character

noun

OPAL W

/ˈkærəktə(r)/

/ˈkærəktər/

Idioms

jump to other results

in book/play/movie

[countable] a person or an animal in a book, play or film

the main character in the film
a major/minor character in the book
Who plays the main character?
He loves to draw and create his own cartoon characters.
Clint Eastwood's character is the most sympathetic in the movie.

qualities/features

[countable, usually singular] all the qualities and features that make a person different from others

to have a strong/weak character
character traits
character defects
The book gives a fascinating insight into Mrs Obama's character.
Generosity is part of the American character.

strange/interesting person

[countable] (informal) (used with an adjective) a person, particularly an unpleasant or strange one

There were some really strange characters hanging around the bar.

Extra Examples

Who's that suspicious character hanging around outside?
He reported several undesirable characters lurking around the estate.
a/an unsavoury/undesirable/shady character

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

excellent
exemplary
good
…

verb + character

be
have
form
…

character + noun

trait
defect
flaw
…

preposition

in somebody’s character
out of character

See full entry

[countable] (informal) an interesting or unusual person

She's a character!

Extra Examples

The bar was full of interesting local characters.
You must have come across some real characters, working in the circus.

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

excellent
exemplary
good
…

verb + character

be
have
form
…

character + noun

trait
defect
flaw
…

preposition

in somebody’s character
out of character

See full entry

reputation

[countable, uncountable] (formal) the opinion that people have of you, particularly of whether you can be trusted or relied on

She was a victim of character assassination (= an unfair attack on the good opinion people had of her).
a slur/attack on his character
My teacher agreed to be a character witness for me in court.
a character reference (= a letter that a person who knows you well writes to an employer to tell them about your good qualities)

Extra Examples

Applicants had to obtain character references before being considered for the work.
He had been discharged without a stain on his character.
He was prepared to sue for defamation of character.
The defence lawyer attempted a character assassination of the witness.

symbol/letter

enlarge image

[countable] a letter, sign, mark or symbol used in writing, in printing or on computers

These are the Chinese characters meaning ‘wind’ and ‘water’.
This size of type produces a line 30 characters long.
optical character recognition
The URL contained non-standard characters like question marks.

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

Chinese
etc.
ASCII
…

… of characters

set
string

verb + character

insert
delete

character + noun

set
string

See full entry

Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French caractere, via Latin from Greek kharaktēr ‘a stamping tool’. From the early sense ‘distinctive mark’ arose ‘token, feature, or trait’ (early 16th cent.), and from this ‘a description, especially of a person's qualities’, giving rise to ‘distinguishing qualities’.

Idioms

in character | out of character

typical/not typical of a person’s character
- Her behaviour last night was completely out of character.
- The lawyer argued that his client's violent behaviour was out of character.

in character (with something)

in the same style as something
- The new wing of the museum was not really in character with the rest of the building.

