swan
gb/swˈɑn/ us/swˈɑn/
B1
Engleză
~ 8400
hattyú, lődörög, ellóg, lófrál, kecses jelenség, nagyot üt, esküszöm, a mindenit, no lám
SUBSTANTIV
B1
1
hattyú
A2
Tipar de utilizare:
a swan [verb] on [water]
A pair of swans were gliding across the still lake at sunset.
Egy hattyúpár siklott át a mozdulatlan tavon naplementekor.
We fed bread to the swans near the river bridge.
Kenyérrel etettük a hattyúkat a folyó hídjánál.
The mute swan is a protected species in many countries.
The dancer’s costume was made to look like the wings of a swan.
Tourists stopped to take photos of the black swan in the park pond.
Exemple pentru cursanți
We saw a white swan on the river.
Láttunk egy fehér hattyút a folyón.
The swan has a very long neck.
A hattyúnak nagyon hosszú nyaka van.
Many swans live on this lake.
A swan is swimming close to the boat.
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes confuse "swan" with "goose" or "duck". All three are water birds, but a swan is usually larger and has a longer neck. Learners may also think swans are always white; in fact, there are black swans as well.
Sens
large long‑necked white waterbird
Colocații
a flock of swans
|graceful swan
|mute swan
|black swan
|swan on the lake
|swan feathers
Sinonime
waterfowl (A more general and technical word for birds that live on water, including ducks, geese, and swans.)
Teme
animals
|nature
|core_vocabulary
Definiție
A big water bird with a long neck and usually white feathers that lives on lakes and rivers.
A large, heavy waterbird with a very long neck, usually white feathers, and a graceful appearance, that lives on or near lakes and rivers.
VERB
B2
INFORMAL
2
Tipar de utilizare:
swan around/about [a place]
While the rest of us were busy, he was swanning around the city with his friends.
Amíg mi többiek elfoglaltak voltunk, ő a barátaival lődörgött a városban.
She swanned off to Italy for a month and left her team to handle the project alone.
Lelépett egy hónapra Olaszországba, és a csapatára hagyta, hogy egyedül vigye a projektet.
He finally swanned in at noon, three hours late for the meeting.
They spend the summer swanning about on expensive yachts.
You can’t just swan around all day and expect everything to get done for you.
Exemple pentru cursanți
He swans around the office and never helps us.
Csak lődörög az irodában, és sosem segít nekünk.
She swanned off to the beach instead of going to class.
Ahelyett, hogy órára ment volna, ellógott a strandra.
Our boss was angry because we were swanning about and not working.
Tom just swanned in at ten o’clock and said nothing.
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners may try to use "swan" in this sense without a preposition, e.g. *"He swanned the city"* instead of "He was swanning around the city." It is usually followed by "around/about" or used in phrasal forms like "swan off" or "swan in." It is also mainly British and informal, so it may sound odd in very formal writing.
Sens
move or travel idly and casually
Colocații
swan around town
|swan about the office
|swan off to [a place]
|just swan in
|swan around all day
Sinonime
wander (Suggests moving without a fixed plan, but without the strong feeling of carelessness or showing off that "swan" can have.)
Antonime
work hard (Opposite in that it means focusing seriously on duties, not moving around idly or carelessly.)
Teme
daily life
|travel
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definiție
To go from place to place in a relaxed way, not working or thinking about your responsibilities.
To walk or travel around in a relaxed, careless, or self-indulgent way, often instead of doing what you are supposed to do.
SUBSTANTIV
C1
LITERARY
3
hattyú
C1
Tipar de utilizare:
[someone] is like a swan
On stage she was a swan, every movement controlled and effortless.
A színpadon hattyúként mozgott: minden mozdulata fegyelmezett és könnyed volt.
In her wedding dress she looked like a swan gliding down the aisle.
Menyasszonyi ruhájában olyan volt, mint egy hattyú, ahogy végigsiklott a padsorok között.
He called her his little swan because of the way she danced across the floor.
The young gymnast, still a child, was already a swan in the eyes of her coach.
Exemple pentru cursanți
The dancer is a swan on the stage.
A táncos a színpadon olyan, mint egy hattyú.
In that white dress she looks like a swan.
Abban a fehér ruhában úgy néz ki, mint egy hattyú.
The critic wrote that the actress was a swan in the final scene.
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners may take this meaning too literally and think it always refers to the bird. In this sense, it is used metaphorically for a person and is more common in poetic or artistic descriptions, not in everyday conversation.
Sens
very graceful person or dancer
Colocații
move like a swan
|a swan on stage
|she is a swan
|ballerina like a swan
Sinonime
beauty (Focuses more on attractive appearance in general, while "swan" suggests both beauty and very graceful movement.)
Antonime
clumsy person (Describes someone who moves in an awkward way, the opposite of the smooth grace suggested by "swan".)
Teme
arts
|people
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definiție
A person, often a dancer, who looks very beautiful and moves in a very smooth and graceful way.
A person, especially a dancer or performer, who is admired for their very graceful, flowing movements or elegant appearance.
VERB
C1
TECHNICAL
4
nagyot üt
B1
Tipar de utilizare:
swan [the ball] over [a fielding position]
He just closed his eyes and swanned it over midwicket for six.
Egyszerűen becsukta a szemét, nagyot lendített, és a midwicket fölött hatosra ütötte a labdát.
Instead of playing a careful shot, the tail-ender tried to swan the ball into the stands and missed completely.
Ahelyett, hogy óvatos ütést játszott volna, a sorvégi ütőjátékos nagy lendítéssel megpróbálta a labdát a lelátóra ütni, de teljesen elhibázta.
