喜樂美語
  1. 1/sɪmˈbɑːlɪk/ · /sɪmˈbɒlɪk/象徵性的

    Symbolic describes something that represents or stands for a bigger idea or feeling, rather than mattering just by itself. For example, shaking hands can be a symbolic act showing peace or agreement - the handshake itself is small, but it stands for something bigger. People also say an action is 'merely symbolic' when they mean it looks meaningful but doesn't actually change anything in a practical way.

    示範例句 · Example

    Turning off the lights for one hour is a symbolic act — it saves little power, but it makes people think.

    逐字關掉燈一個小時是一個象徵性的行為——它省下很少的電，但它使人們思考。

    常見搭配

    • a symbolic gesture

      象徵性的表態

      something you do to show people how you feel

      In a symbolic gesture, he gave up his own office to the new team.

    • a symbolic act

      象徵性的行為

      an action done to express an idea or feeling

      Lighting the Olympic flame is a symbolic act.

    • largely symbolic

      主要是象徵性的

      having very little real effect

      The new rule is largely symbolic, since almost nobody breaks it anyway.

    • purely symbolic

      純粹象徵性的

      having no real effect at all

      Our protest was meant to be purely symbolic.

    • symbolic importance / significance

      象徵意義上的重要性

      the value something has because of what it represents

      The old bridge has great symbolic importance for the village.

core核心畫面

組成symbol (a sign or picture that represents something else) + -ic (an adjective ending)

同家族的字

  • symbolthe base noun - a sign, object, or picture that stands for something else
  • symbolizesymbol + -ize - the verb meaning 'to represent' or 'stand for'

原始詞典資料2 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

symbolicadj

  • 1

    Pertaining to a symbol.

    • Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […]. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. When a series of bank failures made this impossible, there was widespread anger, leading to the public humiliation of symbolic figures.
  • 2

    Implicitly representing or referring to another thing.

    • a symbolic gesture
    • They viewed the power shift and diversity as a symbolic but meaningful rebuke of the Islamophobic rhetoric that was a central theme of then Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign.

摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。