ritual

/ˈrɪtʃuəl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈrɪtʃuəl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈri-chə-wəl -chəl; ˈrich-wəl/ (ame, mw)

ritual — 名詞

  • ritualsingular
  • ritualsplural

1. a set of actions that someone always does in a fixed order at regular times, oft

1.名詞B2
釋義

慣例；常規

個人固定重複的習慣做法

a set of actions that someone always does in a fixed order at regular times, often without thinking much about each step

例句

Each morning, Saira follows her ritual of making coffee and reading the news before work.

每天早上，Saira 都會依照她的慣例：先泡咖啡、看新聞，然後才出門上班。

ritual + of + making coffee (noun/-ing pattern)

Sunday brunch with her family became a weekly ritual that Jenna looked forward to.

和家人一起吃週日早午餐成了 Jenna 每週期待的例行常規。

weekly ritual — time adjective + ritual

同義詞
  • routine

    more neutral and less deliberate; a routine may be done without emotional or symbolic meaning

  • custom

    shared by a group or culture rather than personal; broader and more formal

  • practice

    can refer to a general way of doing things, often in a professional or cultural context

文法句型

ritual + of + something

possessive + ritual

用法筆記

Frequently used with a possessive adjective (my, his, her, their) or a noun modifier (morning ritual, bedtime ritual, Sunday ritual). Unlike 'habit', which can be a single unconscious action, a ritual is usually a deliberate sequence of steps.

常見錯誤

❌I have a ritual of biting my nails when I am nervous.
✅I have a habit of biting my nails when I am nervous.
💡A habit can be a small, automatic action; a ritual involves a deliberate series of actions done the same way each time.
❌She has a ritual to wake up.
✅She has a morning ritual that helps her wake up.
💡Use 'of + -ing' or a relative clause, not 'to + infinitive', after 'ritual'.

2. a fixed series of actions and spoken words that are used during a religious cere

2.名詞B2
釋義

儀式；典禮

宗教或精神層面的固定程序

a fixed series of actions and spoken words that are used during a religious ceremony or spiritual practice, often carrying symbolic meaning

例句

Lighting incense and bowing three times is a Buddhist ritual done each morning at the temple.

點香並鞠躬三次是每天早上在寺廟中進行的佛教儀式。

ritual of + lighting incense (fixed religious sequence)

Rachid watched the wedding ritual closely, noting each step the bride and groom followed.

Rachid 仔細觀看婚禮儀式，留意新娘和新郎的每一個步驟。

同義詞
  • ceremony

    refers to the whole event, not just the fixed actions within it

  • rite

    more formal and specifically religious; commonly used in 'funeral rites', 'marriage rites'

  • observance

    emphasizes following a rule or tradition; more formal and less common in everyday speech

文法句型

ritual of + noun

perform + ritual

ritual + for + noun

用法筆記

Often modified by 'sacred', 'ancient', 'traditional', or 'religious'. When referring to the general concept rather than a specific ceremony, it can be uncountable (e.g., 'Ritual plays an important role in the community'). Distinguish from noun sense 1: this sense involves cultural or religious symbolism, not just personal routine.

常見錯誤

❌They performed a death ritual
✅They performed a funeral ritual.
💡'Death ritual' can be understood but sounds vague; use a more specific term like 'funeral' when possible.
❌Ritual is very important in this church' (when meaning specific rites).
✅Rituals are very important in this church.
💡For specific ceremonial acts, the countable plural form is more natural.

ritual — 形容詞