spartan

/ˈspɑːtn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈspɑːrtn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈspär-tᵊn/ (ame, mw)

spartan — 形容詞

  • spartanpositive
  • more spartancomparative
  • most spartansuperlative

1. A spartan place, room, or way of living is extremely plain and basic, containing

1.形容詞B2
釋義

簡樸的

生活或環境極其簡陋，無舒適享受

A spartan place, room, or way of living is extremely plain and basic, containing only the most necessary items with nothing added for comfort or enjoyment.

例句

The student dormitory was a spartan room with just a bed, a desk, and a single chair.

那間學生宿舍極為簡樸，只有一張床、一張書桌和一把椅子。

collocation: spartan room

During the training program, the soldiers lived in spartan conditions with no heating and only cold showers.

訓練期間，士兵們住在簡陋的環境裡，沒有暖氣，只能用冷水淋浴。

collocation: spartan conditions

同義詞
  • austere

    suggests seriousness or self-denial rather than just simplicity; can also describe a person's character

  • bare

    focuses on the absence of furniture or decoration, less about deliberate choice

  • frugal

    emphasises careful use of resources, especially money

反義詞
  • luxurious

    full of comfort, soft furnishings, and expensive extras

  • lavish

    involves generous amounts of decoration and expense

用法筆記

Describes physical spaces (rooms, cabins, dormitories), living conditions, or deliberately simple lifestyles. Often implies a positive sense of purposeful minimalism, not just poor quality.

常見錯誤

❌The hotel room was spartan with dirty walls and broken furniture.
✅The hotel room was spartan
💡just a bed, a sink, and a small wardrobe.' — Spartan means basic but not necessarily dirty or broken; the emphasis is on the lack of extras, not poor maintenance.

2. Showing the ability to face suffering, danger, or difficulty with great courage

2.形容詞C1
釋義

堅毅的

面對苦難仍勇敢承受，不抱怨

Showing the ability to face suffering, danger, or difficulty with great courage and self-control, without expressing fear or complaining.

例句

The mountaineers pressed on with spartan courage, even after their food supplies ran out.

登山者以堅毅的勇氣繼續前進，即使食物已經耗盡。

collocation: spartan courage

With spartan resolve, Nadia continued to care for the injured throughout the night.

Nadia 以堅毅的決心徹夜照料傷患。

collocation: spartan resolve

同義詞
  • stoic

    more philosophical; suggests enduring suffering without showing emotion, from the ancient Stoic school

  • resolute

    focuses on firm determination rather than the absence of complaint

  • undaunted

    emphasises not being discouraged by fear or difficulty

反義詞
  • cowardly

    lacking courage when facing danger or pain

  • complaining

    the opposite of enduring without complaint

用法筆記

Used before abstract nouns like courage, resolve, discipline, endurance, and spirit. This sense describes a person's inner character or response to hardship, not their physical surroundings.

常見錯誤

❌She kept the kitchen spartan even when guests came.
✅She showed spartan endurance, working two jobs to support her family.
💡The first example describes a simple room (sense 1), not the personal quality of enduring hardship (sense 2).

spartan — 名詞