单词	character
释义	character noun OPAL W /ˈkærəktə(r)/ /ˈkærəktər/ Idioms jump to other results in book/play/movie [countable] a person or an animal in a book, play or film the main character in the film a major/minor character in the book Who plays the main character? He loves to draw and create his own cartoon characters. Clint Eastwood's character is the most sympathetic in the movie. see also non-player character Wordfinder biography blockbuster book character editor narrator novel plot publish title Collocations LiteratureLiteratureBeing a writer write/publish literature/poetry/fiction/a book/a story/a poem/a novel/a review/an autobiography become a writer/novelist/playwright find/have a publisher/an agent have a new book out edit/revise/proofread a book/text/manuscript dedicate a book/poem to… Plot, character and atmosphere construct/create/weave/weave something into a complex narrative advance/drive the plot introduce/present the protagonist/a character describe/depict/portray a character (as…)/(somebody as) a hero/villain create an exciting/a tense atmosphere build/heighten the suspense/tension evoke/capture the pathos of the situation convey emotion/an idea/an impression/a sense of… engage the reader seize/capture/grip the (reader’s) imagination arouse/elicit emotion/sympathy (in the reader) lack imagination/emotion/structure/rhythm Language, style and imagery use/employ language/imagery/humour/(US English) humor/an image/a symbol/a metaphor/a device use/adopt/develop a style/technique be rich in/be full of symbolism evoke images of…/a sense of…/a feeling of… create/achieve an effect maintain/lighten the tone introduce/develop an idea/a theme inspire a novel/a poet/somebody’s work/somebody’s imagination Reading and criticism read an author/somebody’s work/fiction/poetry/a text/a poem/a novel/a chapter/a passage review a book/a novel/somebody’s work give something/get/have/receive a good/bad review be hailed (as)/be recognized as a masterpiece quote a(n) phrase/line/stanza/passage/author provoke/spark discussion/criticism study/interpret/understand a text/passage translate somebody’s work/a text/a passage/a novel/a poem Wordfinder anti-hero baddy character goody hero love interest narrator protagonist trait villain Extra Examples The minor characters in the novel provide a lot of the humour. One of the main characters in the film is Leo Bloom, an accountant. the artist who developed the Superman character The writers killed off her character when she wanted to leave the soap. The two lead actors inhabit their characters fully. The main character is played by Nicole Kidman. The film also features the new character Mary Anna Morrison. The actors remained in character to answer questions from the audience. colourful/interesting characters The film jumps between characters and plots and yet fails to properly develop any of them. The book mixes fictional characters with real people. the central/lead character in the story He played the title character in the film Dr. No. The play has strong female characters. Who was your favorite character in the play? The film portrays all the characters as complex human beings. She creates characters the audience can sympathize with. The show has a familiar cast of characters. Among the exhibition's highlights are character studies of the artist's friends and colleagues. The story line and character development are both strong. Topics Film and theatrea2, Literature and writinga2 Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective central chief lead … verb + character play portray inhabit … character + noun development preposition in character See full entry character actor/part/role, etc. a particular type of person in a play, film or TV show He has developed a skill set from his character work in film,TV and stage. qualities/features [countable, usually singular] all the qualities and features that make a person different from others to have a strong/weak character character traits character defects The book gives a fascinating insight into Mrs Obama's character. Generosity is part of the American character. see also acquired characteristic Extra Examples His scruffy appearance does not reflect his character. She revealed her true character when anyone disagreed with her. She's undergone a complete character change since her promotion. It's not in his character to be so secretive. She, too, was a determined character and was not going to give up that easily. a tough/determined/shrewd character Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective excellent exemplary good … verb + character be have form … character + noun trait defect flaw … preposition in somebody’s character out of character See full entry [uncountable] (approving) strong personal qualities such as the ability to deal with difficult or dangerous situations Everyone admires her strength of character and determination. He showed great character returning to the sport after his accident. Adventure camps are considered to be character-building (= meant to improve somebody's strong qualities). Extra Examples The team showed great character in coming back to win. He is a man of good character and integrity. a woman of impeccable moral character Topics Personal qualitiesb1 Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective great verb + character show build phrases strength of character See full entry [countable, usually singular, uncountable] the way that something is; a particular quality or feature that a thing, an event or a place has synonym nature The character of the neighbourhood hasn't changed at all. I love the delicate character of the light in the evening. The police pointed out the illegal character of the protest action. in character buildings that are very simple in character Extra Examples As you move north, the landscape takes on a different character. Each house in the street has its own distinctive character. Food in Italy has a distinct regional character. It's the basil that gives the sauce its essential character. The development detracts from the rural character of the area. The houses are Mediterranean in character. The renovated buildings retain their traditional character. The town centre has lost much of its original character. factors that form the character of a nation the features that make up the national character the public character of material published on the internet Most of the buildings are very simple in character. Your handwriting has a character of its own. offences of a serious character Prague's unique character is reflected in its abundant architectural heritage. Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective distinctive individual unique … verb + character have assume take on … preposition in character See full entry [uncountable] (usually approving) the interesting or unusual quality that a place or a person has The modern hotels here have no real character. a face with a lot of character Extra Examples the individual touches that give character to a house His face has character—I'll say that for it. buildings of considerable character The restaurant is cheap and full of character. I was looking for an old house with character. Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective considerable great verb + character have add give something … preposition of character phrases full of character have a character (all) of its own See full entry strange/interesting person [countable] (informal) (used with an adjective) a person, particularly an unpleasant or strange one There were some really strange characters hanging around the bar. Extra Examples Who's that suspicious character hanging around outside? He reported several undesirable characters lurking around the estate. a/an unsavoury/undesirable/shady character Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective excellent exemplary good … verb + character be have form … character + noun trait defect flaw … preposition in somebody’s character out of character See full entry [countable] (informal) an interesting or unusual person She's a character! Extra Examples The bar was full of interesting local characters. You must have come across some real characters, working in the circus. Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective excellent exemplary good … verb + character be have form … character + noun trait defect flaw … preposition in somebody’s character out of character See full entry reputation [countable, uncountable] (formal) the opinion that people have of you, particularly of whether you can be trusted or relied on She was a victim of character assassination (= an unfair attack on the good opinion people had of her). a slur/attack on his character My teacher agreed to be a character witness for me in court. a character reference (= a letter that a person who knows you well writes to an employer to tell them about your good qualities) Extra Examples Applicants had to obtain character references before being considered for the work. He had been discharged without a stain on his character. He was prepared to sue for defamation of character. The defence lawyer attempted a character assassination of the witness. symbol/letter enlarge image [countable] a letter, sign, mark or symbol used in writing, in printing or on computers These are the Chinese characters meaning ‘wind’ and ‘water’. This size of type produces a line 30 characters long. optical character recognition The URL contained non-standard characters like question marks. Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective Chinese etc. ASCII … … of characters set string verb + character insert delete character + noun set string See full entry Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French caractere, via Latin from Greek kharaktēr ‘a stamping tool’. From the early sense ‘distinctive mark’ arose ‘token, feature, or trait’ (early 16th cent.), and from this ‘a description, especially of a person's qualities’, giving rise to ‘distinguishing qualities’. Idioms in character \| out of character typical/not typical of a person’s character Her behaviour last night was completely out of character. The lawyer argued that his client's violent behaviour was out of character. in character (with something) in the same style as something The new wing of the museum was not really in character with the rest of the building.
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