mental

/ˈmentl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmentl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmen-tᵊl/ (ame, mw)

mental — 形容詞

  • mentalpositive
  • more mentalcomparative
  • most mentalsuperlative

1. connected with the mind, thoughts, and the ability to think and remember, rather

1.形容詞A2
釋義

心理的

與心智或思考過程有關的

connected with the mind, thoughts, and the ability to think and remember, rather than with the physical body or feelings

例句

Jiwoo's mental picture of the new apartment was completely different from the real one.

Jiwoo 腦海中對新公寓的想像，跟實際樣子完全不一樣。

collocation: mental picture

After two hours of mental arithmetic, Tara felt a headache coming on.

做了兩個小時的心算之後，Tara 開始覺得頭痛。

collocation: mental arithmetic

同義詞
  • intellectual

    focuses more on the ability to reason and understand complex ideas

  • cognitive

    more technical; relates to the scientific study of thinking and learning

  • psychological

    broader; includes emotions and behaviour, not just thinking

反義詞
  • physical

    relating to the body rather than the mind

  • bodily

    concerning the physical body specifically

文法句型

mental + noun (effort, picture, block, arithmetic, note)

用法筆記

Common in fixed collocations such as mental picture, mental note, mental arithmetic, and mental block. The opposite is physical.

常見錯誤

❌I need a mental about the problem.
✅I need to make a mental note of the problem.
💡Mental is an adjective, not a noun, so it must be followed by a noun.
❌He has a mental.' (meaning a mental health condition)
✅He has a mental health condition.
💡Using mental alone as a noun can sound disrespectful.

2. extremely lively busy or exciting, especially in a way that feels noisy or overw

2.形容詞B2
釋義

喧鬧的

極度熱鬧、吵雜、讓人興奮的

extremely lively busy or exciting, especially in a way that feels noisy or overwhelming

例句

The night market was absolutely mental with music and crowds everywhere.

夜市裡到處是音樂和人潮，熱鬧到不行。

predicative: be + mental

Élise described her weekend in Seoul as a mental, non-stop adventure.

Élise 說她在首爾的那個週末根本就是一場瘋狂的冒險。

attributive: mental + noun (non-stop)

同義詞
  • crazy

    more common in American English; same informal register

  • hectic

    less intense; focuses on busyness rather than excitement

  • intense

    can describe both positive and negative high-energy situations

反義詞
  • calm

    quiet and relaxed, the opposite of wild and exciting

  • peaceful

    quiet and without disturbance

文法句型

be + mental (usually about a place or event)

用法筆記

Primarily used in British English in informal speech. Often describes events, parties, markets, or busy periods. Not suitable for formal writing.

常見錯誤

❌The class was mental with learning.
✅The class was mental with noise and activity.
💡Mental for this sense describes busy excitement, not productive study.

3. very stupid or unreasonable, in a way that shows poor judgment

3.形容詞B2
釋義

愚蠢的

非常笨或不合理的

very stupid or unreasonable, in a way that shows poor judgment

例句

Selim called it a mental idea to go hiking during a typhoon warning.

Selim 說，颱風警報期間去爬山真是個蠢主意。

Paying five thousand dollars for that old bicycle is completely mental.

花五千美元買那台舊腳踏車，簡直蠢到家了。

pattern: it/that is + mental + infinitive clause

同義詞
  • stupid

    neutral and widely understood across all registers

  • idiotic

    stronger and more insulting than stupid

  • mindless

    focuses on lack of thought rather than lack of intelligence

反義詞
  • sensible

    showing good judgment and reasonable thinking

  • reasonable

    fair and based on good sense

文法句型

be + mental (about a person, action, or idea)

用法筆記

Strongly negative. Can be offensive if used to describe a person directly (‘He’s mental’). Safer for learners to use stupid or foolish instead.

常見錯誤

❌The weather is mental today.' (when meaning very bad)
✅The weather is terrible today.
💡Mental is not used for general bad weather; use appropriate adjectives like awful or terrible.

4. to suddenly become extremely angry and start shouting or behaving aggressively

4.形容詞B2
釋義

發怒的

突然極度生氣並失控吼叫

to suddenly become extremely angry and start shouting or behaving aggressively

例句

Bilal went mental when he saw the scratches on his new car.

Bilal 看到新車上的刮痕後氣得大發雷霆。

phrasal pattern: go + mental + when-clause

Aunt Rosa went mental after the neighbours' dog dug up her flowerbeds.

鄰居的狗挖了 Rosa 阿姨的花圃之後，她氣瘋了。

同義詞
反義詞

文法句型

go + mental (about/over something)

用法筆記

Almost always appears in the pattern go mental. Never used attributively (you would not say ‘a mental reaction’ for this sense). The object of anger is introduced by about or over: go mental about the noise.

5. to become suddenly very excited and react in a wildly uncontrolled manner

5.形容詞B2
釋義

狂歡的

突然變得極度興奮而行為失控

to become suddenly very excited and react in a wildly uncontrolled manner

例句

The whole crowd went mental when the singer finally walked onto the stage.

當歌手終於走上舞台時，全場觀眾都瘋狂了。

phrasal pattern: go + mental (excitement)

The children went mental when their parents announced a trip to Disneyland.

孩子們聽到爸媽說要去迪士尼樂園，全都樂瘋了。

同義詞
  • go wild

    slightly less intense; common in both British and American English

  • go crazy

    very similar meaning; more common in American English

反義詞
  • stay calm

    to remain composed and not show strong excitement

  • keep quiet

    to not make noise or show strong emotion

文法句型

go + mental (with excitement/joy)

用法筆記

Closely related to sense 4 but describes excited rather than angry behaviour. Context makes the difference clear — if the trigger is positive (a goal, a surprise), the sense is excitement; if negative (damage, bad news), it is anger.

常見錯誤

❌She went mental with her new job.' (unclear)
✅She went mental with excitement when she got the new job.
💡Add a context word like excitement or joy to make the positive meaning clear.

6. relating to the condition of a person's mind and the medical or social treatment

6.形容詞B1
釋義

精神醫療

與精神健康或治療有關的

relating to the condition of a person's mind and the medical or social treatment of mental illnesses and disorders

例句

Putri has been visiting a mental health centre every week since last spring.

Putri 從去年春天開始，每週都去心理健康中心報到。

collocation: mental health centre

The government should spend more on mental health services for teenagers.

政府應該投入更多經費在青少年的心理健康服務上。

同義詞
  • psychological

    broader; includes emotional and behavioural aspects, not just illness

  • psychiatric

    specifically relates to medical diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders

  • emotional

    focuses on feelings rather than the full range of mental functioning

反義詞
  • physical

    relating to the body and bodily health

文法句型

mental + noun (health, illness, hospital, disorder, patient)

用法筆記

In modern usage, terms like mental health condition or mental illness are preferred over older, potentially offensive labels such as mental patient or mental institution, though the latter still appear in news and legal contexts.

常見錯誤

❌He is mental.' (meaning he has a mental illness)
✅He has a mental health condition.
💡Describing someone as mental can be disrespectful; use person-first language instead.