person without giving anything back, often by staying close to that person.
Isabela's cousin turned out to be a leech who lived in her flat for two years without paying rent.
Isabela 的表親原來是個寄生蟲，住在她公寓裡兩年都不付房租。
be a leech (predicative noun)
After the lottery win, Reuben said his old friends were just leeches looking for free money.
中了樂透之後，Reuben 說以前那些朋友只是來蹭錢的寄生蟲。
plural 'leeches' for a group of spongers
The old singer's manager was a leech who took most of her income for thirty years.
那位老歌手的經紀人是個吸血鬼，三十年來拿走她大部分的收入。
Hamza warned the new student to stay away from those leeches at the back of the class.
Hamza 警告新同學，離教室後面那群寄生蟲遠一點。
Why are you still letting that leech sleep on your sofa and eat your food?
你為什麼還讓那個寄生蟲睡在你沙發上，吃你的東西？
- sponger
very close in meaning; equally informal and negative
- parasite
stronger and more literary; suggests harm, not just dependence
- freeloader
American English; focuses on taking free things rather than long-term attachment
- contributor
someone who gives back rather than only takes
文法句型
a leech on someone
用法筆記
Strongly negative and personal — describes a relationship of one-sided taking, not a single act. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense always refers to a person, never to the actual worm. Often used as a complement after 'be' or 'become' ('he became a leech').
常見錯誤
leech — 動詞
- leechpresent simple I / you / we / they
- leeches3rd person singular
- leeching-ing form
- leechedpast simple
1. to keep getting money, food, or favours from someone else when you have not earn
白吃白住
長期向別人索取金錢或好處而不付出
to keep getting money, food, or favours from someone else when you have not earned them and do not give anything back — for example, an adult child who lives at home and never pays for groceries.
Abigail's brother has been leeching off their parents since he finished college five years ago.
Abigail 的弟弟大學畢業五年了，一直在父母家白吃白住。
leech off [someone] — most common pattern
Stop leeching free Wi-Fi from the café next door and pay for your own internet.
別再蹭隔壁咖啡店的免費 Wi-Fi 了，自己花錢裝網路。
leech [resource] from [place / person]
Élise refused to leech money from her grandmother just because the rent was high.
就算房租很貴，Élise 也不願意向奶奶伸手要錢。
The older boys at the camp leeched snacks off the younger kids every afternoon.
夏令營裡年紀大的男孩，每天下午都從小孩子那裡白拿零食。
Quan was tired of his roommate leeching off him for rent, food, and bus fares.
Quan 受夠了室友揩他的油，房租、伙食、車錢都要他出。
- support
to provide money or help to someone, the opposite role
文法句型
leech off someone
leech something from someone
用法筆記
Almost always used with 'off' (most common) or 'from'. The subject is the taker; the object after the preposition is the person being taken from. Strongly negative — implies the speaker disapproves.