1. opposed to great or sudden social change; showing a preference for traditional values
保守的；守舊的
He has very conservative views on education.
他對教育的看法非常保守。
The party's policies are becoming more conservative.
該黨的政策正變得更加保守。
Conservative Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
conservative
adjective
快速理解
What does "Conservative" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Conservative"?
形容傾向於維持現狀、傳統或避免激進改變的態度或立場。
- 1
政治與社會
EN: favoring traditional values and being cautious about change
翻譯: （政治、社會上）傾向傳統價值觀，對改變持謹慎態度
- 2
風格與外觀
EN: moderate, cautious, or restrained in style or appearance
翻譯: （風格、外觀上）適度、謹慎或保守的
- 3
估計與判斷
EN: deliberately low or cautious in estimate
翻譯: （估計、判斷上）故意偏低或謹慎的
小提醒：注意：在政治語境中，'conservative' 通常指「保守派」，與 'liberal'（自由派）相對。但在非政治語境，如 'a conservative estimate'，則意為「保守的估計」，指較為謹慎、不誇大的預估。
發音（How to Pronounce "Conservative" in English）
How to pronounce "Conservative" in English?"Conservative" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Conservative" from YouTube Videos
A Saudi, an Indian and an Iranian walk into a Qatari bar ... | Maz Jobrani | TED
TED
“I ended up on a conservative website. One guy wrote another guy. He said: "I never knew these people laughed".”
(1 out of 16)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Conservative"?How does "Conservative" change by context?
2. cautious and avoiding risk, especially in financial or business matters
（尤指財務或商業上）謹慎的，穩健的
The bank made a conservative estimate of future losses.
銀行對未來的損失做了謹慎的估計。
She takes a conservative approach to investing.
她採取穩健的投資方式。
3. (of an estimate, guess, etc.) deliberately low, so as to avoid overstatement
（估計、猜測等）保守的，低估的
The sales forecast is a conservative one.
這份銷售預測是比較保守的。
A conservative guess would be around 50 people.
一個保守的猜測大約是50人。
4. (of style, taste, or manner) not extreme or excessive; moderate
（風格、品味或舉止）不極端的，適度的，樸素的
She dresses in a conservative style for the office.
她上班時穿著風格很樸素。
The room was decorated in conservative colors.
房間用保守的顏色裝飾。
5. a person who is conservative in their views or politics
保守派人士；保守主義者
He is a true conservative who believes in limited government.
他是一個真正的保守主義者，信奉小政府。
The proposal was criticized by both liberals and conservatives.
這項提案受到了自由派和保守派的批評。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Conservative"?How to make natural sentences with "Conservative"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| conservative + noun | 保守的… | He has very **conservative** views on social issues. (他在社會議題上的觀點非常保守。) |
| be + conservative + about + noun/gerund | 對…持保守態度 | The company is **conservative** about adopting new technologies. (這家公司對於採用新技術態度保守。) |
| be + conservative + in + noun/gerund | 在…方面保守 | She is **conservative** in her spending habits. (她在消費習慣上很保守。) |
| a conservative estimate | 保守的估計 | A **conservative** estimate puts the cost at over one million dollars. (一個保守的估計認為成本超過一百萬美元。) |
| play it conservative | 採取保守做法 | With the game tied, the team decided to **play it conservative** and focus on defense. (比賽平手時，球隊決定採取保守打法，專注於防守。) |
用法說明
How is "Conservative" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Conservative"?
conservative in doing vs conservative to do
- 當描述某人「在做某事時很保守」的習慣或一般狀態時，常用 conservative in doing 的結構。
- 當描述某人「對於去做某事持保守態度」的意願或傾向時，則可能使用 conservative to do 的結構。
- 在正式或書面語中，conservative in doing 更為常見且自然。
- 在口語或較不正式的語境中，有時會省略介系詞，直接使用 conservative doing，但這並非標準用法。 EN: He is conservative in investing his money, preferring government bonds. 翻譯: 他在投資方面很保守，偏好政府債券。
EN:She would be conservative to invest all her savings in a startup.
