unworldly
/ʌnˈwɜːldli/ (bre, ipa) · /ʌnˈwɜːrldli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌən-ˈwər(-ə)l-dlē -ˈwərl-lē/ (ame, mw)
unworldly — 形容詞
- unworldlypositive
- more unworldlycomparative
- most unworldlysuperlative
1. describes a person who has little understanding of ordinary practical matters su
不諳世故
缺乏實際生活經驗或常識
describes a person who has little understanding of ordinary practical matters such as money, business, or daily tasks, often because they focus their attention on ideas, art, or spiritual things — for example, an unworldly professor who forgets to cash his paychecks.
Amelia was so unworldly that she did not know how much a bus ticket cost.
Amelia 單純得不諳世故，連公車票多少錢都不知道。
so + adj + that-clause for extreme degree
The unworldly young poet lived in a tiny room and never asked about payment.
那位不諳世故的年輕詩人住在小房間裡，從不過問報酬。
attributive: unworldly + noun describing a person
Sahil's unworldly parents had never used a smartphone or checked a bank account.
Sahil 那對不諳世故的父母從未用過智慧型手機，也沒查過銀行帳戶。
There was something unworldly about Hiro's calm acceptance of losing all his money.
Hiro 對損失所有金錢表現出的平靜態度，帶有一種不諳世故的淡然。
Felipe found his roommate far too unworldly to give sensible advice about jobs.
Felipe 覺得他的室友太不諳世故，無法對工作給出務實的建議。
- naive
unworldly is softer and less negative; naive can imply being easily fooled by others
- idealistic
idealistic focuses on holding high principles; unworldly emphasizes a lack of practical know-how
- innocent
innocent has a broader moral meaning; unworldly is specifically about inexperience with everyday practical life
- worldly
direct opposite — having experience and knowledge of practical life
- sophisticated
worldly plus polished social skills and cultural knowledge
- practical
focused on the opposite quality — sensible and skilled at everyday tasks
文法句型
unworldly + noun
be + unworldly
so + unworldly + that-clause
too + unworldly + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Commonly used to describe creative, scholarly, or religious individuals who show little interest in material success. Unlike naive (which implies being easily tricked), unworldly people may be aware of their own innocence about practical matters without being gullible.
常見錯誤
2. having a quality that feels spiritual, mysterious, or from another realm, rather
脫俗
帶有靈性或非世俗氣息的
having a quality that feels spiritual, mysterious, or from another realm, rather than connected to ordinary physical existence — for example, the unworldly silence of a temple at midnight that makes everyday noise seem far away.
The choir sang an unworldly melody that seemed to float above the ancient church.
合唱團唱出一首脫俗的旋律，彷彿在古老教堂的上方飄盪。
unworldly + noun + relative clause describing the quality
Layla described a dream of unworldly beauty, with colours she had never seen before.
Layla 描述了一個脫俗之美的夢境，其中的色彩她從未見過。
A strange, unworldly light filled the forest at dawn, casting long blue shadows.
一道奇異而脫俗的光芒在黎明時分充滿了森林，投下長長的藍色影子。
Marta felt she had entered an unworldly garden where time stood completely still.
Marta 感覺自己走進了一座脫俗的花園，時間在那裡完全靜止了。
The painting had an unworldly glow, as if the colours came from inside the canvas.
那幅畫散發著脫俗的光澤，彷彿色彩來自畫布內部。
- ethereal
ethereal suggests delicacy and lightness; unworldly has a stronger sense of detachment from ordinary life
- unearthly
very close in meaning; unearthly often adds a hint of strangeness or eeriness, while unworldly tends to be more neutral or positive
- spiritual
spiritual is broader and may include religious belief; unworldly emphasizes a quality that seems apart from the physical world
文法句型
unworldly + noun
be + unworldly
seem + unworldly
用法筆記
Often paired with nouns related to beauty, sound, or light (an unworldly beauty, unworldly music, unworldly glow). Less common with descriptions of everyday objects — the noun should suggest something mysterious, sacred, or sublime.