Word · CEFR C2 · Frequency #13873
proverbial
谚语的；谚语式的
of, relating to, or resembling a proverb
- 1.
Of, resembling, or expressed as a proverb, cliché, fable, or fairy tale.
谚语的、类似谚语的,或以谚语、陈词滥调、寓言或童话形式表达的。
- 2.
Optionally placed before an element of a well-known proverb or metaphor to emphasize that the element is not being used in a literal sense (see Usage notes below)
可选地置于著名谚语或隐喻的某个成分之前,以强调该成分并非按字面意义使用(参见下方用法说明)
- 3.
Widely known; famous; stereotypical.
广为人知的；著名的；典型的。
众所周知的；闻名的；谚语的、类似谚语的,或以谚语、陈词滥调、寓言或童话形式表达的。；可选地置于著名谚语或隐喻的某个成分之前,以强调该成分并非按字面意义使用(参见下方用法说明)；广为人知的；著名的；典型的。；谚语的
In use
The boss's bad temper is proverbial, so new employees try not to annoy him.
That family's hospitality is proverbial; they always welcome guests warmly.
The teacher's strictness is proverbial at our school, but her students love her.
the proverbial + noun
the proverbial 提示后面的事物来自某个众所周知的谚语或俗语，不是字面义。
Losing that client was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.
失去那个客户正是谚语里压垮骆驼的最后一根稻草。
proverbial + noun
proverbial 作定语时表示“谚语的、谚语式的”。
That phrase is a proverbial expression for sudden danger.
那个短语是表示突然危险的谚语式表达。
be proverbial
proverbial 作表语时意思是“众所周知的、闻名的”。
Connections
Collocations
- proverbial wisdom
- 谚语中的智慧；民间智慧
- The old man shared his proverbial wisdom with the children.那位老人与孩子们分享了他谚语式的智慧。
- proverbial saying
- 谚语；谚语式的说法
- The teacher explained the proverbial saying to the class.老师向全班解释了这个谚语式的说法。
- the proverbial elephant in the room
- 众所周知却又避而不谈的大问题；谚语中的大象
- The rising cost was the proverbial elephant in the room.不断上涨的成本是那个众所周知却又避而不谈的问题。
- the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back
- 压垮骆驼的最后一根稻草（谚语所指的）
- The delay was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.这次延误成了压垮骆驼的最后一根稻草。
- the proverbial early bird
- 谚语中说的早起的鸟儿
- She was the proverbial early bird and got the best seat.
Learner notes
Memory Tip
联想 proverb（谚语）去掉 r 加 ial，即‘谚语的’；谚语人人挂在嘴边，所以引申为‘众所周知的、闻名的’。
Context & Register
语域：neutral 常见场景：formal essays、public speeches、journalism proverbial 通常出现在书面语和正式演讲中，尤其在 the proverbial... 结构里，指代众所周知的谚语或说法。日常口语中较少单独使用，但在固定搭配中也会出现。
Pronunciation & Spelling
真正与 proverbial 押韵的是 adverbial（/ədˈvəːbiəl/）。controversial 的结尾读 /ʃəl/；editorial、material 的重读元音和结尾分别为 /ɔːriəl/、/ɪəriəl/；labial 读 /ˈleɪbiəl/，虽拼写含 bial，但重读元音不同。除 adverbial 外，这些拼写相近的词都不押韵。
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.