phantom

/ˈfæntəm/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfæntəm/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfan-təm/ (ame, mw) · /ˈfæn.təm/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfæn.t̬əm/ (ame, ipa)

phantom — 名詞

  • phantomsingular
  • phantomsplural

1. the shadowy shape of someone who has died, which some people think can appear to

1.名詞B2
釋義

幽靈

死者顯現出的鬼影

the shadowy shape of someone who has died, which some people think can appear to those still alive.

例句

A phantom crossed the castle stairs at midnight, the watchman swore.

守夜人發誓說，半夜有個幽靈走過城堡的樓梯間。

common pattern: see or report a phantom

Before sunrise, a child's phantom appeared near the grave.

天亮前，一個孩子的幽靈出現在墓旁。

同義詞
  • ghost

    the usual everyday word for the spirit of a dead person

  • spirit

    broader; can mean a soul or supernatural being, not only a visible figure

  • apparition

    more formal and focused on a sudden ghostly appearance

  • specter

    more literary and often darker in tone

文法句型

see a phantom

a phantom appears

用法筆記

Often used in stories, legends, or reports of sightings. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense names a supposed dead spirit, not just an unreal fear or idea.

常見錯誤

❌We saw a phantom actor on stage.
✅We saw an actor dressed as a ghost on stage.
💡this sense is for a supposed spirit, not simply a person in costume.
❌A phantom called the office this morning.
✅Someone pretending to be a ghost called the office this morning.
💡a phantom in this sense is usually described as an appearance, not an ordinary caller.

2. something that seems real in the mind or in reports, but has no true existence.

2.名詞C1
釋義

假象；幻象

只在想像或表面上存在的事物

something that seems real in the mind or in reports, but has no true existence.

例句

The missing treasure was a phantom born from old sea stories.

那批失落的寶藏只是老海上故事造出的假象。

be a phantom = be unreal despite strong belief

Mina's fear of public laughter was a phantom, not a real danger.

Mina 害怕在眾人面前被嘲笑，其實只是個幻象，不是真正的危險。

同義詞
  • illusion

    stresses a false impression, often of what someone sees or believes

  • mirage

    often suggests a tempting but unreal hope or image

  • fantasy

    can be more imaginative and less tied to a mistaken belief

  • fiction

    stresses that something has been invented rather than actually existing

反義詞
  • reality

    what truly exists

  • fact

    something known to be true rather than imagined

文法句型

be a phantom

prove a phantom

用法筆記

Often used for fears, dangers, enemies, or hopes that people treat as real. Distinguish from sense 1: no ghostly being is involved here; the point is that the thing was never truly there.

常見錯誤

❌A phantom broke the printer in our office.
✅A fault broke the printer in our office.
💡this sense is for something unreal or imagined, not an actual cause.
❌The broken bridge was a phantom.
✅The danger from the broken bridge was not a phantom.
💡a phantom is not a real object that everyone can plainly see.

phantom — 形容詞