serpent
gb/sˈɚpənt/ us/sˈɚpənt/
B2
English
~ 5900
kígyó, tengeri kígyó
NOUN
B2
LITERARY
1
kígyó
A2
Usage pattern:
the serpent [in/of] [a place or story]
The hero raised his sword against the massive serpent that guarded the treasure.
A hős kardot emelt a kincset őrző hatalmas kígyó ellen.
A bronze serpent coiled around the staff was carved above the temple door.
A templomajtó fölé egy bot köré tekeredő bronzkígyót faragtak.
In the moonlight, a dark serpent slid silently across the forest path.
The painting shows a golden serpent wrapped around the tree of life.
Pilgrims once believed the sacred well was protected by a divine serpent.
Learner examples
In the story, a big serpent lives in the cave.
A történetben egy nagy kígyó él a barlangban.
The man was afraid when he saw the serpent on the path.
A férfi megijedt, amikor meglátta a kígyót az ösvényen.
A long green serpent moved slowly through the grass.
The old book tells about a bronze serpent on a pole.
They saw a picture of a serpent on the temple wall.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "serpent" in everyday speech when the neutral word "snake" would sound more natural. In most daily situations, say "snake" instead of "serpent", which is mainly for stories, poetry, or religious texts.
Meaning
a snake, especially large
Collocations
venomous serpent
|coiled serpent
|giant serpent
|biblical serpent
|serpent in the garden
|sea serpent
Synonyms
snake (The usual everyday word; less formal or literary than "serpent".)
|
viper (Refers more specifically to certain venomous snakes; often suggests danger more strongly than "serpent".)
Antonyms
mammal (An animal from a very different group (warm‑blooded, usually with hair and live young), contrasting with the reptile nature of a serpent.)
Themes
animals
|literature
|religion
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A snake, especially a long or dangerous one, often in stories or in the Bible.
A snake, especially a large, long, or dangerous one; used mainly in literary, poetic, or religious contexts.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
2
kígyó
B2
Usage pattern:
a serpent [in/among] [a group or place]
Only after the scandal broke did they realize they had sheltered a serpent in their midst.
Csak a botrány kirobbanása után jöttek rá, hogy egy kígyót melengettek a keblükön.
She called him a serpent for spreading lies that destroyed her reputation.
Kígyónak nevezte, amiért olyan hazugságokat terjesztett, amelyek tönkretették a hírnevét.
The novel portrays the charming adviser as a serpent who slowly poisons the king's mind.
He spoke of greed as a serpent coiled around the heart of modern society.
They later discovered that the whistleblower they trusted was in fact a serpent working for their rivals.
Learner examples
He is a serpent who smiles at you and then hurts you.
Olyan, mint egy kígyó: rád mosolyog, aztán bánt.
They later saw that the new manager was a serpent in their small team.
Később látták be, hogy az új menedzser egy kígyó volt a kis csapatukban.
In the movie, the lawyer is a serpent who tricks many people.
She warned her friend, "Be careful, he is a serpent, not a real friend."
The writer calls the corrupt leader a serpent that destroys the country from inside.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use "serpent" as a casual insult in everyday speech. This sounds very dramatic and literary. In daily conversation, words like "liar", "cheat", or "snake" are more natural.
Meaning
a very evil, treacherous person
Collocations
a real serpent
|serpent in our midst
|serpent of temptation
|serpent of jealousy
|political serpent
Synonyms
traitor (Focuses on betrayal of trust or loyalty, especially in groups or nations; slightly less dramatic and religious than calling someone a "serpent".)
|
tempter (Emphasizes leading others into doing wrong, often with a religious or moral tone similar to "serpent".)
|
snake (Informal insult for someone sneaky or untrustworthy; less formal and less strongly moral than the literary "serpent".)
Antonyms
saint (Describes a person seen as extremely good and pure, the opposite of a morally corrupt "serpent".)
