amorphous
gb/əmˈɔɹfəs/ us/əmˈɔɹfəs/
C1
Anglais
Sens
0 sens
adjective
formal
C1
property
1
vague; lacking clear structure
not clear or well organized
Schéma d’usage :
an amorphous [plan/idea/movement/organization]
Erreur fréquente :
Do not confuse with anonymous (unknown name) or ambiguous (having more than one meaning).
Synonymes
ill-defined (emphasizes unclear limits or boundaries.)
|
vague (more general; stresses lack of detail.)
|
unstructured (focuses on lack of organization.)
Antonymes
well-defined (clear boundaries or meaning.)
|
structured (organized into a clear system.)
|
coherent (logically connected and easy to follow.)
Collocations
amorphous idea
|amorphous plan
|amorphous concept
|amorphous goals
|amorphous movement
|amorphous organization
|amorphous group
|amorphous collection
|amorphous mass
|amorphous sense
Thèmes
business
|education
|politics
|communication
Exemples
- The proposal was still amorphous, with no clear budget or timeline.
- What began as an amorphous online campaign gradually became a formal organization.
- She had an amorphous sense that something was wrong but couldn’t explain why.
Exemples pédagogiques
- His plan is amorphous and hard to understand.
- The group has an amorphous structure.
adjective
C1
property
2
shapeless; without a clear outline
without a clear shape
Schéma d’usage :
an amorphous [shape/mass/blob/cloud]
Erreur fréquente :
Amorphous describes the shape (or lack of it), not size; a small object can be amorphous too.
Synonymes
shapeless (plain, everyday word for lacking shape.)
|
formless (slightly more literary; stresses absence of form.)
|
indistinct (emphasizes being hard to see clearly.)
Antonymes
distinct (easy to see or recognize.)
|
shaped (having a definite form.)
|
angular (having clear edges and corners.)
Collocations
amorphous shape
|amorphous blob
|amorphous mass
|amorphous cloud
|amorphous shadow
|amorphous figure
|amorphous lump
|amorphous form
|amorphous silhouette
|amorphous outline
Thèmes
daily_life
|nature
|art
Exemples
- In the fog, the boat looked like an amorphous shadow on the water.
- The jelly spread into an amorphous mass on the plate.
- From a distance, the crowd was just an amorphous blur of movement.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The stain became an amorphous blob.
- The cloud was amorphous.
adjective
technical
C2
property
3
noncrystalline solid material
not having a crystal structure
Schéma d’usage :
amorphous [solid/material/silicon/glass]
Erreur fréquente :
In science, amorphous is different from liquid: an amorphous solid is still a solid.
Synonymes
noncrystalline (direct scientific synonym; emphasizes lack of crystals.)
Antonymes
crystalline (having an ordered crystal lattice.)
Collocations
amorphous solid
|amorphous material
|amorphous glass
|amorphous silicon
|amorphous polymer
|amorphous phase
|amorphous structure
|amorphous carbon
|amorphous film
|amorphous state
Thèmes
science
|materials
|chemistry
|physics
Exemples
- Glass is often described as an amorphous solid rather than a crystalline one.
- The device uses amorphous silicon in a thin film layer.
- Rapid cooling can trap a material in an amorphous phase.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Glass is an amorphous solid.
adjective
technical
C2
property
4
lacking a fixed body form
without a clear body shape
Schéma d’usage :
amorphous [cells/organism/tissue]
Erreur fréquente :
This sense is mainly scientific; in everyday writing it usually means “vague” or “shapeless.”
Synonymes
formless (general word; less technical.)
Antonymes
structured (having distinct parts and organization.)
Collocations
amorphous cells
|amorphous tissue
|amorphous organism
|amorphous body
|amorphous mass of cells
|amorphous cytoplasm
Thèmes
science
|biology
Exemples
- Under the microscope, the sample contained amorphous material with no clear cellular structure.
- The organism appears amorphous at this stage of development.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
amorphous
API
GB/əmˈɔɹfəs/
US/əmˈɔɹfəs/
Syllabes et accentuation
amorph - ous (2 syllabes)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ous)
Formes du mot
Adjective
- Base: amorphous
Famille de mots
Core family
amorphously
adverb C1
amorphousness
noun
Related words
formless
adjective
shapeless
adjective
Advanced or less common
morphology
noun C1
morphological
adjective C1
Expressions
an amorphous blob
1/ən əmˈɔɹfəs blˈɑb/
fixed phrase
a shapeless lump
a shapeless lump
Exemples
- On the radar screen, the storm appeared as an amorphous blob.
- He pointed to an amorphous blob of clay and said it would become a bowl.
- The stain on the carpet spread into an amorphous blob.
an amorphous group
1/ən əmˈɔɹfəs ɡɹˈup/
fixed phrase
formal
a loosely organized group
a group with no clear organization
Exemples
- It started as an amorphous group of volunteers with no formal roles.
- The report refers to an amorphous group of investors rather than a single company.
- Opposition came from an amorphous group of activists and local residents.
an amorphous mass
1/ən əmˈɔɹfəs mˈæs/
fixed phrase
a large shapeless amount
a big shapeless group or amount
Exemples
- From the hill, the city looked like an amorphous mass of buildings.
- The spilled wax cooled into an amorphous mass on the table.
- In the darkness, the crowd became an amorphous mass.
an amorphous plan
1/ən əmˈɔɹfəs plˈæn/
fixed phrase
formal
a plan lacking details
a plan that is not clear
Exemples
- They rejected the proposal as an amorphous plan with no measurable goals.
- After hours of discussion, the team still had only an amorphous plan to improve sales.
- Her manager asked her to turn the amorphous plan into a concrete schedule.