oasis

/əʊˈeɪsɪs/ (bre, ipa) · /əʊˈeɪsɪs/ (ame, ipa) · /ō-ˈā-səs/ (ame, mw)

oasis — 名詞

  • oasissingular
  • oasesplural

1. a small spot in a desert with enough underground water for trees, crops, and som

1.名詞B2
釋義

綠洲

沙漠中有水、植物生長之地

a small spot in a desert with enough underground water for trees, crops, and sometimes a small settlement to survive.

例句

After three days on camelback, the travellers reached a small oasis with date palms and a clear pool.

騎了三天駱駝後，旅人們抵達一座小綠洲，那裡有椰棗樹和一池清水。

an oasis with [trees / water]

The Sahara has scattered oases where Berber families have farmed wheat for centuries.

撒哈拉沙漠裡散布著許多綠洲，柏柏爾人在那裡種了好幾百年的小麥。

plural form: oases

同義詞
  • spring

    any water source; doesn't imply a desert setting

  • watering hole

    any pool where animals or travellers drink; broader than oasis

反義詞

文法句型

an oasis in [a desert / region]

用法筆記

The plural is 'oases' (pronounced /əʊˈeɪsiːz/), not 'oasises'. Often paired with 'in the desert' or a named region (the Sahara, Gobi, Arabian Peninsula).

常見錯誤

❌We saw three oasises in the Sahara.
✅We saw three oases in the Sahara.
💡the plural is 'oases', following the Greek pattern.

2. a place, moment, or thing that feels calm and welcome because everything around

2.名詞B2
釋義

避風港；綠洲

繁忙或痛苦中令人放鬆的所在

a place, moment, or thing that feels calm and welcome because everything around it is noisy, stressful, or unpleasant — for example, a quiet garden in a busy city, or a relaxed afternoon in a hectic week.

例句

The hotel courtyard is an oasis of calm in the middle of downtown Tokyo.

這間飯店的中庭是東京市中心鬧區裡一處寧靜的綠洲。

an oasis of calm in [busy place]

For Marcus, Sunday morning at the kitchen table is an oasis of quiet before the kids wake up.

對馬可斯來說，週日早晨坐在餐桌邊是孩子起床前難得的避風港。

an oasis of quiet (a calm period of time)

同義詞
  • haven

    a safe, welcoming place; doesn't require a noisy contrast

  • sanctuary

    stronger sense of protection from harm or pressure

  • refuge

    emphasises escape from danger or trouble more than calmness

反義詞
  • madhouse

    informal: a chaotic, noisy place

文法句型

an oasis of [calm / peace / quiet] in/amid [something hectic]

用法筆記

Almost always 'an oasis of + [abstract noun]' (calm, peace, quiet, sanity, green) or 'an oasis in/amid + [something hectic or unpleasant]'. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is figurative and the surrounding 'desert' is metaphorical (noise, stress, ugliness), not literal sand.

常見錯誤

❌The cafe is oasis from the city.
✅The cafe is an oasis from the city.
💡needs the article 'an' and usually pairs with 'of calm / of peace' or 'in / amid' rather than 'from'.