prick
prick — 名詞
- pricksingular
- pricksplural
1. a very small hole or mark made in a surface by a sharp object such as a needle,
刺孔；針孔
尖物刺出的小洞或記號
a very small hole or mark made in a surface by a sharp object such as a needle, pin, or thorn
The nurse made a small prick in Liam's fingertip to test his blood sugar.
護理師在 Liam 的指尖上刺了一個小孔來測量血糖。
prick + in [body part] for medical test
A tiny prick in the balloon was enough to make it deflate slowly.
氣球上的一個小針孔就足以讓它慢慢消氣。
After sewing for an hour, Sofia noticed several small pricks on her thumb where the needle had gone through.
縫了一個小時的鈕扣後，Sofia 注意到拇指上有好幾個被針刺到的小孔。
The tailor used a pin to make a prick in the fabric before cutting the pattern.
裁縫師在布料上用大頭針刺了一個小孔，然後才裁剪版型。
Each prick from the cactus thorn left a red dot on Diego's palm.
仙人掌刺在 Diego 的手掌上留下了一個個小紅點。
用法筆記
Often used with 'in' or 'on' to specify the surface or body part where the hole is made.
常見錯誤
2. a sudden sharp stinging sensation on the skin, usually caused by a needle, thorn
刺痛
尖物造成的短暫刺痛感
a sudden sharp stinging sensation on the skin, usually caused by a needle, thorn, or similar sharp point
Fatima felt a sharp prick on her leg when she brushed against the rose bush.
Fatima 在碰到玫瑰花叢時感覺小腿上一陣刺痛。
sharp prick + on [body part]
The prick of the injection lasted only a second, but Yuki was still nervous about it.
打針時的刺痛只持續了一秒鐘，但 Yuki 還是很緊張。
Chinwe ignored the tiny prick of the sewing needle and kept stitching her dress.
Chinwe 無視縫衣針的輕微刺痛，繼續縫她的裙子。
A sudden prick in his finger made Oliver drop the broken glass onto the floor.
手指突然一陣刺痛，Oliver 只好把破玻璃杯扔到地上。
The cat's claw left a small prick on Emma's arm that stung for several minutes.
貓爪在 Emma 的胳膊上留下了一道細小的刺痛，持續了好幾分鐘。
用法筆記
Focuses on the SENSATION rather than the hole itself. Unlike sense 1 (the physical mark), sense 2 is about the brief sting or discomfort felt.
常見錯誤
3. a sudden brief feeling of an unpleasant emotion, especially guilt, remorse, or e
愧疚
短暫強烈的負面情緒波動
a sudden brief feeling of an unpleasant emotion, especially guilt, remorse, or embarrassment
Amir felt a prick of guilt when he realised he had forgotten his mother's birthday again.
Amir 發現自己又忘了母親的生日時，心中湧起一陣愧疚。
prick of guilt — most common collocation
As Noa walked past the homeless man, she felt a prick of shame for not stopping to help.
Noa 走過遊民身邊時，為沒有停下來幫忙而感到一陣羞愧。
A prick of jealousy went through Elena when she saw her colleague receive the award.
Elena 看到同事領獎時，心中閃過一陣嫉妒。
The old photograph gave Kwame a prick of sadness for the friends he had lost touch with.
那張舊照片讓 Kwame 感到一陣悲傷，他想起了許久未聯繫的朋友們。
Vikram ignored the prick of regret and continued walking away from the shop.
Vikram 壓下心中一陣後悔，繼續頭也不回地離開那家商店。
文法句型
prick of + emotion
用法筆記
Always used with 'of + [emotion noun]'. Common emotions: guilt, remorse, shame, jealousy, envy, regret, sadness. The feeling is brief but sharp.
常見錯誤
4. a rude and offensive word for a man's sexual organ; use only in very informal or
陰莖〔粗話〕
對男性性器官的粗俗稱呼
a rude and offensive word for a man's sexual organ; use only in very informal or angry contexts
During the medical check-up, the doctor asked Kaito whether he had ever noticed any pain or swelling in his prick when urinating.
健檢時醫師問 Kaito 排尿時是否曾感覺陰莖有任何疼痛或腫脹。
medical/anatomical context: body part reference, not insult
Hassan covered himself with both hands when the hospital gown fell open and exposed his prick to the nurse.
Hassan 的檢查袍滑落時，他趕緊用雙手遮住，因為陰莖暴露在護理師面前讓他很尷尬。
embarrassment about accidental exposure in medical setting
During the biology lesson, the diagram on the classroom screen showed a detailed drawing of a human prick, with each part clearly labelled.
生物課上，教室螢幕的圖表顯示了一幅人體陰莖的詳細圖畫，每個部位都標示得很清楚。
The crude graffiti on the bathroom wall used words like 'prick' and 'dick' to refer to male body parts in a deliberately shocking way.
廁所牆上的低俗塗鴉用 prick、dick 這些字來指稱男性性器官，刻意營造驚世駭俗的效果。
Igor cursed loudly when the zipper of his jeans caught the skin of his prick and drew a small drop of blood.
Igor 牛仔褲拉鍊夾到了陰莖的表皮，劃出一道小傷口，痛得他大罵了一聲。
用法筆記
This is a strong swear word. Extremely offensive in formal, professional, or polite settings. Learners should avoid using it unless they fully understand the social consequences.
常見錯誤
5. an offensive word for a man who is stupid, unpleasant, or both; a general term o
混蛋〔粗話〕
罵人愚蠢或令人討厭的粗話
an offensive word for a man who is stupid, unpleasant, or both; a general term of abuse
The angry driver rolled down his window and yelled, "Move your car, you stupid prick!"
