prayerful

IPA/ˈpreəfl/
KK[prˈɛrfəl]IPA/ˈprerfl/

prayerful — 形容詞

  • prayerfulpositive
  • more prayerfulcomparative
  • most prayerfulsuperlative

1. relating to offering prayers to God or a higher power — used to describe a perso

1.形容詞B2
釋義

禱告的

包含祈禱行為的

relating to offering prayers to God or a higher power — used to describe a person who is in the middle of praying, or an action or event that involves or accompanies prayer.

例句

The Watanabe family formed a prayerful circle, thanking God for a blessing before their meal.

渡邊全家圍成一個禱告的圓圈，為餐前的祝福感謝上帝。

prayerful + noun for a religious activity

Asher led the group in a prayerful song before the evening meal was served.

Asher 帶領大家在晚餐前唱了一首禱告的詩歌。

同義詞
  • reverent

    focuses on deep respect rather than the act of praying

  • worshipful

    more formal and suggests active worship

反義詞
  • irreverent

    showing lack of respect for sacred things

  • profane

    treating holy things with disrespect

用法筆記

This sense is the most literal. It commonly modifies nouns describing actions performed during worship, such as 'meeting', 'reading', 'song', 'silence', and 'walk'.

常見錯誤

❌She was prayerful when she heard the news.
✅She sat in prayerful silence when she heard the news.
💡'prayerful' describes an action or atmosphere, not a general state of being.

2. extremely serious and deeply sincere in a way that resembles the emotional quali

2.形容詞C1
釋義

懇切的

極真誠而懇切的

extremely serious and deeply sincere in a way that resembles the emotional quality of a prayer — used to describe earnest requests, appeals, or promises (for example, a prayerful plea for peace or a prayerful promise to protect someone).

例句

Shirin made a prayerful request to the village elders to help the homeless children.

Shirin 向村裡的長老們提出懇切的請求，要求幫助那些無家可歸的孩子。

prayerful + request / appeal

The farmers listened in prayerful attention as Elder Kwame described the drought's damage.

農民們以懇切的專注聆聽 Kwame 長老描述乾旱造成的損害。

同義詞
  • earnest

    less formal and without religious roots

  • solemn

    emphasises the serious mood rather than sincere feeling

  • heartfelt

    focuses on genuine emotion, less formal

反義詞
  • flippant

    not showing serious or respectful attitude

  • insincere

    not expressing genuine feelings

用法筆記

This figurative sense usually modifies nouns related to speech or emotion ('request', 'promise', 'plea', 'silence', 'attention'). It has no direct religious meaning — it compares the emotional quality of an action to that of a prayer.

常見錯誤

❌They were prayerful about passing the exam.
✅They made a prayerful request for extra time to finish the exam.
💡Avoid using 'prayerful' with trivial, everyday situations; it suggests deep moral seriousness.

3. having a strong habit of praying and living according to the rules of a religion

3.形容詞B2
釋義

虔誠的

經常祈禱且虔誠的

having a strong habit of praying and living according to the rules of a religion, often describing a person or a community.

例句

Emma comes from a prayerful family that attends religious services every week.

Emma 來自一個虔誠的家庭，每週都會參加宗教聚會。

prayerful family / community

The prayerful members of the village gather at the temple before the sun rises.

村裡那些虔誠的成員在太陽升起前就聚集在寺廟裡。

同義詞
  • devout

    stronger on belief and commitment; more common

  • pious

    can suggest that someone shows their belief outwardly, sometimes negatively

  • religious

    broader, less specific to praying as a habit

反義詞
  • impious

    showing lack of respect for God or religion

  • godless

    not believing in or following any god

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: sense 3 describes a person's character or a community's nature ('a prayerful person'), while sense 1 describes a specific action or event ('a prayerful meeting'). Overlaps with 'devout' but emphasises the habit of praying rather than the strength of belief.

常見錯誤

❌He is very prayerful.
✅He leads a prayerful life, attending services every Sunday.
💡Adding specific context makes the meaning clear; a vague statement can be confusing.