mature
/məˈtʃʊə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /məˈtʃʊr/ (ame, ipa) · /mə-ˈchu̇r -ˈchər also -ˈtu̇r -ˈtyu̇r/ (ame, mw) · /məˈtʃʊər/ (bre, ipa)
mature — 形容詞
1. acting with good judgment, emotional control, and a sense of responsibility, the
穩重的
表現成熟、理智負責的
acting with good judgment, emotional control, and a sense of responsibility, the kind of behavior you expect from a sensible adult.
Liang showed mature behavior by apologizing to his younger sister.
Liang 表現出穩重的行為，主動向妹妹道歉。
mature + noun: behavior, attitude, response
It was mature of Brooke to admit that she had made a mistake.
Brooke 能承認自己犯錯，表現得很穩重。
it + be + mature + of + person + to-infinitive
The students' mature attitude impressed the school principal.
學生們穩重的態度讓校長印象深刻。
Quan handled the criticism in a very mature way.
Quan 以非常穩重的方式處理了批評。
A mature response to disappointment shows emotional strength.
面對失望時表現穩重，顯示出情緒的強度。
- grown-up
more informal, often used with children
- responsible
focuses on reliability rather than emotional development
- sensible
emphasizes practical good judgment over emotional control
文法句型
mature + noun
be mature
用法筆記
Commonly used to describe children or teenagers who act more responsibly than expected for their age. When talking about adults, 'mature' often implies that the person is handling a difficult situation well.
常見錯誤
2. made after taking enough time to think carefully about all the facts and possibl
審慎的
經過長時間仔細考慮的
made after taking enough time to think carefully about all the facts and possible results, especially about an important decision or plan.
After mature consideration, the board voted to accept the offer.
經過審慎考慮後，董事會投票接受了該提議。
after mature consideration — fixed phrase
Gabriel made a mature choice about which university to attend.
Gabriel 對要讀哪所大學做出了審慎的選擇。
The committee reached a mature judgment after weeks of debate.
經過數週的辯論，委員會做出了審慎的判斷。
A mature plan takes into account both the benefits and the risks.
一項審慎的計劃會同時考量優點和風險。
- considered
similar formality, but does not imply as much time spent
- well-thought-out
more informal, emphasizes planning
- deliberate
suggests slow, intentional decision-making
文法句型
mature + noun
after mature consideration
用法筆記
This sense is almost always used with nouns that refer to decisions, judgments, plans, or opinions. It is more formal than 'careful' and often appears in business or official contexts.
3. having reached the final stage of natural physical growth and no longer getting
發育成熟的
身體已完全長大的
having reached the final stage of natural physical growth and no longer getting bigger or developing further.
The oak tree in the park is now fully mature.
公園裡那棵橡樹現在已完全發育成熟。
fully mature — common adverb collocation
Mature elephants can weigh over five thousand kilograms.
發育成熟的大象體重可超過五千公斤。
The forest has both young saplings and mature trees.
這片森林裡既有小樹苗也有發育成熟的樹木。
A mature human body has stopped growing in height.
發育成熟的人體已經停止長高。
These birds reach their mature size within six months.
這些鳥在六個月內就會長到發育成熟的大小。
- adult
used for people and animals that are legally or biologically grown
- full-grown
more informal, emphasizes reaching maximum size
- developed
broader term, can also describe skills or features
- young
at an early stage of growth
- immature
not yet fully grown
- undeveloped
has not yet reached its full form
文法句型
mature + noun
be mature
become mature
reach mature size
用法筆記
Use for animals, plants, and body parts. For fruit and crops, use 'ripe' instead. For people, 'mature' in this sense focuses on physical development; do not use it to mean 'middle-aged' or 'elderly'.
常見錯誤
4. describing a food or drink that has developed a rich, strong, and complex flavor
醇熟的
經長時間陳放而風味飽滿的
describing a food or drink that has developed a rich, strong, and complex flavor because it has been left to age over time.
This mature cheese has a strong, nutty taste.
這款醇熟的乳酪帶有濃郁的堅果風味。
mature cheese / mature wine — common in food marketing
The restaurant serves only mature wine from France.
這家餐廳只供應產自法國的醇熟葡萄酒。
Samir prefers mature cheddar to the mild variety.
Samir 比較喜歡醇熟的切達乳酪，而不是淡味的那種。
A mature whiskey has a smoother and deeper flavor.
醇熟的威士忌口感更順滑、風味更深沉。
文法句型
mature + noun: cheese, wine, whiskey
用法筆記
Primarily used for cheese, wine, whiskey, and vinegar. For fruit, use 'ripe' instead. For meat that has been aged, 'aged' is more common than 'mature'.
5. describing a financial product such as an insurance policy, bond, or investment
到期的
保單或投資可領回的
describing a financial product such as an insurance policy, bond, or investment that has reached the end of its agreed period and can now be cashed in for its value.
The mature bond paid out five thousand dollars to the investor.
這筆到期的債券向投資者支付了五千美元。
mature + noun: bond, policy, investment
Élise received a check from her mature life insurance policy.
Élise 收到了她到期人壽保單的支票。
When a policy is mature, the holder can claim its full value.
保單到期時，持有人可以領取全額。
The bank sent a statement about Brooke's mature savings plan.
銀行寄來了Brooke到期儲蓄計劃的對帳單。
- due
broader term for any payment that must be made
- redeemable
technical term meaning the holder can cash it in
文法句型
mature + noun: bond, policy, investment
用法筆記
Technical finance term. Not used for everyday bills or loans — those are 'due' rather than 'mature'. The noun form 'maturity' is also very common in this context ('the bond reached maturity').