那位生氣的駕駛搖下車窗大罵：『把車開走，你這個愚蠢的混蛋！』
used as direct address in anger
Grace called her boss a prick under her breath after he criticised her work unfairly in front of the team.
老板在團隊面前不公平地批評 Grace 的工作表現，她低聲罵了一句混蛋。
A sign on the wall read, "Don't be a prick — clean up after yourself in the kitchen."
牆上有個牌子寫著：『別當混蛋 — 用完廚房請自己收拾乾淨。』
The referee made such a bad call that the fans in the stadium shouted "You prick!" from the stands.
裁判判了一個超爛的決定，全場球迷從看台上大罵：『你這個混蛋！』
Hassan told his friend that their new neighbour was a real prick for playing loud music all night.
Hassan 告訴朋友，他們的新鄰居整晚大聲放音樂，真是個不折不扣的混蛋。
- jerk
less offensive, common in everyday American English for an unpleasant person
- arsehole (BrE) / asshole (AmE)
equally strong, possibly the closest equivalent in offensiveness
用法筆記
This is a very strong insult. Unlike 'idiot' or 'fool', which are mild, 'prick' is deeply offensive and likely to cause strong anger. Not used in polite conversation.
常見錯誤
prick — 動詞
- prickpresent simple I / you / we / they
- prickshe / she / it
- prickedpast simple
- pricking-ing form
1. to push a sharp point such as a needle or thorn into the surface of something, l
刺；扎
用尖物刺穿表面
to push a sharp point such as a needle or thorn into the surface of something, leaving a tiny hole and sometimes causing pain
Mei-Lin pricked her finger on a needle while she was sewing a button back onto her coat.
Mei-Lin 在縫外套鈕扣時被針刺到了手指。
prick + body part + on + sharp object
The gardener pricked the seed packet with a pin so that air could enter and keep the seeds dry.
園丁用大頭針在種子包裝袋上刺了一個小洞，讓空氣流通以保持種子乾燥。
A thorn from the rose bush pricked Oliver's arm as he walked past the flowerbed in the garden.
Oliver 走過花圃時，玫瑰叢的刺扎到了他的手臂。
The nurse pricked Ananya's thumb gently with a small needle to get a drop of blood for the test.
護理師用一根細針輕輕刺了 Ananya 的拇指，取了一滴血化驗。
Be careful not to prick yourself on the pins that are stuck into the cushion.
小心不要被插在墊子上的大頭針刺到。
文法句型
prick + object
prick + object + on/with + sharp object
用法筆記
Transitive (prick something/someone) or reflexive (prick yourself). The object is typically a body part. The instrument is introduced with 'on' or 'with'.
常見錯誤
2. to cause someone to feel a sudden sharp feeling of guilt, remorse, or emotional
使內疚；刺痛良心
引發短暫的愧疚或自責
to cause someone to feel a sudden sharp feeling of guilt, remorse, or emotional discomfort, especially about something they have done or failed to do
Kwame's conscience pricked him for lying to his parents about where he had been that night.
Kwame 對父母說了那天晚上去處的謊話，良心因此感到不安。
conscience pricks [someone] — fixed collocation
Kavita was pricked by guilt when she saw how upset her sister was after their argument.
Kavita 看到妹妹在爭吵後有多難過，內心被愧疚刺痛。
passive: be pricked by guilt
Seeing the homeless dog on the street pricked Diego's conscience and he decided to take it home.
看到街上那隻流浪狗，Diego 的良心受到觸動，決定帶牠回家。
The memory of her harsh words pricked Sofia's heart long after the conversation had ended.
自己說過的那些尖刻話語，在對話結束後很久仍刺痛著 Sofia 的心。
Nothing pricked Jack's conscience more than the thought of leaving his elderly neighbour without help.
沒有什麼比丟下年邁的鄰居不管這件事更讓 Jack 的良心感到不安了。
文法句型
prick + noun (conscience, heart)
be pricked by + noun
用法筆記
Almost always used with 'conscience' as the subject ('my conscience pricked me') or in the passive ('I was pricked by...'). The feeling is sharp but temporary.
常見錯誤
3. if an animal's ears prick up, they become upright and pointed forward; if a pers
豎起耳朵
動物豎耳或人專注傾聽
if an animal's ears prick up, they become upright and pointed forward; if a person's ears prick up, they start to listen very carefully because something has caught their attention
The dog's ears pricked up when it heard the sound of its owner's car approaching the driveway.
那隻狗聽到主人的車駛近車道時，豎起了耳朵。
animal: ears literally become erect
Emma's ears pricked up when she heard her name mentioned in the conversation across the room.
Emma 聽到房間另一邊有人在談話中提到自己的名字時，立刻豎起了耳朵。
human: figurative — suddenly pay attention
The rabbit's ears pricked up and it stood completely still, sensing danger in the garden.
兔子的耳朵豎了起來，一動不動地站在原地，察覺到花園裡有危險。
When the teacher mentioned a surprise trip, every student's ears pricked up at once.
老師提到有一次驚喜旅行時，所有學生立刻豎起耳朵聽。
My ears pricked up when I heard someone mention a job opening at the tech company.
我聽到有人提到那家科技公司有職缺時，馬上豎起了耳朵。
- perk up
can describe both animals' ears and a person's mood; slightly more casual
- pay attention
more general and less vivid; works in any context
文法句型
prick up
prick up one's ears
用法筆記
For animals, this describes a physical movement of the ears. For humans, it is a fixed figurative expression — the ears do not literally move. The phrasal verb form is 'prick up'.