taboo
/təˈbuː/ (bre, ipa) · [tæbˈu] /təˈbuː/ (ame, ipa) · [tæbˈu] /tə-ˈbü How to pronounce taboo (audio) ta-/ (ame, mw)
taboo — 名詞
- taboosingular
- taboosplural
1. something that a society or group avoids talking about or doing because their tr
禁忌
因文化或宗教而避談的事物
something that a society or group avoids talking about or doing because their traditions or beliefs mark it as wrong, offensive, or harmful.
In many communities, there is a strong taboo against discussing personal income with coworkers.
在許多職場，和同事討論個人收入是一項強烈的禁忌。
taboo against + gerund (discussing)
Mei-Lin broke the family taboo by mentioning her grandfather's gambling debts at dinner.
Mei-Lin 在晚餐時提到祖父的賭債，打破了家族禁忌。
break + taboo
The old taboo about eating certain foods during pregnancy has largely disappeared in modern times.
關於懷孕期間某些食物不能吃的舊禁忌，在現代已大致消失。
Kwame noted that the villagers still observe a taboo against cutting trees in the sacred grove.
Kwame 提到，村民們仍然遵守著不得砍伐聖林樹木的禁忌。
Mental health was surrounded by taboo in Haruto's workplace until the company hired a full-time counsellor in 2022.
心理健康在 Haruto 的公司曾是禁忌話題，直到該公司在 2022 年聘請了全職輔導員後才有所改變。
- prohibition
sounds more official or legal; a prohibition is imposed by authority, while a taboo arises from cultural or religious custom
- ban
stronger and more formal; a ban is an official rule, whereas a taboo is often an unwritten social rule
- stigma
focuses on the shame attached to something rather than the act of avoiding it
- acceptance
the opposite of avoidance — when a subject is welcomed or viewed as normal
文法句型
taboo against + noun/gerund
break/violate + taboo
用法筆記
Often used with verbs like break, violate, or observe. The preposition against introduces the forbidden activity: a taboo against doing something. Taboo can be countable (a taboo / taboos) or uncountable (subject to taboo).
常見錯誤
taboo — 形容詞
- taboopositive
- more taboocomparative
- most taboosuperlative
1. describes something that people in a particular society or group do not say, men
禁忌的
因社會規範而被禁止的
describes something that people in a particular society or group do not say, mention, or do because their culture, religion, or social rules treat it as wrong, offensive, or embarrassing.
In Sofia's family, it is still taboo to ask older relatives how much they paid for their homes.
在 Sofia 的家裡，詢問年長親戚買房花了多少錢仍然是一種禁忌。
it is taboo to + infinitive
The topic of religion was considered taboo at David's workplace, so everyone avoided it.
在 David 的公司，宗教話題被視為禁忌，因此大家都避而不談。
considered taboo — passive pattern
Elena found adoption a taboo subject in her traditional family, though no one said so directly.
Elena 發現收養在她的傳統家庭中是禁忌話題，儘管沒有人明說。
Words like 'cancer' and 'divorce' were once taboo on American evening news but now appear in regular coverage.
像 'cancer' 和 'divorce' 這樣的詞語曾經在美國晚間新聞中是禁忌，如今已出現在一般的新聞報導中。
The young artist refused to treat any subject as taboo and painted whatever she found interesting.
這位年輕藝術家拒絕將任何題材視為禁忌，畫所有她感興趣的東西。
- forbidden
wider in scope; something can be forbidden by a person or law, whereas taboo is rooted in cultural/religious custom
- unmentionable
suggests that people avoid the topic because it is embarrassing, not necessarily for religious reasons
- off-limits
informal; suggests an active rule or boundary rather than a long-standing cultural norm
- acceptable
the general opposite — when a subject is freely discussed or done without disapproval
文法句型
be taboo
it is taboo to + verb
find/consider + object + taboo
用法筆記
Predominantly used predicatively (The subject is taboo) rather than attributively (?a taboo subject is borderline — a taboo topic or taboo word is more idiomatic than a taboo thing). Stronger than unacceptable because it implies cultural or religious avoidance, not just personal discomfort.
常見錯誤
taboo — 動詞
- taboopresent simple I / you / we / they
- taboos3rd person singular
- tabooing-ing form
- tabooedpast simple
1. to officially or ritually declare that a place, object, action, or person is sac
列為禁忌
以儀式宣告神聖不可侵犯
to officially or ritually declare that a place, object, action, or person is sacred and must not be touched, used, entered, or spoken about, especially within a religious or traditional cultural framework.
The native elders tabooed the entire island after the chief's death, forbidding anyone to land there.
部落長老在酋長去世後將整座島嶼列為禁忌，禁止任何人登陸。
tabooed as a ritual act
In ancient Hawaii, certain fish were tabooed during the spawning season to allow the population to recover.
在古代夏威夷，某些魚類在產卵期間被奉為禁忌，以利族群恢復。
The priestess tabooed the temple's inner chamber, warning that only the high priest could enter.
女祭司將寺廟內殿列為禁忌，警告只有大祭司才能進入。
The tribe tabooed the use of iron tools on the sacred mountain centuries ago.
該部落在數百年前就將在聖山使用鐵製工具列為禁忌。
- consecrate
focuses on making something sacred rather than forbidding it; consecrate has a positive religious meaning
- sanctify
similar to consecrate; emphasizes setting apart as holy
- desecrate
to treat something sacred in a disrespectful way
文法句型
be tabooed (as/for something)
taboo + noun
用法筆記
This sense is the original historical meaning, closely tied to Polynesian cultural practices. Frequently appears in the passive voice (was tabooed). In modern English, this use is rare outside anthropology, history, or religious studies.
常見錯誤
2. to stop using, mentioning, or allowing a subject, word, or practice because soci
禁止；迴避
因社會禁忌而避免使用或討論
to stop using, mentioning, or allowing a subject, word, or practice because society or a particular group considers it unacceptable, offensive, or dangerous.
The committee tabooed any public discussion of the corruption allegations during the investigation.
委員會在調查期間禁止公開討論貪腐指控。
tabooed + any + noun phrase
Many schools have effectively tabooed the use of certain outdated textbooks that contain offensive stereotypes.
許多學校已實質上禁止使用某些含有冒犯性刻板印象的過時教科書。
passive: have been tabooed
No one formally tabooed widows wearing only white, but the custom faded as younger women chose brighter colours.
沒有人正式禁止寡婦穿白色衣服，但隨著年輕女性選擇更鮮豔的顏色，這項習俗逐漸式微。
The government has effectively tabooed the use of certain traditional medicines by refusing to certify them.
政府以拒絕認證的方式，實質上禁止了某些傳統藥物的使用。
- permit
to allow something to be done or discussed freely
文法句型
be tabooed
taboo + noun (topic/practice/word)
用法筆記
Distinguish from verb sense 1: this sense is about banning discussion or use because of social unacceptability (without a religious/ritual context). The passive form is common: an issue is tabooed. This sense is still quite formal; in everyday English, people are more likely to say banned, prohibited, or stopped than tabooed.