An expletive is a rude word you throw out when you are angry, hurt, or shocked — the kind some people bleep on TV. Shit is a clear example; weaker ones like damn sit in the same box.

An expletive is a rude wordexpletive 是一個粗話 you throw out when you are angry, hurt, or shocked當你生氣、受傷或嚇到時脫口而出的 — the kind some people bleep on TV也就是有些人在電視上會消音的那種. Shit is a clear exampleshit 就是一個明顯的例子; weaker ones like damn而像 damn 這種比較輕的字 sit in the same box也算在同一類裡.

News writing used to print “expletive deleted” when a public person swore, and that is how many English speakers first met the word.

News writing used to print “expletive deleted”新聞報導以前會印出「expletive deleted（刪去粗話）」 when a public person swore當公眾人物罵髒話時, and that is how many English speakers first met the word許多英語使用者就是這樣第一次認識這個字的.

Though actually, an older, quieter meaning is a word that fills a hole in a sentence without adding much meaning (the there in there is a cat). Swear words got pulled into that name because they often fill the sentence the same way: they let the feeling out more than they tell you a fact.

Though actually不過其實, an older, quieter meaning比較舊、比較不起眼的意思 is a word that fills a hole in a sentence是指句子裡填補空缺、卻沒有增添什麼意思的字 without adding much meaning (the there in “there is a cat”)（像「there is a cat」裡的 there）. Swear words got pulled into that name髒話會被歸進這個名稱, because they often fill the sentence the same way是因為它們常常用同樣的方式填滿句子: they let the feeling out more than they tell you a fact它們發洩情緒的成分多過陳述事實.

In ordinary talk, though, if someone says expletive, they almost always mean the rude word.

In ordinary talk在日常說話裡, though不過, if someone says expletive如果有人說 expletive, they almost always mean the rude word幾乎都是指粗話.