翻譯:她若將所有積蓄投資於新創公司，會顯得太過保守。
總結建議
在正式寫作中，建議使用「conservative in doing」來表達「在做某事上保守」的含義。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Conservative" and similar words?How to choose "Conservative" vs alternatives?
conservative vs traditional
「conservative」強調對現狀的謹慎維護與對激進改變的抗拒，常帶有政治或社會觀點的意涵；「traditional」則單純指遵循長久以來的習俗、方法或信仰，不一定帶有抗拒改變的立場。
conservative vs cautious
「conservative」常指一套固定的原則或意識形態，傾向於維持現狀；「cautious」則是一種普遍的行為態度，指在任何事情上都小心避免風險。
conservative vs moderate
「conservative」明確傾向於維護傳統與現狀；「moderate」則指立場溫和、不走極端，可能位於激進與保守之間的中間地帶。
conservative vs conventional
「conservative」含有對改變的抗拒與對傳統的堅守；「conventional」則指符合社會普遍接受的做法或標準，不一定反對創新，只是遵循常規。
口語用法
How is "Conservative" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Conservative"?
引述
在對話中，當引述他人對某事物或政策的看法時，常用 "conservative" 來簡潔地描述其立場。 EN: He said his approach to investing is pretty conservative. 翻譯: 他說他的投資方式相當保守。
EN:My parents are conservative when it comes to social media use.
翻譯:我父母對於使用社交媒體的態度很保守。
語氣強調
在口語中，有時會用 "conservative" 來強調估計或猜測是經過深思熟慮、偏向謹慎的，而非隨意或誇大的。 EN: That's a conservative estimate; the actual cost could be much higher. 翻譯: 那是個保守的估計，實際成本可能會高得多。
EN:I'm being conservative here, but I think we'll need at least three more days.
翻譯:我這說法已經很保守了，但我認為我們至少還需要三天。
停頓填充
在組織思緒或尋找合適詞語時，說話者可能會用 "more on the conservative side" 這類短語作為填充，以緩和語氣或避免聽起來過於絕對。 EN: The design is... well, more on the conservative side, but it's elegant. 翻譯: 這個設計嘛...算是比較保守的那種，但很優雅。
EN:I'd lean towards a more conservative option, you know, just to be safe.
翻譯:我會傾向選擇一個更保守的選項，你知道的，就是為了安全起見。
注意：在正式寫作（如學術論文、商業報告）中，應避免將 "conservative" 用作口語中的停頓填充或過於模糊的強調語。應提供具體的數據、定義或更精確的形容詞來支持論點。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Conservative"?What fixed phrases with "Conservative" should I remember?
conservative estimate
adjective + noun
保守的估計
politically conservative
adverb + adjective
政治立場保守的
conservative approach
adjective + noun
保守的方法/態度
socially conservative
adverb + adjective
社會觀念保守的
conservative dress
adjective + noun
保守的穿著
fiscally conservative
adverb + adjective
財政上保守的
conservative investment
adjective + noun
保守的投資
Conservative Party
adjective + noun (proper noun)
保守黨
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Conservative"?Which "Conservative" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×He is a conservatism person.
✓He is a conservative person.
混淆了形容詞 'conservative' 與名詞 'conservatism'。描述人或事物時應使用形容詞 'conservative'。
×He is very conversative.
✓He is very conservative.
拼寫錯誤，常將 'conservative' 誤拼為 'conversative'。正確拼寫為 c-o-n-s-e-r-v-a-t-i-v-e。
×He is conservative, so he must be against all changes.
✓He is conservative, so he tends to be cautious about changes.
過度簡化 'conservative' 的含義。它主要指傾向於維持現狀、謹慎對待改變，而非絕對反對所有改變。
×He is conservative politician.
✓He is a conservative politician.
在可數名詞單數 'politician' 前缺少必要的冠詞 'a'。
×He belongs to the Conservative party.
✓He belongs to the Conservative Party.
當 'Conservative' 作為特定政黨名稱的一部分時，'Party' 也應大寫。在非專有名詞的泛指中則不需要。
×The energy is conservative in this system.
✓The energy is conserved in this system.
在物理學中，'conserved'（守恆的）是描述能量等物理量的正確術語，而 'conservative' 在物理學中通常用於描述力場（如 conservative force）。此處混淆了形容詞形式。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Conservative"?What are tense/participle forms of "Conservative"?