常見錯誤
mature — 動詞
1. to develop emotionally and mentally, so that your thinking and actions become mo
成熟；成長
在心理或情感上變得成熟
to develop emotionally and mentally, so that your thinking and actions become more responsible, sensible, and controlled, or to help someone go through this change.
David matured a lot during his first year at university.
David 上大學的第一年成熟了許多。
intransitive: person matures over time
Traveling alone for a year helped Nellie mature emotionally.
獨自旅行一年幫助 Nellie 在情感上變得成熟。
The experience of losing his job matured Gabriel in ways he had not expected.
失業的經歷讓 Gabriel 以他意想不到的方式成熟了起來。
After losing the chess tournament, Asher matured enough to congratulate the winner warmly.
Asher 輸掉西洋棋比賽後變得成熟，真心向冠軍祝賀。
Nala matured into a confident young woman who speaks her mind.
Nala 成長為一個有自信、敢於表達自己想法的年輕女性。
文法句型
mature (intransitive)
mature + object (transitive: cause to mature)
用法筆記
Frequently used to describe teenagers or young adults going through a positive change in behavior. The transitive form ('The experience matured him') is less common than the intransitive form ('He matured').
2. to develop gradually into a more complete, detailed, or thoughtful form, especia
完善
想法或意見發展到成熟階段
to develop gradually into a more complete, detailed, or thoughtful form, especially about ideas, opinions, artistic styles, or plans.
Devika's understanding of urban design matured after she visited five different cities.
Devika 走訪五個城市後，對都市設計的看法更加成熟完善。
intransitive: understanding/views/ideas mature through experience
The painter's style matured as she experimented with new techniques.
這位畫家的風格隨著她嘗試新技法而日益完善。
Quan's understanding of the problem matured with each project he led.
Quan 對問題的理解隨著他領導的每個專案而更加完善。
The plan matured from a rough sketch into a detailed proposal.
該計劃從粗略的草稿逐步完善為詳細的提案。
- stagnate
stop developing or improving
文法句型
idea/opinion/plan + matures
mature over time/with age
用法筆記
Only used for abstract things — ideas, opinions, artistic work, understanding. Never used for physical objects in this sense. The subject is always an intangible thing that becomes more refined over time.
常見錯誤
3. to go through the natural process of physical growth until reaching the final ad
長大
身體發育到完全成熟的狀態
to go through the natural process of physical growth until reaching the final adult size and form, as living things do.
Puppies mature quickly in their first year of life.
小狗在出生第一年就長得很快。
intransitive: living thing matures physically
These bamboo trees take several years to mature fully.
這些竹子要花好幾年才能完全長成。
The fruit matures in late summer and is ready to pick.
這些水果在夏末長成，可以採收了。
A human brain continues to mature into the mid-twenties.
人類大腦會持續發育到二十多歲。
The tadpoles matured into frogs by the end of spring.
這些蝌蚪在春天結束時長成了青蛙。
文法句型
mature (intransitive)
mature fully
mature into
用法筆記
Used for animals, plants, body parts, and sometimes fruit. For fruit specifically, 'ripen' is more common for the process of becoming ready to eat, while 'mature' emphasizes reaching full size.
4. to develop a rich, full flavor by being kept for a period of time under controll
熟成
食物或酒經陳放風味變醇
to develop a rich, full flavor by being kept for a period of time under controlled conditions, or to deliberately keep food or drink so that this happens.
The red wine was left to mature in oak barrels for two years.
這款紅酒被存放在橡木桶中熟成了兩年。
passive: be matured / left to mature
This cheese needs to mature for at least six months.
這種乳酪需要熟成至少六個月。
The winery matures its best wines in underground cellars.
這家酒莊將最好的葡萄酒在地窖中進行熟成。
Flavors in the sauce mature over time, becoming richer.
醬汁的風味會隨著時間熟成，變得更加濃郁。
Ramón learned how to mature beef in a temperature-controlled room.
Ramón 學會了如何在溫控室中熟成牛肉。
文法句型
mature (intransitive: food/drink matures)
mature + object (transitive: age food/drink)
用法筆記
In cooking and wine-making, 'age' is a common alternative ('aged cheese', 'aged beef'). 'Mature' sounds slightly more technical or formal. This sense is also used for tobacco leaves and certain sauces.
5. to reach the end of a fixed period, after which the money invested or insured mu
到期
保單或投資達到可領取日期
to reach the end of a fixed period, after which the money invested or insured must be paid out to the person who owns the policy, bond, or investment.
Bilal's ten-year savings bond matures in June of next year.
Bilal 的十年期儲蓄債券將於明年六月到期。
intransitive: financial product matures on a date
When her retirement policy matures, Megan will receive the full amount.
Megan 的退休保單到期時，她將收到全額款項。
The family's investment matured after fifteen years in the fund.
這家人投入基金的投資在十五年後到期。
David checked the date when his education fund would mature.
David 查詢了他的教育基金何時會到期。
- come due
more general, can be used for any payment deadline
- become payable
formal, used in legal and financial documents
文法句型
bond/policy/investment + matures
mature on + date
用法筆記
Almost always used in formal financial contexts. The noun 'maturity' is equally common ('the bond reaches maturity in 2030'). Do not use this verb for loans or credit cards — those use 'become due'.