C1 adjective 文語

arch

/ɑːrtʃ/

As an adjective, 'arch' describes a style of communication or a look that is playfully mischievous, knowing, or ironic. It implies that the person is teasing or shares a secret understanding that others might not possess.

例文

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1

She gave him an arch look when he pretended not to know who had sent the flowers.

She gave him a knowing, playful look when he pretended not to know who had sent the flowers.

2

The professor's arch comments about the curriculum suggested he found the new rules slightly absurd.

The professor's ironic comments about the curriculum suggested he found the new rules slightly absurd.

3

Stop being so arch and just tell me the gossip already!

Stop being so mysterious and playful and just tell me the gossip already!

語族

名詞
archness
副詞
archly
形容詞
arch
関連
arch-rival
💡

覚え方のコツ

Visualize someone raising their eyebrow into the shape of an 'arch' while they tell you a playful secret or a sarcastic joke.

クイックテスト

When I asked if she knew about the surprise party, she just gave me an ______ smile and walked away.

正解!

正解は: arch

例文

1

She gave him an arch look when he pretended not to know who had sent the flowers.

everyday

She gave him a knowing, playful look when he pretended not to know who had sent the flowers.

2

The professor's arch comments about the curriculum suggested he found the new rules slightly absurd.

formal

The professor's ironic comments about the curriculum suggested he found the new rules slightly absurd.

3

Stop being so arch and just tell me the gossip already!

informal

Stop being so mysterious and playful and just tell me the gossip already!

4

The novelist employs an arch narrative voice to critique the vanity of the upper classes.

academic

The novelist employs a sophisticated and ironic narrative voice to critique the vanity of the upper classes.

5

The marketing director made an arch remark about the competitor's surprisingly high prices.

business

The marketing director made a sly, knowing remark about the competitor's surprisingly high prices.

語族

名詞
archness
副詞
archly
形容詞
arch
関連
arch-rival

よく使う組み合わせ

arch smile a knowing or mischievous smile
arch look a playful or teasing facial expression
arch tone a voice that sounds ironic or teasing
arch eyebrow an eyebrow raised in a knowing or skeptical way
arch comment a remark intended to be sly or witty

よく使うフレーズ

with an arch expression

having a playful or teasing look on one's face

arch-nemesis

a principal or chief enemy (different sense of 'arch')

arch-villain

a main or most powerful villain

よく混同される語

arch vs arch (noun)

The noun refers to a curved physical structure; the adjective refers to a mischievous personality trait.

arch vs arched

'Arched' describes something physically curved into a shape, while 'arch' describes a tone or attitude.

📝

使い方のコツ

This adjective is primarily used in literary contexts or sophisticated social descriptions. It almost always describes a facial expression, a tone of voice, or a specific remark that suggests the person knows more than they are saying.

⚠️

よくある間違い

Learners often mistakenly use 'arch' as an adjective to describe physical shapes (e.g., 'an arch window'), when they should use 'arched'.

💡

覚え方のコツ

Visualize someone raising their eyebrow into the shape of an 'arch' while they tell you a playful secret or a sarcastic joke.

📖

語源

Derived from the Greek 'arkhos' (meaning chief or principal), it evolved from 'arch-rogue' (a chief rogue) to describing the playful, sly characteristics associated with such a person.

文法パターン

Used attributively (before a noun) like 'an arch smile'. Can be used predicatively (after a verb) like 'Her tone was arch'.
🌍

文化的な背景

The term is frequently encountered in 19th and 20th-century British literature, such as the works of Jane Austen or Oscar Wilde, to denote subtle social wit.

クイックテスト

When I asked if she knew about the surprise party, she just gave me an ______ smile and walked away.

正解!

正解は: arch

関連単語

antiphobure

C1

A specialized substance, treatment, or psychological mechanism used to counteract or neutralize a specific phobia or chronic state of fear. It refers to both pharmacological agents and therapeutic interventions that specifically target the reduction of irrational dread.

contrastaency

C1

This adjective describes a state or quality characterized by sharp, distinct differences or a high degree of contrast against a surrounding context. It is primarily used in technical, artistic, or analytical settings to highlight elements that are intentionally divergent or visually striking.

transrogous

C1

A transrogous is a transitional entity or conceptual bridge that connects two distinct systems, categories, or states of being. It is primarily used in theoretical modeling to describe a point of intersection where properties of both surrounding domains are visible.

semiuniation

C1

The process or state of being partially joined or incomplete unification where elements remain distinct despite being combined. It typically describes a compromise between total separation and a complete merger in organizational or technical contexts.

antehospdom

C1

To provide preliminary care or hospitality within a domestic setting before a person is admitted to a formal institution or before a formal event occurs. This term describes the transitional phase of home-based management that precedes professional intervention.

superdentable

C1

To create profound and permanent indentations in a surface by applying extreme force or pressure. This term is typically used in specialized material stress tests to describe the act of compromising a structural surface's integrity through excessive marking.

multivity

C1

The state or quality of possessing multiple dimensions, functions, or activities simultaneously within a single system or entity. It describes a complex nature where various roles or layers coexist and interact rather than existing in isolation.

encitor

C1

A person or agent that rouses, stimulates, or provokes others into action or a particular emotional state. It is typically used to describe an individual who instigates change or a catalyst that initiates a complex process.

multicarnness

C1

Relating to the state of possessing or manifesting in multiple physical bodies or fleshy forms simultaneously. It is used to describe entities, particularly in speculative fiction or philosophy, that transcend a single biological vessel.

supermentdom

C1

A state or condition of absolute intellectual supremacy or a realm governed by an elite group of superior minds. It refers to the conceptual domain where cognitive power and mental prowess dictate the structure of authority or society.

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