sleuth
/sluːθ/ (bre, ipa) · /sluːθ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈslüth/ (ame, mw)
sleuth — 名詞
- sleuthsingular
- sleuthsplural
1. a person, either professional or amateur, who investigates crimes and solves mys
偵探
調查犯罪、尋找線索的專業或業餘人士
a person, either professional or amateur, who investigates crimes and solves mysteries by carefully examining evidence and finding hidden clues
The amateur sleuth discovered a hidden fingerprint on the windowsill that the police had missed.
那位業餘偵探在窗臺上發現了一枚警方遺漏的隱藏指紋。
amateur sleuth — a person who investigates as a hobby, not a job
Inspector Chen, a veteran sleuth with thirty years on the force, solved the case in just three days.
陳探長是一位有三十年經驗的資深偵探，只花了三天就破了案。
In the novel, the young sleuth follows a trail of cryptic notes through the streets of Lisbon.
小說中，年輕的偵探沿著里斯本街頭一連串神祕的線索追查下去。
- detective
the standard, neutral term for a professional crime investigator
- investigator
broader — can refer to researchers or inspectors in non-criminal contexts
- private eye
informal, specifically a private detective
用法筆記
This word often carries a slightly playful or admiring tone — it is less formal than 'detective' and is also used for amateur investigators in fiction.
常見錯誤
sleuth — 動詞
- sleuthpresent simple I / you / we / they
- sleuths3rd person singular
- sleuthing-ing form
- sleuthedpast simple
1. to quietly watch people or search for information in a careful, secretive way, o
偵查
像偵探般暗中觀察或搜尋資訊
to quietly watch people or search for information in a careful, secretive way, often with the curiosity or excitement of a detective solving a mystery
The journalist sleuthed around the courthouse for weeks, hoping to uncover new evidence.
那名記者在法院附近偵查了好幾週，希望能找到新證據。
intransitive: sleuth around [place]
Dr. Okafor sleuthed through old hospital records, looking for any mention of the missing patient.
Okafor 醫師仔細翻查醫院的舊病歷，尋找那位失蹤病人的任何記錄。
sleuth through [records] — search thoroughly
The children sleuthed for clues in the garden after their grandfather told them about the hidden treasure.
爺爺提起花園裡藏了寶物之後，孩子們就在院子裡到處偵查線索。
- investigate
more formal and neutral; does not imply secrecy
- snoop
more negative — suggests prying into private matters
- scout
focuses on exploring an area to gather information
文法句型
sleuth + around/through + place
sleuth + for + information
sleuth + out + information
用法筆記
Verb sense 1 usually describes an ongoing activity (searching or observing) rather than a result. When the goal is to announce a discovery, verb sense 2 ('to sleuth out') is more natural.
常見錯誤
2. to manage to find facts, information, or objects by searching hard, especially w
查出；找出
透過仔細搜索而發現隱藏的事物
to manage to find facts, information, or objects by searching hard, especially when they were hidden or difficult to discover
The detective sleuthed out the truth by connecting three seemingly unrelated clues.
警探把三條看似不相關的線索串聯起來，終於查出了真相。
transitive: sleuth out [hidden fact]
A team of historians sleuthed out the original location of the ancient temple from old maps and letters.
一組歷史學家藉由舊地圖和信件，找出了那座古廟的原址。
It took the young reporter months to sleuth out the identity of the anonymous caller.
那位年輕記者花了幾個月才查出匿名來電者的身分。
- uncover
neutral and widely used; less playful than 'sleuth'
- dig up
informal, implies effort and patience
- ferret out
similar meaning but describes persistent searching in hidden places
- conceal
to hide something so it cannot be found
文法句型
sleuth + out + noun phrase
sleuth + noun phrase
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1, which focuses on the process of searching, this sense emphasizes the successful result — finding what was looked for. It commonly pairs with 'out' to mark the discovered item.