throes

IPA/θrəʊz/
KK[θrˈoz]IPA/θrəʊz/

throes — 名詞

1. the state of being deeply involved in a difficult, painful, or confusing activit

1.名詞C1
釋義

掙扎；煎熬

處於困難或痛苦之中

the state of being deeply involved in a difficult, painful, or confusing activity or situation, with no clear end in sight

例句

The bakery was in the <hl>throes of a financial crisis</hl> and could barely pay its staff.

這家麵包店正處於財務危機的煎熬中，幾乎無力支付員工薪水。

in the throes of + noun phrase (financial crisis)

Linh spent the weekend in the <hl>throes of writing</hl> a university application essay.

Linh 週末都在苦苦掙扎，撰寫大學入學申請的論文。

in the throes of + verb-ing

常見搭配
  • in the throes of
  • the throes of
同義詞
  • midst

    neutral, without the sense of struggle: 'in the midst of a meeting' simply states location

  • grip

    stronger implication of being trapped: 'in the grip of a recession'

  • thick of

    informal, suggesting active involvement: 'in the thick of the action'

文法句型

in the throes of [noun phrase]

in the throes of [verb-ing]

用法筆記

Almost always appears in the fixed construction 'in the throes of', followed by either a noun phrase (e.g. 'a crisis', 'an argument') or a verb in -ing form (e.g. 'writing', 'recovering'). The phrase cannot be broken up — you cannot say 'in throes of' without 'the'.

常見錯誤

The company is in throes of a change.
The company is in the throes of a change.
the definite article 'the' is required before 'throes'.
She was in the throes of a party.' (a party is not typically difficult or painful)
She was in the throes of exam preparation.
the phrase implies struggle, not just any activity.

2. the sharp, violent pains or muscle spasms that a person or animal suffers just b

2.名詞C1
釋義

臨終痛苦

死亡前的劇烈疼痛或痙攣

the sharp, violent pains or muscle spasms that a person or animal suffers just before dying; by extension, the final desperate stage of something that is collapsing or failing

例句

The wounded deer's <hl>death throes</hl> were brief, and soon it lay completely still.

那隻受傷的鹿臨終前的痛苦很短暫，不久就完全靜止不動了。

collocation: death throes

Evelyn's grandmother passed away peacefully in her sleep, without any painful <hl>death throes</hl>.

Evelyn 的祖母在睡夢中安詳離世，沒有任何痛苦的臨終掙扎。

常見搭配
  • death throes
  • final throes
  • throes of death
  • throes of childbirth
同義詞
  • convulsions

    more clinical, focuses on involuntary muscle contractions

  • agonies

    emphasises mental or physical suffering rather than spasms

  • spasms

    purely physical, without the emotional weight of 'throes'

文法句型

death throes

final throes

throes of [death / childbirth]

用法筆記

When used literally, the object is always a living creature. The figurative extension ('the final throes of a regime', 'the death throes of an industry') is common in journalistic writing. This sense does NOT overlap with sense 1 — 'death throes' refers to the pain itself, not to being in the middle of a difficult task.

常見錯誤

❌ 'The project is in its death throes' when you mean 'the project is in the throes of a crisis.' — 'death throes' means something is ending or dying, not that it is going through a difficult phase.

He went through terrible throes of flu.
He suffered terribly from the flu.
'throes' specifically refers to death or childbirth, not general illness.

常見搭配

名詞搭配

常用片語

  • in the throes of
  • death throes
  • final throes

介系詞搭配