An heiress is a woman who will receive, or has already received, a lot of money or property when an older member of her family dies. The money is not wages; it is what the family already owns — a house, land, a company, a fortune. Newspapers like the word because it paints a picture: a young heiress, a hotel heiress, an oil heiress.

An heiressheiress is a woman who will receive, or has already received, a lot of money or property是指一個女性，會得到，或已經得到一大筆錢或財產 when an older member of her family dies在家裡年長的成員過世後 The money is not wages這筆錢不是薪水 it is what the family already owns而是家裡本來就擁有的東西 a house, land, a company, a fortune房子、土地、公司、一大筆財富 Newspapers like the word because it paints a picture報紙喜歡用這個詞，因為它能勾出一幅畫面 a young heiress, a hotel heiress, an oil heiressa young heiress（年輕女繼承人）、a hotel heiress（飯店女繼承人）、an oil heiress（石油女繼承人）

Though actually, you can call someone an heiress before anyone has died; it can mean she is the one who is going to get it, not only that she already has it.

Though actually不過其實 you can call someone an heiress before anyone has died你可以在還沒有人過世之前就稱某人為heiress it can mean she is the one who is going to get it這可能是指她是未來會得到財產的那個人 not only that she already has it而不只是說她已經擁有了

The male (or unmarked) word is heir; heiress marks the person as a woman. In careful modern English, heir can be anyone, but heiress is still the word people reach for when they want to say 'this rich young woman'. It is a little old-fashioned and a little glamorous — more at home in news and stories than in everyday talk about ordinary families.

The male (or unmarked) word is heir男性（或不特別標明性別）的字是heir heiress marks the person as a womanheiress則標明這個人是女性 In careful modern English, heir can be anyone在講究的現代英文裡，heir可以指任何人 but heiress is still the word people reach for但人們還是會用heiress這個字 when they want to say 'this rich young woman'當他們想說「這位年輕的有錢女性」時 It is a little old-fashioned and a little glamorous這個詞有點老派，也有點光鮮 more at home in news and stories than in everyday talk about ordinary families比較常出現在新聞和故事裡，而不是一般家庭的日常對話