living thing

IPA/ˌlɪv.ɪŋ ˈθɪŋ/
IPA/ˌlɪv.ɪŋ ˈθɪŋ/

living thing — 名詞

1. something that is alive, such as a person, animal, or plant — not a machine, roc

1.名詞A2
釋義

生物；活物

有生命的個體，包括人、動物、植物

something that is alive, such as a person, animal, or plant — not a machine, rock, or object that has never been alive.

例句

A cactus is a living thing that can survive for months without any rain.

仙人掌是一種生物，可以在好幾個月不下雨的情況下存活。

countable noun: a living thing

Under the microscope, Hyun saw tiny living things swimming in a drop of pond water.

Hyun 透過顯微鏡看到一滴池塘水中有微小的生物在移動。

modified by adjective: tiny living things

同義詞
  • organism

    more scientific; used in biology to describe any living system from bacteria to whales

  • creature

    usually refers to animals rather than plants; feels more informal and story-like

  • life form

    slightly more formal; often used when discussing extraterrestrial life or classification

反義詞
  • non-living thing

    direct opposite — something that has never been alive, e.g. a rock, water, or a plastic toy

  • dead thing

    something that was once alive but no longer is, e.g. a dried leaf or a dead insect

文法句型

a living thing

living things (plural)

all living things

用法筆記

Frequently used in the plural (living things) to refer to the whole category. Often appears in scientific or environmental contexts such as biology, ecology, and nature study.

常見錯誤

❌A rock is a living thing because it sits in the sun.
✅A rock is not a living thing
💡it does not grow, breathe, or reproduce.' — living things must show the characteristics of life such as growth, respiration, and reproduction.
❌My computer is a living thing because I use it every day.
✅A computer is not a living thing; it is a machine made by people.
💡only natural organisms can be living things; machines and objects are not alive.