You can’t just swan everything; sometimes you have to respect the good balls.
Exemple pentru cursanți
The last batter tried to swan the ball for six.
Az utolsó ütőjátékos megpróbálta hatosra ütni a labdát.
He likes to swan the ball instead of playing safe shots.
Szeret nagyokat ütni a labdába, ahelyett hogy biztonságos ütéseket játszana.
The coach told him not to swan every ball.
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners may not realise this sense is limited to cricket and is informal. Outside of cricket, use more general verbs like "hit" or the cricket term "slog."
Sens
hit cricket ball in wild swing
Colocații
swan the ball
|swan it over midwicket
|swan across the line
Sinonime
slog (A very close cricket term; "slog" is more common and neutral, while "swan" can sound more informal and sometimes critical of the lack of control.)
Antonime
defend (In cricket, to stop the ball safely with the bat instead of swinging hard at it.)
Teme
sports
Definiție
In cricket, to hit the ball with a very big, not very controlled swing, usually trying to send it high and far.
In cricket, to hit the ball with a big, often uncontrolled swinging shot, usually aiming to hit it high and far.
VERB
C2
ARCHAIC
5
Tipar de utilizare:
I swan (that) [clause]
I swan, I haven’t seen a storm like that in years.
Esküszöm, évek óta nem láttam ilyen vihart.
Well, I swan, isn’t that the strangest thing!
No lám, hát nem ez a legfurcsább dolog!
I swan that boy grows taller every time I see him.
Exemple pentru cursanți
I swan, this bag is heavy!
Esküszöm, de nehéz ez a táska!
Old people in some parts of the U.S. might say, "I swan" when they are surprised.
Az Egyesült Államok egyes vidékein az idősebbek meglepetésükben mondhatják azt, hogy „I swan”.
She said, "I swan I never heard such a story."
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners may think this is a normal modern way to say "I swear". In fact, it is old-fashioned and dialect, and is rarely used in modern everyday English except to imitate older rural speech.
Sens
old-fashioned exclamation meaning "I swear"
Colocații
I swan
|I swan that
Sinonime
swear (Standard verb for saying strongly that something is true; "I swan" is a mild, old-fashioned dialect form avoiding stronger language.)
Antonime
doubt (To feel uncertain instead of strongly saying that something is true.)
Teme
communication
Definiție
(Old and dialect) To say "I swear" or "I really say this" when you are surprised.
(Used mainly in the phrase “I swan”) To exclaim in surprise or emphasis, roughly meaning “I swear” or “I declare,” in old-fashioned or dialect American English.
Gramatică
Forma de dicționar
swan
IPA
GB/swˈɑn/
US/swˈɑn/
Silabe și accent
swan (1 silabă)
Stress on 1st syllable (swan)
Forme ale cuvântului
Noun
- Base: swan
- Plural: swans
Verb
- Base: swan
- 3rd Person Singular: swans
- Present Participle: swanning
- Past: swanned
Familie de cuvinte
Forms
swans
noun
swanning
verb
swanned
verb
Related words
cygnet
noun
Advanced or less common
swanlike
adjective
Aspecte importante
- Irregular present participle: swanning Verb
- Irregular past: swanned Verb
Expresii
black swan
1/blˈæk swˈɑn/
idiom
rare, unpredictable, high-impact event
A very rare and surprising event that almost nobody expects, but that changes things in a big way when it happens.
Exemple
- The financial crisis was described as a black swan that few economists predicted.
- Pandemics are the kind of black swan events companies now try to plan for.
swan about
1/swˈɑn əbˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
informal
move about idly or aimlessly
To go from place to place in a relaxed and careless way, often instead of doing something useful.
Exemple
- They’ve been swanning about Europe all summer.
- Stop swanning about the office and give us a hand.
swan around
1/swˈɑn ɚˈaʊnd/
phrasal verb
informal
move idly or showily around
To walk or travel around a place in a relaxed, careless, or showy way, not worrying about work or other people.
Exemple
- He spends the day swanning around the mall instead of looking for a job.
- She was swanning around the party as if she owned the place.
swan in
1/swˈɑn ˈɪn/
phrasal verb
informal
enter casually and confidently
To come into a place in a very relaxed and confident way, often late and not caring what others think.
Exemple
- He finally swanned in ten minutes before the end of the meeting.
- She just swanned in like a celebrity and everyone stared.
swan off
1/swˈɑn ˈɔf/
phrasal verb
informal
go away casually and carelessly
To go away to another place in a relaxed and selfish way, often leaving other people to do the work.
Exemple
- He swanned off to the beach and left us to finish the report.
- She just swanned off to Paris for the weekend without telling anyone.
swan up
1/swˈɑn ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
informal
approach in a showy, casual way
To come up to a place or person in a very relaxed and confident way, often looking like you do not care what others think.
Exemple
- They swanned up in a brand-new sports car.
- He swanned up to the bar and ordered the most expensive drink on the menu.
take a swan dive
1/tˈeɪk ə swˈɑn dˈaɪv/
idiom
informal
fall or drop suddenly and sharply
To fall or drop very quickly and suddenly, often used about numbers, prices, or success levels going down fast.
Exemple
- Tech stocks took a swan dive after the disappointing earnings report.
- His career took a swan dive after the scandal.
swan song
1/swˈɑn sˈɔŋ/
idiom
final work before retirement or end
The last performance, piece of work, or action someone does before they stop doing that kind of work, often because they retire or die.
Exemple
- The novel was considered the author's swan song.
- The director’s latest film is being called his swan song.
- That concert was the band's swan song before they broke up.
- Many fans came to hear the singer’s swan song concert.