A word you put in front of a noun to say: I am about to use a strong or surprising word for this thing, and yes, I mean it. 'The garden was a veritable jungle.' The garden is not really a jungle — but the speaker wants you to feel that 'jungle' is fair, not an exaggeration. So it works almost like an underline. It very nearly always comes before a noun (you cannot say 'the jungle was veritable'), and the noun is nearly always a big, colourful, slightly over-the-top one: a veritable feast, a veritable army of children, a veritable treasure trove, a veritable flood of complaints.

A word you put in front of a noun to say一個放在名詞前面的字，用來表示： I am about to use a strong or surprising word for this thing我接下來要用一個很強烈或很讓人意外的字來形容這個東西， and yes, I mean it而且我是認真的。 'The garden was a veritable jungle.'「The garden was a veritable jungle.」（這座花園簡直就是一片叢林） The garden is not really a jungle花園其實不是真的叢林 — but the speaker wants you to feel that 'jungle' is fair, not an exaggeration但說話的人希望你覺得用「jungle」這個字很公允，不算誇張。 So it works almost like an underline所以它的作用幾乎就像畫底線強調。 It very nearly always comes before a noun它幾乎總是放在名詞前面 (you cannot say 'the jungle was veritable')（不能說「the jungle was veritable」）， and the noun is nearly always a big, colourful, slightly over-the-top one而且後面的名詞幾乎都是誇張、生動、有點誇大其詞的： a veritable feast, a veritable army of children, a veritable treasure trove, a veritable flood of complaintsa veritable feast（一場盛宴）、a veritable army of children（一大群小孩）、a veritable treasure trove（一座寶庫）、a veritable flood of complaints（排山倒海的抱怨）。

Here is the interesting part. The word literally means 'true, real', and centuries ago that is how it was used plainly. Today the plain meaning is mostly gone, and what is left is the flavour: a bit old-fashioned, a bit literary, often playful or gently joking.

Here is the interesting part有趣的地方來了。 The word literally means這個字字面上的意思是 'true, real'「true, real」（真的、真實的）， and centuries ago that is how it was used plainly幾百年前，它就是老老實實這樣用的。 Today the plain meaning is mostly gone現在這個直白的意思大多已經消失了， and what is left is the flavour留下來的是一種語感： a bit old-fashioned, a bit literary, often playful or gently joking有點老派、有點文學腔，常常帶點俏皮或輕鬆的玩笑。

Newspapers and food writers love it. When a friend says 'she made a veritable banquet', they are half praising the food and half laughing at themselves for using such a grand word.

Newspapers and food writers love it報紙和美食作家很愛用它。 When a friend says當朋友說 'she made a veritable banquet'「she made a veritable banquet」（她辦了一桌盛宴）， they are half praising the food他們一半是在稱讚食物 and half laughing at themselves for using such a grand word一半是在笑自己用了這麼誇張的字。

Because of this, using it about something small or dull sounds odd — the noun after it has to be worth the fuss.

Because of this, using it about something small or dull sounds odd正因如此，拿它來形容渺小或無聊的東西會顯得很怪 — the noun after it has to be worth the fuss後面接的名詞必須值得這樣大驚小怪。