idea
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++i·dea /aɪˈdɪə/ ●●● S1 W1 noun 1 plan/suggestion 计划/建议 [countable]IDEA a plan or suggestion for a possible course of action, especially one that you think of suddenly 〔尤指突然想到的〕计划；建议；想法，主意 You should talk to Ken - he’s always full of good ideas. 你应该和肯谈谈，他总是满脑子好主意。 I knew it was a bad idea to leave him on his own. 我知道把他独自留下不是个好主意。 It was my wife’s idea to move house. 要搬家是我妻子的主意。idea for The idea for the book came from an old war movie. 这本书的构思源自一部战争老电影。the idea of doing something I had the idea of asking Katie for help. 我想请凯蒂帮忙。 ► Don’t say ‘the idea to do something’. Say the idea of doing something. However, you can say it is a good idea to do something and it was someone’s idea to do something.不要说 ‘the idea to do something’. 而要说 the idea of doing something. 但可以说 it is a good idea to do something 以及 it was someone’s idea to do something.2 knowledge 认识 [countable, uncountable]UNDERSTAND a general understanding of something, based on some knowledge about it 大致的了解 Could you give me an idea of how bad his injuries are? 你能告诉我他的伤有多严重吗？ You must have some idea (=have at least a little knowledge) of what happened to the money. 这笔钱的去向你肯定略知一二。 Don’t worry if you don’t understand it right now – you’ll get the idea (=begin to understand or be able to do something). 如果你现在不明白，不要着急你会懂的。have no idea/not have any idea She doesn’t have any idea where they’ve gone. 她压根儿不知道他们去哪里了。a general/rough idea (=a not very exact idea) 大致的想法 Can you give me a rough idea of how much the repairs will cost? 你能否告诉我修理费用大约要多少？not have the faintest/slightest/foggiest idea spoken I don’t have the faintest idea what to get Rachel for her birthday. 我完全不知道该给蕾切尔买什么生日礼物。3 aim/intention 目的/意图 [countable, uncountable]PURPOSE the aim, intention, or purpose of doing something 〔做某事的〕目的，意图 The idea is to teach children to save money. 目的是教孩子省钱。idea of/behind The idea behind the outing is to encourage employees to get to know each other. 远足的目的是鼓励员工相互了解。 They wanted Mike to go to law school, but he had other ideas (=had different plans). 他们想让迈克上法学院，但他另有打算。4 how you imagine STH to be 如何想象某事物 [countable, uncountable]IMAGINE an image in your mind of what something is like or should be like 概念，想法idea of Chefs differ in their idea of what makes a good dessert. 拿什么当餐后甜点最好，厨师们想法各异。 I only have a vague idea of the kind of work I’ll be doing. 我对将要从事的工作只有个模糊的概念。 It helps if you have a clear idea of what you want. 清楚自己要的是什么有好处。not my idea of something Chocolate milk and a piece of cake is not my idea of dinner. 巧克力牛奶加一块蛋糕并不是我想象中的晚餐。 The very idea of kissing him made her feel physically sick. 一想到要吻他，她就恶心想吐。5 belief/opinion 信念/意见 [countable usually plural]BELIEVE someone’s opinion or belief about something 〔某人对某事的〕看法，信念6 principle 原则 [countable]BELIEVE a principle or belief about how something is or should be 原则，信念7 have an idea (that) SUREto be fairly sure that something is true, without being completely sure 猜想(…)，估计(…)〔指猜想确有某事，但无绝对把握〕8 get the wrong idea UNTRUEto think that something is true when it is not 误解9 have the right idea CORRECTto act or think in a way that will probably lead to the correct result 〔行事或思维〕方法正确，方向对头10 that’s/there’s an idea spokenLIKE somebody OR something used to say that you like what someone has just suggested 好主意〔用于表示赞同某人的建议〕11 that’s the idea spoken12 bright idea a very clever idea, often used in a joking way to mean a very stupid idea or action 聪明点子，好主意〔常为反话，用于开玩笑〕13 give somebody ideas/put ideas into somebody’s head to make someone think of doing something that they had not thought of doing before, especially something that they should not do 使某人产生某种念头〔尤指不该做的事〕14 is it somebody’s idea of a joke? used when you are surprised and often rather annoyed by what someone has said or done 有某人这样开玩笑的吗？〔用于对某人的言语或行为表示惊讶和生气〕15. what’s the big idea? spoken used when you cannot understand why someone has done something (你)这是干什么？(你)这样做用意何在？16 you have no idea (how/what etc) spokenVERY used when you are telling someone that something is extremely good, bad etc 你简直想不到〔用于告诉某人某事非常好、非常坏等〕17. the idea! old-fashioned spokenAPPROVE used to express surprise or disapproval when someone has said something stupid 什么话！〔用于对方说了蠢话时，表示惊讶或贬斥〕 → buck your ideas up at buck up COLLOCATIONSverbshave an idea 有个主意I’ve had an idea. Why don’t we walk into town? 我有主意了，我们走着去城里怎样？