meaning
noun uk/ˈmiː.nɪŋ/ us/ˈmiː.nɪŋ/
(OF WORD/WRITING/SIGN, ETC.)
B1 [ C or U ]意思，意义;含义
The meaning of something is what it expresses or represents.
The word "flight" has two different meanings: a plane journey, and the act of running away. flight 一词有两个不同的意思：航程和逃跑。
The meaning of his gesture was clear. 他手势的含义很清楚。
His novels often have (a) hidden meaning. 他的小说常有隐含意义。
- More examples
- The meaning of a sentence often depends on stress and intonation.
- The literal meaning of 'television' is 'seeing from a distance'.
- It's sometimes very difficult to draw a clear distinction between the meanings of different words.
- Let's just say we had 'problems', if you get my meaning.
- The skull at the bottom of the picture has a symbolic meaning - it represents death.
(IMPORTANCE)
B2 [ U ]重要性；价值
importance or value
The birth of her first grandchild gave new meaning to her life. 第一个孙辈孩子的出生给她的生命带来了新的意义。
Education had no great meaning for him until much later in his life. 直到许多年之后，教育对他而言才显出了重要价值。
- More examples
- Philosophers have searched for millennia but they haven't found the meaning of life.
- Since I started this job, my life has had new meaning.
- The work must be productive, to give it some meaning.
- These youngsters cannot see the meaning in education.
- Wealth has no meaning for them.