Dictionary entry
extraterrestrial being
noun
外星人
a being from outside the Earth
- 1.
a form of life assumed to exist outside the Earth or its atmosphere
In use
The scientist discovered evidence of an extraterrestrial being in the meteorite.
Many people wonder if an extraterrestrial being has ever visited Earth.
The film portrays an extraterrestrial being that communicates through music.
extraterrestrial beings + exist
常用于科学或哲学讨论。
Do extraterrestrial beings exist?
外星人存在吗？
believe in + extraterrestrial beings
Many people believe in extraterrestrial beings.
许多人相信外星人的存在。
encounter + an extraterrestrial being
encounter 强调偶然或意外的相遇。
He claimed to have encountered an extraterrestrial being.
他声称遇到了外星人。
Common mistakes
I saw two extraterrestrial being.I saw two extraterrestrial beings.
名词短语 'extraterrestrial being' 是可数名词，复数形式需加 -s。
The extraterrestrial being technology is advanced.The extraterrestrial technology is advanced.
'extraterrestrial being' 是名词短语，不能用作形容词；修饰名词时应使用形容词 'extraterrestrial'。
Connections
Confusing words
- alien
- 外星人；外国的 · alien 可作名词指外星人（同 extraterrestrial being），也可作形容词指外国的、陌生的；而 extraterrestrial being 仅指外星生物，无形容词用法。
- extraterrestrial
- 外星人的；地球外的 · extraterrestrial 常作形容词（如 extraterrestrial life），作名词时指外星生物，但更正式；extraterrestrial being 是名词短语，更明确强调“生物”。
- UFO
- 不明飞行物 · UFO 指不明飞行物（可能非生物），而 extraterrestrial being 指假设的地外生命体，两者所指不同。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WORDNET.