nocturnal

/nɒkˈtɜːnl/ (bre, ipa) · /nɑːkˈtɜːrnl/ (ame, ipa) · /näk-ˈtər-nᵊl/ (ame, mw)

nocturnal — 形容詞

  • nocturnalpositive
  • more nocturnalcomparative
  • most nocturnalsuperlative

1. describes an animal that hunts, feeds, or moves around mainly when it is dark, w

1.形容詞C1
釋義

夜行性的

動物白天休息、夜間活動覓食的習性

describes an animal that hunts, feeds, or moves around mainly when it is dark, while resting during the day — owls, bats, and many rodents live this way.

例句

Owls are nocturnal hunters that catch mice in almost total darkness.

貓頭鷹是夜行性的獵食者，能在幾乎全黑的環境中抓到老鼠。

subject + be + nocturnal + noun (typical pattern)

Bats are nocturnal, leaving their cave at sunset to feed on insects above the river.

蝙蝠是夜行性動物，傍晚會離開洞穴，到河面上方覓食昆蟲。

predicative 'are nocturnal' with explanation clause

同義詞
  • night-active

    rare technical synonym used in zoology textbooks

  • night-feeding

    narrower — describes feeding habit only, not the whole behaviour cycle

反義詞
  • diurnal

    the formal opposite — active during the day

  • daytime

    informal opposite when used attributively (a daytime species)

用法筆記

Subject is almost always an animal (or, by extension, a person whose habits resemble one — 'a nocturnal teenager'). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense describes the creature's behaviour pattern; sense 2 simply means 'of the night' and modifies events or things, not living habits.

常見錯誤

❌My grandmother is a nocturnal person who likes morning walks.
✅My grandmother is an early riser who likes morning walks.
💡'nocturnal' means active at night, not just 'a person'; it contradicts a morning routine.

2. belonging to the night-time hours, or taking place after dark — used in formal o

2.形容詞C2
釋義

夜間的

發生於或屬於夜間的事物，多用於書面語

belonging to the night-time hours, or taking place after dark — used in formal or literary writing to describe sounds, journeys, events, or feelings that arise during the night.

例句

The village was disturbed by nocturnal noises coming from the abandoned factory near the river.

村子受到從河邊那間廢棄工廠傳來的夜間噪音干擾。

collocation: nocturnal noises / nocturnal sounds

Zayd hated the long nocturnal drive back from his uncle's house with only headlights for company.

Zayd 討厭從叔叔家開回來那段漫長的夜間車程，只有車頭燈作伴。

同義詞
  • night-time

    everyday neutral equivalent; preferred in speech

  • after-dark

    informal attributive; emphasises the lack of daylight

  • midnight

    narrower — refers to the hour rather than the whole night

反義詞
  • daytime

    the everyday opposite, used of events and activities

  • daylight

    emphasises light rather than the time period

用法筆記

Object is an event, sound, journey, or feeling — never a living creature in this sense. Frequently formal or literary; the everyday equivalent is just 'night-time' or 'at night'. Distinguish from sense 1: that sense describes a creature's behaviour pattern; this sense merely locates an event in the night.

常見錯誤

❌I went on a nocturnal walk last night with my friends.
✅I went on a night-time walk last night with my friends.
💡'nocturnal walk' is too literary for casual speech; reserve it for written or formal contexts.