menial + noun
“menial”作形容词修饰名词,常指低贱、琐碎的劳动或职位。
She was tired of doing menial tasks.
她厌倦了做卑微的工作。
仆人;家仆
先理解核心含义,再看它在真实句子里的用法。
仆人;家仆
a domestic servant
She was tired of doing menial tasks.
她厌倦了做卑微的工作。
仆人,尤指家仆。
A servant, especially a domestic servant.
具有顺从性格的人。
A person who has a subservient nature.
The wealthy family hired a menial to clean the house and run errands.
那个富裕的家庭雇了一个家仆来打扫房子和跑腿。
After years of service, the old menial was treated with respect by the children.
多年服务后,这位老仆受到了孩子们的尊重。
She worked as a menial in a large hotel, carrying luggage for guests.
她在一家大酒店做仆役,为客人搬运行李。
“menial”作形容词修饰名词,常指低贱、琐碎的劳动或职位。
She was tired of doing menial tasks.
她厌倦了做卑微的工作。
谓语结构,描述工作或任务的性质。
The job was menial and underpaid.
这份工作卑微且报酬低。
作可数名词,指做粗活、杂活的仆人。
He worked as a menial in the kitchen.
他在厨房当仆人。
Not this
He is a menial person.
Use this
He does menial work.
menial 通常不直接修饰人,而是修饰工作或任务;表示“卑微的人”时应使用 humble 或 lowly。
Not this
He works as a servant; he is menial.
Use this
He works as a servant; he is a menial.
表示“仆人”时 menial 是可数名词,需要加冠词 a;作形容词意为“卑微的”,不可直接指人。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
卑微的工作;杂活
He was tired of doing menial work for low pay.
他厌倦了做低薪的杂活。
卑微的任务;琐碎杂务
The manager assigned me menial tasks such as filing.
经理给我分配了归档之类的琐碎杂务。
低微的工作;佣工性质的职位
Many university students take menial jobs during summer vacation.
许多大学生在暑假做低微的工作。
粗重的体力活;低贱的劳动
The farm relied on menial labor to harvest the crops.
农场依靠粗重的体力活来收割庄稼。
Use menial naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
把 menial 拆成 men(人)加 -ial(形容词尾),想象仆人(men)在干卑微琐碎的活,记住『下人做的活』。
语域:formal 常见场景:historical or literary writing、formal discussions of domestic service 该词作名词指仆人时,多用于较正式或文学性语境,常带有轻视或贬义色彩,现代口语中较少见。
与 menial /ˈmiːniəl/ 押韵的有 genial /ˈdʒiːniəl/、venial /ˈviːniəl/。注意 denial /dɪˈnaɪəl/、trial /ˈtraɪəl/、vial /ˈvaɪəl/ 虽以 -ial 结尾,却读 /aɪəl/;social /ˈsoʊʃəl/ 等以 -ial 结尾的常见词读 /ʃəl/,均不押韵。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, OCTANOVE, WIKTIONARY.