coolness
英 /ˈkuːlnəs/美 /ˈkuːlnəs/
n. 名词
凉爽;冷静;冷漠;酷,时髦
词义解析
本义指温度上的凉爽,即不高不低、令人舒适的温度,如“the coolness of the evening”(夜晚的凉爽)。由此引申出情感或态度上的“冷静、沉着”,指人在压力下保持镇定,如“He handled the crisis with coolness.”(他冷静地处理了危机)。进一步引申为“冷淡、冷漠”,指人际交往中缺乏热情或疏远,如“The coolness between them was obvious.”(他们之间的冷淡显而易见)。在当代口语中,“cool”常表示“酷、时髦”,作为名词的“coolness”便指这种特质,如“the coolness of the new gadget”(新玩意儿的酷劲)。各义项间有隐喻关联:温度低→情感冷静→社交冷淡→态度超然(酷)。
词根溯源
派生自形容词“cool”,源自古英语“cōl”,意为“凉爽的”,与德语“kühl”同源。后缀“-ness”是名词后缀,表示状态或性质,因此“coolness”字面即“凉爽的状态”。记忆时可拆解为“cool(凉爽)+ ness(名词后缀)”,联想到“凉爽的感觉”,再引申到抽象意义。
适用语境
“coolness”在学术写作中多用于描述物理温度或心理状态,语气客观;在商务邮件中较少出现,若出现多指冷静处理事务,如“We appreciate your coolness in negotiations.”;日常口语中更常用“cool”而非“coolness”,但提及“酷”时可用,如“I love the coolness of this jacket.”;新闻报道中可能形容局势的“冷静”或“冷淡”,如“The coolness between the two leaders was evident.”;法律文本中极少使用,可能指“冷静期”相关概念;文学作品中常用来描写环境或人物情绪,富有表现力。各场景下语气从正式到随意,含义侧重不同。
语法说明
“coolness”是不可数名词,通常不带冠词,如“Coolness is essential in this situation.”。但有时可加定冠词特指,如“the coolness of the water”。常见句型有“with coolness”(冷静地)、“the coolness between A and B”(A与B之间的冷淡)。易错点:不要与“cool”作名词混淆(“cool”作名词时更口语化,如“keep your cool”保持冷静);“coolness”不用于复数。
相似词辨析
与“coldness”相比,“coldness”更强调温度极低或情感上的冷酷,而“coolness”温度适中,情感上偏冷静而非冷酷。与“calmness”相比,“calmness”侧重内心平静,不涉及时髦或冷漠;“composure”强调沉着自控,比“coolness”更正式。“coolness”在表示“冷漠”时,比“indifference”更温和;“indifference”强调漠不关心。在表示“时髦”时,与“trendiness”、“stylishness”相近,但“coolness”更口语化,带有主观评价。
使用注意
“coolness”在语域上属于中性词,可用于正式或非正式场合,但表示“酷”时偏口语。褒贬色彩取决于语境:表示“凉爽”或“冷静”为褒义或中性;表示“冷漠”略带贬义;表示“时髦”为褒义。常见误用:将“coolness”用于复数(错误);或混淆“coolness”与“cool”作名词的用法;在表示“酷”时,过度使用可能显得不自然,因为口语中更常用“cool”作形容词。
高频搭配
- coolness of the evening
- maintain one's coolness
- coolness between them
- with coolness
- the coolness of the water
- an air of coolness
- coolness under pressure
- the coolness of the design
双语例句
- The coolness of the morning air was refreshing.早晨空气的凉爽令人神清气爽。
- She maintained her coolness during the heated debate.在激烈的辩论中,她保持了冷静。
- There was a noticeable coolness between the two colleagues after the argument.争吵过后,两位同事之间明显冷淡。
- The new smartphone has an undeniable coolness that appeals to young people.这款新智能手机有一种不可否认的酷感,吸引着年轻人。
- His coolness in the face of danger earned him respect.他在危险面前的沉着为他赢得了尊重。
- The coolness of the marble floor felt good on a hot day.炎热的日子里,大理石地板的凉爽感觉很好。