prey
/preɪ/ (bre, ipa) · /preɪ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈprā/ (ame, mw)
prey — 名詞
1. An animal that a predator catches and eats as food.
獵物
被其他動物獵食的動物
An animal that a predator catches and eats as food.
The hawk spotted its prey from high above and dove down swiftly.
那隻老鷹在高空發現獵物後迅速俯衝而下。
Mice are common prey for owls that hunt in the countryside at night.
老鼠是夜間在鄉間捕獵的貓頭鷹常見的獵物。
uncountable: common prey — no article needed
Camouflage helps animals stay hidden from predators that see them as prey.
偽裝能幫助動物避開那些把牠們視為獵物的掠食者。
Reema watched a documentary about how cheetahs chase their prey on the plains.
Reema 看了一部記錄片，介紹獵豹如何在平原上追逐獵物。
Small fish often become prey for larger fish living near the same coral reef.
小魚常常成為住在同一片珊瑚礁附近的大型魚類的獵物。
- predator
the animal that does the hunting, not the one being hunted
文法句型
prey is not used with a/an or in the plural
用法筆記
'Prey' is an uncountable noun. You cannot say 'a prey' or 'preys'. Instead use 'its prey', 'their prey', or phrases such as 'an animal's prey'.
常見錯誤
2. Someone who gets cheated, exploited, or hurt by another person, typically for di
受害；犧牲
被欺騙或利用的人
Someone who gets cheated, exploited, or hurt by another person, typically for dishonest gain.
Elderly people can fall prey to scammers who pretend to be from the bank.
年長者容易落入假冒銀行行員的詐騙集團手中。
fixed phrase: fall prey to
The tourists became easy prey for local pickpockets near the busy market square.
那些遊客在熱鬧的廣場成了當地扒手容易下手的對象。
collocation: easy prey
Otis fell prey to his worries whenever he had to speak in public.
Otis 每當必須公開講話時，就會淪為內心憂慮的犧牲品。
Without strong laws, vulnerable workers can become prey to dishonest employers.
如果沒有完善的法律保障，弱勢勞工可能成為不誠實僱主剝削的對象。
- victim
more general and neutral; works in any harmful situation, not just exploitation
- target
focuses on the idea of being selected for harm; used in both literal and digital contexts
- sitting duck
informal idiom; emphasises helplessness and lack of defence
文法句型
fall prey to + noun phrase
become prey to + noun phrase
be easy prey for + noun phrase
用法筆記
In this sense, 'prey' almost always appears in fixed constructions: 'fall prey to', 'be/become prey to', or 'easy prey for'. It is not used with an indefinite article (❌ a prey). The object of 'to' or 'for' can be a person, group, or abstract force.
常見錯誤
prey — 動詞
- preypresent simple I / you / we / they
- preys3rd person singular
- preying-ing form
- preyedpast simple
1. (of an animal) To hunt, catch, and eat another animal as food.
捕食
動物獵殺並吃掉其他動物
(of an animal) To hunt, catch, and eat another animal as food.
On the African savanna, lions typically prey on large animals such as zebras.
在非洲大草原上，獅子通常捕食斑馬等大型動物。
pattern: prey on + animal(s)
Owls prey upon mice and small birds that come out during the night.
貓頭鷹捕食夜間出沒的老鼠和小型鳥類。
formal variant: prey upon
The documentary showed how sharks prey on seals near the coast of South Africa.
那部記錄片介紹了鯊魚如何在南非海岸附近捕食海豹。
Sayaka noticed that stray cats in her neighbourhood prey on lizards and large insects.
Sayaka 注意到她社區裡的流浪貓會捕食蜥蜴和大昆蟲。
文法句型
prey on + prey animal
prey upon + prey animal (more formal)
用法筆記
This verb always requires the preposition 'on' or 'upon' — you cannot say 'prey something'. Use 'prey on' in everyday contexts and 'prey upon' in more formal or literary writing.
常見錯誤
2. To take advantage of someone who is weak, vulnerable, or in a difficult situatio
剝削；利用
利用弱勢者謀取利益
To take advantage of someone who is weak, vulnerable, or in a difficult situation, usually for financial gain or personal benefit.
Dishonest lenders often prey on families desperate for money and with no other option.
不肖放貸業者常常剝削那些急需用錢、別無選擇的家庭。
pattern: prey on + vulnerable group
The hacker preyed on the company's weak security system to steal customer data.
那名駭客利用公司脆弱的安全系統竊取客戶資料。
Lauren felt that the advertisement was preying on people's worries about their health.
Lauren 覺得那則廣告是在利用人們對健康的擔憂。
Eleni warned her grandfather about con artists who prey on elderly people living alone.
Eleni 提醒祖父小心那些專挑獨居老人下手的騙子。
- exploit
more general and neutral; can describe using resources or people unfairly
- take advantage of
common phrasal verb; slightly less strong in moral judgment
- victimise
formal; focuses on making someone a victim
文法句型
prey on + vulnerable person/group
prey on + weakness/fear
用法筆記
The object of 'prey on/upon' in this sense can be either a person or group (prey on tourists) or an abstract quality such as a fear or weakness (prey on someone's loneliness). The verb has a strongly negative moral judgment — it suggests the predator is acting wrongly.