Word · CEFR C1 · Frequency #18743
motleys
使斑驳；使多样化
motleys is the third person singular of motley.
To give something a patchy, varied, or multicolored appearance
- 1.
To give something a patchwork appearance.
使某物呈现拼凑外观
- 2.
To make something multicolored, variegated, or diverse in character.
使某物多色、多样化或多元化
使某物呈现拼凑外观；使某物多色、多样化或多元化
In use
The artist motleyed the old fence with leftover paints, turning it into a patchwork of colors.
Each autumn, falling leaves motley the ground with orange, crimson, and gold.
The decorator hopes to motley the plain room with mismatched but charming furniture.
Verb forms
base motley · third person motleys · -ing motleying · past motleyed · past participle motleyed
规则动词，过去式和过去分词加-ed
Connections
Idioms & figurative uses
- a motley crew
- 一群形形色色、五花八门的人The volunteers were a motley crew of students, retirees, and professionals.这些志愿者是一群由学生、退休人员和专业人士组成的形形色色的人。
- a motley collection
- 五花八门的汇集；杂七杂八的一堆His desk held a motley collection of pens, keys, and old receipts.他的书桌上堆着钢笔、钥匙和旧收据，五花八门。
- a motley lot
- 一群形形色色、五花八门的人（常含贬义）The band was a motley lot, but they played beautifully together.这支乐队成员五花八门，但他们合奏得很美。
Pop culture & quotes
- A fool, a fool! I met a fool i' the forest, / A motley fool.
- 一个傻瓜，一个傻瓜！我在森林里遇见一个傻瓜，一个穿彩衣的傻瓜。In Shakespeare's As You Like It, Jaques uses 'motley fool' to describe the court jester Touchstone; the phrase later gave rise to 'motley crew'.在莎士比亚的《皆大欢喜》中，杰奎斯用“motley fool”来描绘宫廷小丑试金石；这个说法后来衍生出“motley crew”（杂七杂八的一伙）。
- On with the motley, the paint and the powder!
- 穿上彩衣，抹上油彩和白粉！
Learner notes
Memory Tip
记忆联想：把 motley 想象成一件拼布衣，动词就是把不同色块拼上去，使某物斑驳、多样。
Context & Register
语域：formal 常见场景：文学描写、诗歌语言、正式书面语 作为动词，motley 比较罕见，多用于文学或诗歌性语境，通常带有“使……显得斑驳、多样”的修辞色彩。日常口语中很少使用。
Pronunciation & Spelling
与 motley /ˈmɑtli/ 真正押韵的常见词是 hotly /ˈhɑtli/。注意形近词读音不同：barley /ˈbɑrli/ 多一个 /r/，trolley /ˈtrɑli/ 少了 /t/，bottle /ˈbɑtəl/ 结尾为 /əl/，mottled /ˈmɑtəld/ 结尾为 /əld/；它们都不押韵。不要按 -ley 拼写读成 /ˈmoʊtli/。
Usage priority
Collins 词频等级为 1，建议结合例句记忆，而不是只背中文释义。
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, WORDNET.