Themes
character
|emotions
|religion
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person who seems friendly but is very bad, lies, and may hurt or betray other people.
A person regarded as extremely wicked, deceptive, or treacherous, especially someone who tempts, corrupts, or betrays others while hiding their true nature.
NOUN
B2
LITERARY
3
Usage pattern:
a sea serpent [in] [a story or place]
Sailors once swore they had seen a sea serpent rise from the dark waves.
A tengerészek egykor esküdtek rá, hogy láttak egy tengeri kígyót felemelkedni a sötét hullámokból.
The island legend tells of a great serpent that circles the coast and protects the bay.
A sziget legendája egy hatalmas kígyóról mesél, amely körbejárja a partot, és megvédi az öblöt.
Old maps sometimes showed a coiled serpent in the ocean to mark unknown waters.
In the fantasy novel, a flying serpent guards the final gate to the hidden city.
They dismissed the report of a lake serpent as nothing more than a village story.
Learner examples
The story says a huge sea serpent lives in the cold water.
A történet szerint egy óriási tengeri kígyó él a hideg vízben.
On the old map, a serpent in the sea warns sailors of danger.
A régi térképen a tengerben látható kígyó figyelmezteti a hajósokat a veszélyre.
Children loved the tale of the brave girl who fought the serpent monster.
Many people in the village believe there is a serpent in the deep lake.
In the film, a giant serpent comes out of the ocean at night.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "sea serpent" is a scientific word for a real sea animal. It normally refers to an imaginary monster in legends, not to real sea creatures.
Meaning
mythical giant snake-like monster
Collocations
sea serpent
|mythical serpent
|serpent monster
|serpent of the deep
Synonyms
sea monster (General term for any large imaginary creature in the sea; does not have to be snake-like like a serpent.)
|
dragon (A legendary reptile-like monster that may have wings and breathe fire; similar in feeling but less specifically snake-like than "serpent".)
Antonyms
real animal (Contrasts with the imaginary, legendary status of a mythical serpent.)
Themes
mythology
|fantasy
|literature
|nature
|arts_entertainment
Definition
A very big, imaginary snake-like monster in old stories, often living in the sea.
A giant snake-like monster from myths and legends, often described as living in the sea or guarding a special place.
Grammar
Dictionary form
serpent
IPA
GB/sˈɚpənt/
US/sˈɚpənt/
Syllables & stress
ser - pent (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ser)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: serpent
- Plural: serpents
Word family
Expressions
ancient serpent
1/ˈeɪnʃənt sˈɚpənt/
fixed phrase
literary
biblical title for Satan
A religious way to talk about Satan, seen as the same serpent that tempted humans in the Bible.
Examples
- The preacher warned his listeners not to believe the lies of the ancient serpent.
- Some hymns describe Christ as the one who defeats the ancient serpent.
sea serpent
1/sˈi sˈɚpənt/
fixed phrase
mythical giant snake in the sea
A very big, imaginary snake-like monster that people say lives in the sea.
Examples
- Old sailors' tales often mention a sea serpent longer than their ship.
- Tourists visit the lake hoping to catch a glimpse of the legendary sea serpent.
serpent in one's bosom
1/sˈɚpənt ˈɪn wˈʌnz bˈʊzəm/
idiom
literary
trusted but treacherous person
A person you hold very close and trust, but who secretly plans to hurt or betray you.
Examples
- He felt he had nursed a serpent in his bosom when his protégé stole his ideas.
- The drama shows a family discovering the serpent in their bosom too late.
serpent in the garden
1/sˈɚpənt ˈɪn ðə ɡˈɑɹdən/
idiom
literary
hidden danger in a happy situation
A person or problem that looks small or harmless but can secretly destroy a happy or perfect situation.
Examples
- Critics called the new extremist group the serpent in the garden of the young democracy.
- The film shows how a single lie becomes the serpent in the garden of their perfect marriage.