wisdom

/ˈwɪzdəm/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈwɪzdəm/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈwiz-dəm/ (ame, mw)

wisdom — 名詞

1. the capacity to draw on what you have learned through life and apply it well whe

1.名詞B2
釋義

智慧；判斷力

運用經驗與知識做出明智決定的能力

the capacity to draw on what you have learned through life and apply it well when deciding what action to take or what guidance to offer.

例句

Iris showed great wisdom in choosing a career that matched her natural talents.

Iris 在選擇適合自己天賦的職業時，展現了極大的智慧。

uncountable noun + in [gerund] pattern

The village elders were respected for their wisdom in settling local disputes.

村裡的長輩因調解地方糾紛的智慧而受人尊敬。

possessive: their wisdom + in [gerund]

同義詞
  • judgment

    more specific — refers to the ability to assess a situation and decide, which can be good or poor

  • insight

    emphasises the ability to see the true nature of a situation, often suddenly or intuitively

  • common sense

    practical, everyday good judgment that most people are expected to have; narrower than wisdom

反義詞

文法句型

uncountable

often used with possessive: someone's wisdom

常見錯誤

❌He has a lot of wisdoms about investing.
✅He has a lot of wisdom about investing.
💡'wisdom' is an uncountable noun and does not take a plural form.

2. the body of knowledge and beliefs that a particular group of people has develope

2.名詞B2
釋義

傳統智慧

社會世代累積傳承的知識與教誨

the body of knowledge and beliefs that a particular group of people has developed gradually and handed down over centuries.

例句

The book shares ancient wisdom about farming and predicting the changing seasons.

這本書分享關於農耕和預測季節變化的古老智慧。

adjective + wisdom: ancient wisdom

Traditional Chinese wisdom teaches that health depends on balance in daily life.

中國傳統智慧告訴我們，健康來自日常生活的平衡。

adjective + wisdom: traditional Chinese wisdom

同義詞
  • knowledge

    broader — includes any information or understanding, not necessarily accumulated over time

  • lore

    more specific — refers to traditional knowledge or stories about a particular subject

  • teachings

    focuses on the instructional aspect of passed-down wisdom

文法句型

uncountable

often modified by an adjective: ancient wisdom, traditional wisdom

用法筆記

Frequently modified by adjectives such as 'ancient,' 'traditional,' 'folk,' or 'oral.' This sense focuses on collective cultural knowledge rather than an individual's mental ability.

3. a belief or opinion that is accepted by most people in a society, often without

3.名詞C1
釋義

普遍看法

社會上多數人接受的信念或看法

a belief or opinion that is accepted by most people in a society, often without being questioned.

例句

Conventional wisdom says that eating breakfast is important for your health.

主流觀點認為吃早餐對健康很重要。

fixed phrase: conventional wisdom + says that-clause

Élise challenged the accepted wisdom that remote workers are less productive.

Élise 挑戰了「遠距工作者效率較低」這個普遍看法。

verb + wisdom: challenge the [adjective] wisdom

同義詞
反義詞
  • counterculture

    a way of life opposed to the accepted norms

  • heresy

    an opinion that goes against what is generally accepted, especially in a religious context

文法句型

uncountable

almost always in the fixed phrases: conventional wisdom, received wisdom

用法筆記

Rarely used outside the fixed expressions 'conventional wisdom' and 'received wisdom.' The phrase typically introduces a belief that is later questioned or proven wrong.

常見錯誤

❌The wisdom is that exercise is good for you.
✅Conventional wisdom says that exercise is good for you.
💡'wisdom' alone does not mean 'what most people believe'; use the full phrase 'conventional wisdom.'

4. the habit of making careful and sensible choices, especially by thinking about p

4.名詞B2
釋義

明智；審慎

做決定時謹慎且明智的品質

the habit of making careful and sensible choices, especially by thinking about possible dangers or problems before you act.

例句

Vikram had the wisdom to save part of his income every month.

Vikram 很明智，從第一份工作開始每個月都存一部分收入。

pattern: have the wisdom to [infinitive]

Sumin questioned the wisdom of driving home through the heavy snowstorm.

Sumin 質疑在暴風雪中開車回家是否明智。

pattern: question the wisdom of [gerund]

同義詞
反義詞

文法句型

uncountable

patterns: have the wisdom to [verb], question/doubt the wisdom of [gerund]

用法筆記

Focuses on the quality of a specific decision or action rather than a person's general ability (sense 1). Frequently appears in the patterns 'have the wisdom to [do something]' and 'question/doubt the wisdom of [doing something].'

常見錯誤

❌He acted with wisdom when he invested all his money in one stock.
✅He had the wisdom to spread his investments across different funds.
💡investing all money in one stock is the opposite of prudent wisdom; the example should show careful, risk-aware decision-making.