sheep

IPA/ʃiːp/
KK[ʃˈip]IPA/ʃiːp/

sheep — 名詞

  • sheepplural

1. A medium-sized animal kept on farmland, covered in a thick coat of soft hair cal

1.名詞A1
釋義

綿羊

有厚毛的農場動物，可產羊毛、羊奶和肉類

A medium-sized animal kept on farmland, covered in a thick coat of soft hair called wool, which people use to make cloth, and whose meat and skin are also used.

例句

Every spring, the Watanabe family rounds up their sheep for shearing.

每年春天，Watanabe 一家會把他們的綿羊趕攏來進行剪毛。

collocation: round up sheep for shearing

A flock of sheep grazed on the hillside below the old stone barn.

一群綿羊在古老石穀倉下方的山坡上安靜地吃草。

collocation: flock of sheep + graze on hillside

常見搭配
  • sheep farm
  • sheep farmer
  • sheep shearing
  • flock of sheep
  • sheepskin
  • sheepdog
  • count sheep
  • lost sheep
  • black sheep
  • sheep meat
同義詞
  • ewe

    specifically an adult female sheep; used in farming contexts

  • ram

    specifically an adult male sheep, known for its curved horns; often used in breeding

  • lamb

    a young sheep, usually less than one year old; also refers to the meat

文法句型

a flock of sheep

sheep + graze

shepherd + sheep

用法筆記

Sheep is both the singular and plural form. A single animal is 'a sheep'; multiple animals are also 'sheep' (never 'sheeps'). The young are called 'lambs'; the male is a 'ram'; the female is a 'ewe'.

常見錯誤

The farmer has three sheeps.
The farmer has three sheep.
'sheep' has an irregular plural that does not add -s.
I saw a ship grazing in the field.
I saw a sheep grazing in the field.
'sheep' and 'ship' sound similar but have very different meanings.

2. A person who is timid and easily led, tending to copy what others do or think in

2.名詞B2
釋義

盲從者

缺乏主見、只會跟隨他人的人

A person who is timid and easily led, tending to copy what others do or think instead of making their own decisions.

例句

Romi refused to be a sheep and publicly challenged the manager's unfair policy.

Romi 拒絕當個盲從者，公開挑戰經理不公平的政策。

collocation: be a sheep (figurative negative)

The investors followed one another like sheep, all pouring money into the same failing company.

那些投資人盲目地跟隨彼此，全都把錢投進同一家快要倒閉的公司。

collocation: follow like sheep

常見搭配
  • like sheep
  • a sheep
  • follow like sheep
  • herd of sheep
  • lost sheep
  • black sheep of the family
同義詞
  • follower

    less insulting; describes someone who supports another person's ideas

  • conformist

    more formal; describes someone who follows society's rules without question

  • yes-man

    informal; specifically someone who agrees with everything a superior says

反義詞
  • leader

    someone who thinks independently and guides others

  • individualist

    someone who acts according to their own beliefs rather than following the crowd

文法句型

like sheep

be (just) a sheep

follow (someone) like sheep

用法筆記

This sense is almost always used critically. Calling someone 'a sheep' is an insult, suggesting they lack courage or intelligence. The plural use ('they are sheep') often appears with 'like' in the phrase 'like sheep'.

常見錯誤

The sheep followed the farmer.' (ambiguous — is this the animal or person sense?)
His coworkers are sheep who never question the boss.
add context like 'coworkers' or 'followers' to make the figurative meaning clear.
慣用語

count sheep

idiom

To imagine sheep jumping one by one over a fence and count them in your mind, as a way to help yourself fall asleep.

數羊（想像羊一隻隻跳過柵欄並數數，幫助入睡的方法）

When Sora could not fall asleep, he lay still and tried to count sheep until his eyes grew heavy.

Counting sheep never works for Sofia — she just gets bored and stays awake.

like sheep

idiom

A phrase used to describe people who follow others blindly, without thinking for themselves.

盲從地；像羊群一樣沒有主見地

The crowd moved like sheep, shuffling toward whatever exit the first person took.

Vinícius complained that the board members behaved like sheep, approving every proposal without debate.

separate the sheep from the goats

idiom

To divide a group of people into those who are good, capable, or suitable and those who are not.

區分優劣；分辨好壞（來自聖經比喻，將優秀的綿羊和劣等的山羊分開）

The tough practical exam will separate the sheep from the goats among the engineering applicants.

In any crisis, real leaders emerge and separate the sheep from the goats.

a wolf in sheep's clothing

idiom

Someone who appears harmless, friendly, or kind but actually has bad intentions and means to harm or trick you.

披著羊皮的狼；假裝友善但心懷不軌的人

The cheerful new neighbor turned out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing who scammed half the street.

Cyrus warned Ilan that the smooth-talking recruiter was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

may as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb

idiom

A saying that means if you are going to be punished for a small wrongdoing, you might as well do something much bigger since the punishment will be the same anyway.

一不做二不休（諺語：反正都要受罰，不如做件更大的事）

Rachid thought, 'I may as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb,' and ordered the most expensive dish on the menu.

Since the deadline was already missed, Mathieu figured he may as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb and took two extra days to polish the report.

sort out/separate the sheep from the goats

idiom

To identify which people are good or skilled and which are not.

區分好壞

The final exam will sort out the sheep from the goats in this class.

Diego's quick thinking separated the sheep from the goats during the emergency.

a wolf in sheep’s clothing

idiom

A person who appears harmless but is actually dangerous or evil.

披著羊皮的狼

The friendly neighbor turned out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Sara warned us that the new manager was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

同根字

常見搭配

名詞搭配

常用片語

  • a flock of sheep
  • a herd of sheep
  • black sheep of the family
  • lost sheep
  • sheep shearing
  • count sheep

介系詞搭配