amateur
gb/ˈæmətˌʊɹ/ us/ˈæmətˌʊɹ/
B1
Anglais
~ 2000
Sens
0 sens
Nom
B1
entity
1
Person doing activity for pleasure
Someone who does an activity because they like it, not as their job.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone] is an amateur [in/at something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'amateur' with 'beginner'; however, an amateur can be very skilled but is not paid for the work.
Synonymes
nonprofessional (More formal term; emphasizes lack of professional status without implying skill level.)
|
hobbyist (Focuses on doing something as a hobby rather than work.)
Antonymes
professional (Someone who is paid to do the activity as their job.)
Collocations
keen amateur
|talented amateur
|amateur photographer
|amateur athlete
|amateur musician
Thèmes
hobbies
|work
|sports
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- She’s an amateur photographer who loves taking pictures of nature.
- Many amateur runners joined the city marathon.
- He started as an amateur painter but now sells his work.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I am an amateur cook.
- My father is an amateur singer.
- She is an amateur in tennis.
adjective
B1
property
2
Non-professional in nature or quality
Done by someone who is not paid or trained for the activity.
Schéma d’usage :
an amateur [activity/attempt/performance]
Synonymes
nonprofessional (Neutral description of unpaid or informal status.)
Antonymes
professional (Describes work done by someone with formal training and payment.)
Collocations
amateur performance
|amateur competition
|amateur club
Thèmes
work
|sports
|arts
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The show featured both professional and amateur actors.
- He gave an impressive performance for an amateur team.
- Amateur astronomy is a popular pastime.
Exemples pédagogiques
- This is an amateur football match.
- They are amateur actors in the play.
- I like amateur art shows.
Nom
informal
B2
entity
3
Unskilled or incompetent person
Someone who is not good at what they are doing.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone] is such an amateur at [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may mistakenly think this sense always means unpaid; here, it focuses on lack of skill, often with a negative tone.
Synonymes
novice (Focuses on being new to something rather than lacking skill generally.)
|
incompetent (Stronger, more negative term implying inability to do something well.)
Antonymes
expert (A person with great skill or knowledge in an area.)
Collocations
complete amateur
|such an amateur
Thèmes
daily life
|work
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- Don’t let an amateur handle the wiring—it could be dangerous.
- He’s a complete amateur when it comes to cooking.
- You can tell this report was written by an amateur.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I am an amateur at driving.
- He is such an amateur in cooking.
- She is a complete amateur with computers.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
amateur
API
GB/ˈæmətˌʊɹ/
US/ˈæmətˌʊɹ/
Syllabes et accentuation
am - a - teur (3 syllabes)
Stress on 1st syllable (am)
Formes du mot
Adjective
- Base: amateur
Noun
- Base: amateur
- Plural: amateurs
Famille de mots
Forms
amateurs
noun
Core family
amateurish
adjective
Related words
amateurism
noun
Negative and opposite forms
professional
noun B1
Advanced or less common
amateurishly
adverb
Expressions
amateur hour
1/ˈæmətˌʊɹ ˈaʊɚ/
fixed phrase
informal
Unprofessional situation or performance
A time or situation when people act without skill or professionalism.
Exemples
- The meeting was completely disorganized—it was amateur hour.
- That sloppy presentation felt like amateur hour.
rank amateur
1/ɹˈæŋk ˈæmətˌʊɹ/
fixed phrase
informal
Completely inexperienced person
A person with almost no skill or experience in something.
Exemples
- He’s a rank amateur when it comes to fixing cars.
- You can’t trust a rank amateur with such an important job.