oratory

/ˈɒrətri/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɔːrətɔːri/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈȯr-ə-ˌtȯr-ē ˈär-/ (ame, mw)

oratory — 名詞

1. the ability to hold people's attention and move them when speaking to a group

1.名詞C2
釋義

雄辯術

善於公開演說並打動聽眾

the ability to hold people's attention and move them when speaking to a group

例句

Mayor Chen's oratory turned a tense school meeting into a hopeful evening.

Chen 市長的演說才能，讓原本氣氛緊張的校務會議最後重新燃起希望。

possessive + oratory for speaking skill

Many voters remembered the mayor's oratory long after the debate ended.

辯論結束很久後，許多選民仍記得市長的雄辯術。

collocation: remember someone's oratory

同義詞
  • public speaking

    neutral everyday term for speaking to an audience

  • eloquence

    focuses on graceful and moving expression, not only on public speeches

  • rhetoric

    often used in academic or critical contexts and can sound less admiring

  • speechmaking

    points to the practice of giving speeches and sounds less elevated

用法筆記

Usually uncountable when it names speaking skill or style, especially in political, legal, and religious settings. Distinguish from noun/2, which names a place for prayer.

常見錯誤

❌Her oratory lasted twenty minutes.
✅Her speech lasted twenty minutes.
💡'oratory' usually names the skill or style, not one single talk.

2. a small room or chapel set aside for quiet prayer or worship

2.名詞C2
釋義

祈禱室

供人私下祈禱或敬拜的小空間

a small room or chapel set aside for quiet prayer or worship

例句

A small oratory stands behind the hospital garden for staff prayers.

醫院花園後方有一間小祈禱室，供員工祈禱。

countable noun: a small oratory

The sisters met in the oratory before breakfast each morning.

修女們每天早餐前都會在祈禱室裡集合。

preposition pattern: in the oratory

同義詞
  • chapel

    often larger and more public than an oratory

  • prayer room

    plain descriptive term without the formal religious tone

  • shrine

    can suggest a holy place connected with a saint or sacred object, not just a room for prayer

用法筆記

Countable in this sense and often used for a private religious space inside a house, school, or hospital. Distinguish from noun/1, which is about speaking skill.

常見錯誤

❌We waited in the oratory hall.
✅We waited in the oratory.
💡'oratory' already names the prayer room itself.