wilderness

/ˈwɪldənəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈwɪldərnəs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈwil-dər-nəs/ (ame, mw)

wilderness — 名詞

  • wildernesssingular
  • wildernessesplural

1. a natural region where towns, roads, and farms have not been built and where ver

1.名詞B1
釋義

荒野

無人居住的未開發自然地區

a natural region where towns, roads, and farms have not been built and where very few people live

例句

The hikers spent three days walking through the Alaskan wilderness without seeing another person.

這群登山者在阿拉斯加荒野中走了三天，沒見到任何人。

collocation: walk through / Alaskan wilderness

Large parts of northern Canada remain a frozen wilderness with no roads or towns.

加拿大北部大部分地區是一片既沒有道路也沒有城鎮的冰凍荒野。

collocation: frozen wilderness

同義詞
  • wilds

    more poetic, suggests remote and dangerous country

  • backcountry

    focuses on remoteness from towns, often used for hiking areas

  • wasteland

    negative tone; suggests barren or damaged land rather than natural beauty

  • bushland

    mainly Australian/New Zealand usage; refers to scrubby natural areas

反義詞
  • city

    the built-up human environment opposite to wilderness

  • urban area

    developed land with buildings and infrastructure

  • farmland

    land cultivated for crops or livestock

文法句型

the wilderness

a vast wilderness

wilderness + area/region

用法筆記

Usually uncountable. Can be used as a countable noun when referring to a specific area (e.g., 'a vast wilderness of snow and ice'). The word often carries a sense of respect for nature's power rather than simply meaning 'empty land.'

常見錯誤

❌We got lost in the desert with no trees for miles.
✅We got lost in the wilderness with no trees for miles.
💡A desert is a specific dry, sandy ecosystem; wilderness can describe any undeveloped natural area including forests, mountains, or tundra.

2. a section of a garden or yard where plants grow thickly without being trimmed or

2.名詞B2
釋義

野植園

花園中放任植物自然生長的部分

a section of a garden or yard where plants grow thickly without being trimmed or controlled, sometimes left that way on purpose for a natural look

例句

At the back of the garden, a small wilderness of wildflowers and ferns grew freely.

花園深處有一片長滿野花和蕨類的小野植園，自由生長。

pattern: a wilderness of + plants

The old house sat in a wilderness of tall grass and tangled bushes left uncut.

那棟老房子坐落在一片長滿高草和糾結灌木的荒園中，無人修剪。

同義詞
  • wild garden

    more deliberate, suggests intentional natural planting

  • overgrowth

    implies neglect rather than deliberate choice

  • thicket

    focuses on dense woody plants rather than general plant growth

  • tangle

    emphasises the messy, intertwined quality of the plants

反義詞
  • lawn

    trimmed, open grassy area

  • flower bed

    cultivated, organised planting area

文法句型

a wilderness of + plants

wilderness area (in a garden)

用法筆記

This sense is much more common in British English gardening contexts than in American English. In the US, gardeners typically say 'wild garden' or 'native plant area' instead.

3. a large and confusing collection of different things that is difficult to unders

3.名詞C1
釋義

雜亂

令人困惑的大量混雜事物

a large and confusing collection of different things that is difficult to understand or find your way through

例句

The old town market was a wilderness of stalls selling spices, fabrics, and jewellery.

舊城區的市場裡擺滿了賣香料、布料和首飾的攤位，一片琳瑯滿目。

pattern: a wilderness of + nouns

New parents often feel lost in a wilderness of advice from friends, books, and websites.

新手爸媽常淹沒在來自親友、書籍和網站的雜亂建議中，感到不知所措。

同義詞
  • jumble

    less formal; suggests a physical mess more than confusion

  • maze

    emphasises the difficulty of finding a path through the information

  • confusion

    directly names the mental state rather than the collection itself

反義詞
  • order

    clear, organised arrangement

  • system

    structured method or framework

文法句型

a wilderness of + plural noun

用法筆記

Always takes the form 'a wilderness of [plural things]' and is almost always singular. The phrase is metaphorical — the things themselves are not wild, but their sheer number and lack of order creates a feeling similar to being lost in nature.

常見錯誤

❌The library was a wilderness of book.
✅The library was a wilderness of books.
💡The noun after 'a wilderness of' must be plural.

4. the situation of a person or group that has lost its former importance or influe

4.名詞C1
釋義

失勢

政治上不再重要的狀態

the situation of a person or group that has lost its former importance or influence, especially after having held power or public attention

例句

After losing the election, the former senator spent years in the political wilderness.

輸掉選舉後，那位前任參議員在政治失勢中度過了多年。

collocation: in the political wilderness

The opposition party was in the wilderness for a decade before returning to power.

該反對黨失勢十年後才重新執政。

同義詞
  • obscurity

    broader; can apply to any loss of public attention, not just politics

  • exile

    stronger; suggests forced removal rather than simple loss of influence

  • limbo

    focuses on the uncertainty and inactivity of the period

反義詞
  • power

    the state of having authority and influence

  • prominence

    public visibility and importance

文法句型

in the wilderness

into the wilderness

out of the wilderness

the political wilderness

用法筆記

Almost always appears in fixed phrases with 'the': 'in the wilderness,' 'into the wilderness,' 'out of the wilderness.' The article is required even though 'wilderness' here is abstract. This sense is most common in political journalism but can extend to any field (e.g., 'the band spent years in the wilderness before their comeback album').

常見錯誤

❌The minister was sent to wilderness.
✅The minister was sent into the wilderness.
💡Always include 'the' and use 'into' (or 'in') rather than 'to.'