get an idea 获得灵感She got the idea from an article in a magazine. 她从杂志上的一篇文章获得了灵感。give somebody an idea 令某人想到What gave you the idea for the book? 你是怎么想到写这本书的？come up with an idea (=think of an idea) 想到一个主意He’s always coming up with interesting ideas. 他老是会有一些新奇的念头。hit on an idea informal (=suddenly think of an idea) 突然有了个主意Then we hit on the idea of renting a cottage. 于是我们突然想到租一间乡村小屋。toy with an idea informal (=think about using an idea, but not very seriously) 不很认真地考虑I’m toying with the idea of going back to college. 我在想要不要回去上大学，只是随便想想罢了。brainstorm ideas (=get a group of people to all try and think of ideas) 集思广益，头脑风暴nWe had a meeting to brainstorm ideas for the new advertising campaign.share/exchange ideas (=tell someone else your ideas, and learn their ideas) 分享/交流想法nan opportunity for local business people to share ideasan idea comes to somebody (=someone suddenly thinks of an idea) 某人突然想到一个主意The idea came to me while I was having a bath. 我在洗澡时想到了这个主意。adjectivesa good/bad idea 好主意/坏主意Keeping the drinks cold in the bath was a good idea. 把冷饮放在浴缸里保温是个好主意。nKnocking down this wall was a really bad idea.a great/brilliant/excellent idea 极好的主意What a great idea! 多妙的主意！a bright idea (=a very good idea - often used ironically) 聪明点子〔常作嘲讽语〕Whose bright idea was it to leave the washing out in the rain? 把洗好的衣服晾在雨中是谁的好主意？a clever idea 聪明点子It seemed like a clever idea at the time. 当时这似乎是个聪明点子。interesting 有趣的The idea sounded interesting, but I didn’t think it would work. 这主意听起来挺有意思，但我觉得不可行。stupid/ridiculous/crazy 愚蠢的/可笑的/疯狂的nThe idea sounded crazy to me.nCamping in the middle of winter was a ridiculous idea!nHe had the crazy idea of hitchhiking around South America.original/innovative (=no one has thought of it before) 有独创性的/新颖的nThe company is looking for people who can come up with original ideas.a half-baked idea (=an idea that has not been carefully thought out) 考虑不周的主意nIt’s yet another of the government’s half-baked ideas.phrasesbe full of ideas (also be bursting with ideas) (=have a lot of ideas) 有许多奇思妙想The children were enthusiastic and full of ideas. 这些小孩子热情很高，思维活跃。nfire/bounce ideas off one another (=discuss each other’s ideas and think of good new ones)Our regular meetings are opportunities to fire ideas off each other. THESAURUSidea something that you think of, especially something that you could do or suggest 主意，想法I think that’s an excellent idea. 我觉得那个主意太妙了。Let me know if you have any good ideas. 你有什么好主意的话就告诉我。thought something that comes into your mind 想法，念头The thought had entered my mind that he might be lying. 我心里产生了一个想法: 他可能在撒谎。It was a worrying thought. 那个念头真让人心焦。She was lost in her thoughts. 她陷入沉思。impression the idea that you have in your mind about what someone or something is like 印象What was your impression of him? 你对他有什么印象？inspiration a good and original idea, which makes you think of doing or creating something 灵感Where did you get your inspiration from for the book? 写这本书的灵感你是哪里得来的？nHe suddenly had a flash of inspiration.nThe design for the house was entirely the inspiration of the architect.brainwave British English, brainstorm American English a sudden new and clever idea, especially one that solves a problem 灵感，突然想到的妙计I thought I’d have to sell the house, but then I had a brainwave. 我原以为得把房子卖掉，不过后来我想到了一条妙计。concept an idea of how something is, or how something should be done 概念；观念Concepts of beauty are different in different cultures. 不同的文化中美的概念各不相同。the traditional concept of marriage 传统的婚姻观notion an idea about life or society, especially one that is a little silly or old-fashioned 〔尤指有点傻或过时的〕概念，观点 There is no evidence to support the notion that poverty is caused by laziness. 没有证据能证实穷困是懒惰造成的这一观点。
Examples from the Corpus
idea• Ideas and customs used to be passed on intact down the generations.• Ideas of how society should function have changed dramatically in the last 200 years.• "I have an idea, " she said. "Why don't you come with us?"• He also uses personification rather a lot throughout the novel to give us more of an idea of what he was experiencing.• an idea for a new TV game show• We're trying to think of a name for the book. Does anyone have any ideas?• The balanced-budget amendment would be a bad idea under any circumstances.• As a general rule, it is a good idea not to choose the same accountant as your manager.• That's a good idea!• medieval ideas about the origins of the universe• Yet, as was suggested earlier in this section, new ideas were being bandied about.