Word · Frequency #19752
shackle
束缚；桎梏；镣铐
A thing that restricts freedom or movement, such as a fetter or a metaphorical barrier.
- 1.
A length of cable or chain equal to 121⁄2 fathoms (75 feet or about 22.9 metres), or later to 15 fathoms (90 feet or about 27.4 metres).
卸扣；U形钩；桎梏；束缚物
In use
The dog was shackled to a post in the yard.
She felt shackled by her fear of speaking in public.
Outdated systems are shackling the company's ability to grow.
shackle sb/sth to sth
动词用法：本义为用镣铐把某人或某物拴在某处，常用被动语态。
The prisoners were shackled to the cell wall.
囚犯们被镣铐锁在牢房墙上。
be shackled by sth
动词用法：引申义表示受限制、受束缚，主语常为抽象事物。
The company is shackled by debt.
这家公司被债务所束缚。
in shackles
名词用法：in shackles 常作状语，表示戴着镣铐，也可比喻处于束缚之中。
The prisoner was brought into court in shackles.
那名囚犯戴着镣铐被带进法庭。
Common mistakes
The prisoner was put in a shackle.The prisoner was put in shackles.
shackle 作“镣铐”讲是可数名词，但整套脚镣或手铐由成对的环组成，习惯用复数 shackles，如 in shackles。单数 a shackle 指单个环或U形卸扣，不是整副镣铐。汉语“镣铐”没有单复数区分，所以容易漏掉 -s。
The law is a shackle to economic growth.The law is a shackle on economic growth.
名词 shackle 表示“束缚物、障碍”时，固定搭配介词 on，即 a shackle on something，强调被限制的对象。汉语“对……的束缚”容易直译成 to，但英语中这里要用 on 来指明束缚在什么上面。
The economy is shackled with old regulations.The economy is shackled by old regulations.
被动结构中，施动者（造成束缚的人或事物）要用 by 引导；with 只表示工具或伴随状态，如 shackled with chains。把旧法规视为束缚的来源时，必须用 by，对应汉语“被……所束缚”。
Connections
Collocations
- the shackles of the past
- 过去的束缚；往日的桎梏
- He wanted to free himself from the shackles of the past.他想摆脱过去的束缚。
- throw off the shackles
- 摆脱桎梏；挣脱束缚
- The country finally threw off the shackles of colonial rule.这个国家终于摆脱了殖民统治的枷锁。
- be shackled by
- 被……束缚；受……制约
- Workers were shackled by strict regulations.工人们受到严格规章的束缚。
- shackle a prisoner
- 给囚犯戴上镣铐
- The police shackled the prisoner.警察给囚犯戴上了镣铐。
- anchor shackle
- 锚卸扣
- The anchor shackle was rusted and needed replacing.锚卸扣生锈了，需要更换。
- shackle pin
Learner notes
Memory Tip
记忆：shackle≈shack(小屋)+le，想象囚犯被锁在小屋里，即镣铐、束缚。
Context & Register
语域：mixed 常见场景：legal/prison reporting、mechanical/nautical manuals、formal/literary prose shackle 通常可作名词（镣铐、束缚物；机械上的U形卸扣）和动词（束缚、限制）；多用于正式或书面语境，在新闻、法律、文学及技术说明中比较常见。
Pronunciation & Spelling
与 shackle 押韵的词（重读元音和后续辅音相同）：tackle, crackle, cackle, hackle, spackle，均读 /-ækəl/。注意 ankle (/ˈæŋkəl/) 拼写相似但不押韵，其发音为 /-ŋkəl/。
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, WIKTIONARY.