- 1（無所事事地）耍廢、癱著、發呆放空。台灣年輕人講「在家耍廢」「躺著爛」就是這個意思。注意這個字帶點負面或自嘲的味道，不是中性的「休息」。
To vegetate is to spend time doing almost nothing — not moving much, not thinking much, just sitting there while the hours go by. The picture behind it is a plant: alive, but not going anywhere, not making choices.
To vegetate所謂vegetate is to spend time doing almost nothing就是花時間幾乎什麼都不做 not moving much, not thinking much不太動、也不太想事情 just sitting there while the hours go by就坐在那裡讓時間一小時一小時過去 The picture behind it is a plant它背後的畫面是一株植物 alive, but not going anywhere, not making choices活著，但哪裡也不去，也不做任何選擇
It usually carries a mild complaint or a joke at your own expense: "I just vegetated in front of the TV all Sunday." Said about yourself it is light and self-mocking; said about someone else it can sting, because it suggests they are wasting their life. Sometimes it is used seriously and sadly about a person whose life has shrunk — someone stuck in a hospital bed or a dull job with nothing to occupy them.
It usually carries a mild complaint or a joke at your own expense它通常帶著一點輕輕的抱怨，或是拿自己開玩笑的語氣 ("I just vegetated in front of the TV all Sunday.")（「我整個星期天就這樣vegetate在電視前面。」） Said about yourself it is light and self-mocking說自己的時候是輕鬆、自嘲的 said about someone else it can sting說別人的時候可能會刺人 because it suggests they are wasting their life因為暗示對方在浪費人生 Sometimes it is used seriously and sadly有時候它會被認真、悲傷地用 about a person whose life has shrunk用在一個人生變得很窄小的人身上 someone stuck in a hospital bed or a dull job with nothing to occupy them困在病床上，或困在一份無聊、沒事可做的工作裡的人
There is a related, much colder medical use, 'in a vegetative state', for a patient who is alive but not conscious; that one is not a joke, so be careful before using this word about anyone who is ill. In older, technical writing it can simply mean 'to grow like a plant', but you will rarely meet that.
There is a related, much colder medical use有一個相關但冷很多的醫學用法 'in a vegetative state''in a vegetative state'（處於植物人狀態） for a patient who is alive but not conscious指的是活著但沒有意識的病人 that one is not a joke這個用法一點都不好笑 so be careful before using this word about anyone who is ill所以要用這個字形容生病的人之前要小心 In older, technical writing在比較舊的技術性文章裡 it can simply mean 'to grow like a plant'它可以單純指「像植物一樣生長」 but you will rarely meet that但你很少會遇到這種用法
core核心畫面
組成From Latin vegetare 'to enliven, to bring to life', from vegetus 'lively, active'. This is one of those words whose meaning turned right around: the root means *lively*, but modern English uses it for the opposite, because it went through 'to grow like a plant' — and a plant, however alive, just sits there.
同家族的字
- vegetablesame Latin root veget-; the plant sense is what pulled 'vegetate' toward 'do nothing'
- vegetationsame root, the plants themselves
- vegetarianbuilt on the same veget- root
- vigourfrom Latin vigere 'to be lively', a close relative of vegetus — the 'lively' meaning that vegetate lost
原始詞典資料3 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。
vegetateverb/ˈvɛd͡ʒɪteɪt/
- 1
To grow or sprout.
- 2
To spread abnormally.
- 3
informalTo live or spend a period of time in a dull, inactive, unchallenging way.
- Nor indeed is it likely I shall now ever be able to do more than vegetate, for my few remaining years or months in this or some other solitude. It is literally vegetating, for I have very little locomotive powers beyond those that appertain to a cauliflower.
- I am amazed to see a young man of your appearance and talents—though, after I have been thus depreciating the latter, it is almost an affront to say any thing about those you possess—I am amazed to see you vegetating among your own oaks, as if, like them, growth were your only value."
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。