Word · CEFR C1 · Frequency #22659
imps
顽童；小淘气
imps is the plural of imp.
核心释义
A playful, mischievous person, especially a child.
- 1.
印刷工。
Printer.
- 2.
一种小而淘气的精灵或恶毒的超自然生物,类似但比恶魔小且力量弱,旧时被认为是魔鬼或恶魔之子。
A small, mischievous sprite or a malevolent supernatural creature, somewhat comparable to a demon but smaller and less powerful, formerly regarded as the child of the devil or a demon (see sense 3.2).
- 3.
民间传说中有点调皮的小精灵
(folklore) fairies that are somewhat mischievous
- 4.
袋獾幼崽。
A baby Tasmanian devil.
- 5.
爱调皮捣蛋的人
one who is playfully mischievous
小恶魔；小精灵；小妖精；小袋獾；打印机；印刷工；印刷工。；一种小而淘气的精灵或恶毒的超自然生物,类似但比恶魔小且力量弱,旧时被认为是魔鬼或恶魔之子。
用法In use
The little imp hid his sister's toys.
用法提示：imp作为名词，指淘气的小孩，这里用单数形式。
The imps in the story are always causing trouble.
用法提示：imps是imp的复数形式，指多个顽童或小精灵。
He's a mischievous imp, always playing pranks on others.
用法提示：imp作为名词，与形容词mischievous搭配，强调其调皮的特性。
be an imp
用于描述好恶作剧的小孩或小精灵。
He is such an imp when he plays tricks on his sister.
他捉弄妹妹时真是个顽童。
like an imp
比喻调皮的行为举止。
She smiled like an imp after hiding the remote control.
相关词与表达Connections
搭配Collocations
- little imp
- 小淘气鬼，小顽童
- Come here, you little imp! Who painted the cat?过来，你这个小淘气鬼！谁给猫涂了颜色？
- mischievous imp
- 淘气的小精灵；捣蛋鬼
- The mischievous imp put a toad in my boot.那个捣蛋鬼往我靴子里放了一只癞蛤蟆。
- imp of mischief
- 恶作剧的淘气包
- My brother was an imp of mischief from the moment he could walk.我弟弟从会走路起就是个恶作剧的淘气包。
习语与比喻表达Idioms & figurative uses
- little imp
- 小淘气鬼，小捣蛋You little imp, what have you done now?
学习提示Learner notes
记忆技巧Memory Tip
想象一个小鬼在印刷机（printer）旁捣蛋，imp 就是那种小淘气、小恶魔的形象。
语境与语域Context & Register
语域：mixed 常见场景：folklore and fairy tales、informal talk about a mischievous child、wildlife or zoology contexts imp 的语域随义项变化：指神话或民间传说中的小精灵、小恶魔时，多用于童话、奇幻作品或民俗描述，语感偏中性且略带古雅；指淘气小孩时，通常用于非正式口语，带有亲昵或戏谑的意味；指袋獾幼崽时，则常见于动物饲养或科普类的正式文本。具体用法请结合语境判断。
语法说明Grammar Note
可数名词，复数形式为imps
发音与拼写Pronunciation & Spelling
All six words rhyme with /ɪmp/: chimp, limp, blimp, skimp, shrimp, pimp. Beware lookalikes that start with imp-, such as important /ɪmˈpɔːtənt/ and impossible /ɪmˈpɒsəbəl/, which share /ɪm/ but do not rhyme with imp.
一起学习词形Learn the forms together
页面下方列出了常见词形变化。学习时注意它们在句子中的语法位置。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, OCTANOVE, WIKTIONARY.