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Something unstoppable cannot be stopped, no matter what anyone does to stop it. The '-able' here is doing something worth noticing: it is not about the thing's own power alone, but about whether other people can put a stop to it. So the picture behind the word is always someone trying and failing.
Something unstoppable unstoppable的東西 cannot be stopped沒辦法被擋下來, no matter what anyone does to stop it不管別人做什麼想阻止它都一樣. The '-able' here這裡的'-able' is doing something worth noticing在做一件值得注意的事: it是 not about the thing's own power alone講的不只是那個東西本身的力量, but about whether other people can put a stop to it而是別人到底能不能讓它停下來. So所以 the picture behind the word is always someone trying and failing這個字背後的畫面,永遠是有人嘗試阻止,卻失敗了.
You use it in three main ways. For people: an unstoppable player, singer, or keeps winning and nobody can block them. For things that move or grow: an unstoppable train, an unstoppable rise in prices, an unstoppable spread of a disease. And for feelings that come out of you whether you want them or not: an unstoppable urge to laugh, unstoppable tears.
You你 use it in three main ways這個字主要有三種用法. For people用在人身上: an unstoppable player, singer, or salesperson an unstoppable player, singer, or salesperson(勢不可擋的選手、歌手或業務員) keeps winning and nobody can block them一直贏,沒有人擋得住. For things that move or grow用在會移動或成長的東西上: an unstoppable train an unstoppable train(停不下來的火車), an unstoppable rise in prices an unstoppable rise in prices(無法阻擋的物價上漲), an unstoppable spread of a disease an unstoppable spread of a disease(無法遏止的疾病擴散). And for feelings that come out of you whether you want them or not還有用在不由自主冒出來的情緒上: an unstoppable urge to laugh an unstoppable urge to laugh(忍不住想笑的衝動), unstoppable tears unstoppable tears(止不住的眼淚).
In real speech it is usually a compliment and usually a big, warm — 'she's unstoppable this season' does not mean literally no one can ever beat her; it means she is on a run and looks that way right now. Sports commentators, business writers, and coaches love it. It is common in ordinary conversation too, so unlike many long English words this one is safe to say out loud.
In real speech在實際說話時, it它 is usually a compliment and usually a big, warm exaggeration通常是一句稱讚,通常也是一種溫暖而誇張的說法 — 'she's unstoppable this season''she's unstoppable this season'(她這一季勢不可擋) does not mean literally no one can ever beat her並不是真的說沒有人能打敗她; it means she is on a run and looks that way right now意思是她現在正處於連勝狀態,看起來就是這樣. Sports commentators, business writers, and coaches love it運動球評、商業作家和教練都很愛用它. It它 is common in ordinary conversation too在日常對話裡也很常見, so unlike many long English words this one is safe to say out loud所以跟很多冗長的英文字不一樣,這個字說出口是安全的.
When it describes something bad — an unstoppable virus, an unstoppable decline — the tone turns from to , but the meaning stays the same.
When it describes something bad當它形容不好的東西時 — an unstoppable virus an unstoppable virus(擋不住的病毒), an unstoppable decline an unstoppable decline(無法阻止的衰退) — the tone turns from admiring to frightened語氣會從欽佩變成恐懼, but the meaning stays the same但意思還是一樣的.
組成un- (not) + stop + -able (can be done to it) → stoppable (able to be stopped) → unstoppable (not able to be stopped). The -able came into English from Old French, from Latin -abilis.
同家族的字
- unbreakablesame un- + verb + -able shape: cannot be broken
- stoppablethe positive form the word is built on — rarely used alone, mostly in sports writing
- unbelievablesame un- ...-able pattern, and like unstoppable it is usually used as praise rather than literally
原始詞典資料1 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法,原文照列,我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的;有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
unstoppableadj/ʌnˈstɔ.pə.bəl/
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Unable to be stopped.
- Their "greatly unstoppable fight" against the cause was a joke.
- In these early days of silent pictures, the accent was chiefly on thrills and danger as provided by supposedly unstoppable locomotives with crooks or maniacs on the footplate.
資料來源:英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary(CC BY-SA 4.0)。 原文照列,未經改寫。