• Here are some new ideas for quick meals that taste great.• Where did the new ideas come from?• Men and women alike listen to others' ideas and sympathise with their problems.• Do you agree generally with Marx's ideas?• I never wanted to go to Spain. It was Sue's idea.• Who's idea was it to ask him to the party?• How old is the idea that there is life after death?• Nobody seemed very keen on the idea that we should all dress up for the party.• We make toys that are both fun and educational - at least that's the idea.• The idea behind the commercials is that reading is as cool and entertaining as their favorite bands.• The idea of an underground garage in the park has provoked a lot of anger.• The idea of the centre was to provide a place where old people could go during the day.• Individual students contribute to the knowledge base as authors and are acknowledged when others use their ideas.idea for• Ellen got the idea for the business ten years ago.have some idea• We also have some idea of how casting might be achieved.• He might have some ideas about what she should do next.• You must have some idea of when Joyce will be home.• I now have some idea of what it's about.• You should now have some ideas about how well your group is working.• The researcher has to have some idea of what he or she is looking for, even though the outcome may be unpredictable.• Also very important, if at all possible, is to have some idea of a teacher's normal mode of operation.• Once you have some ideas of what would suit you, you will need help to take these ideas forward.idea of/behind• Is it possible to explain the asymmetry by way of a clear idea of power or capacity, ability, or disposition?• He has some idea of me as a cheating seductress out to get his brother.• So did the idea of perfect circles or spheres though Ptolemy added other variants.• But if the idea of a hefty loss unnerves you, consider shortening your maturities.• Yet there is profit and truth in the idea of innocence, especially as Twain understood and exploited it.• The subsidiary was built with the idea of spinning it off, they said.• The idea of the recycling campaign is to preserve the environment.• The idea of staying in Oregon was beginning to appeal to her, but Roy was nonchalant about it.• What's your idea of the perfect romantic evening with a man?idea of• the Christian idea of an eternal soul• Mowing the lawn is not my idea of fun.• I like Louis's idea of meeting on Saturday mornings.idea about• Her ideas about marriage are very old-fashioned.idea that• This process abandons the old idea that it is necessary to start with a two-carbon feedstock to make the two-carbon acetic acid.• They were defending the right of the pamphleteer to publish ideas that were unpopular in society or inconvenient for the state.• The conversation between group members often reveals ideas that might not be expressed in other circumstances.• This concept is based on Rousseau's idea that men are born morally neutral.• We pretty much accept without protest the idea that part-time workers will get paid less.• This in turn led to the idea that the universe could be finite in imaginary time but without boundaries or singularities.• The idea that femininity is in the first place to be associated with motherhood is simply writ large.• In order to understand how this happens we need to understand two ideas that are central to cognition theory.• The whole idea that he'd been thinking about since Christmas seemed pointless all of a sudden.Origin idea (1300-1400) Latin Greek, from idein “to see”i·dea noun →10-17
→COLLOCATIONS1 →THESAURUS1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable
→COLLOCATIONS1 →THESAURUS1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable
for or a plan a of suggestion possible Corpus course
idea
i‧dea S1 W1 /aɪˈdɪə/
noun
You should talk to Ken - he's always full of good ideas.
I knew it was a bad idea to leave him on his own.
It was my wife’s idea to move house.
idea for
The idea for the book came from an old war movie.
the idea of doing something
I had the idea of asking Katie for help.
► Do not say ‘the idea to do something’. Say the idea of doing something. However, you can say it is a good idea to do something and it was someone’s idea to do something.
2. KNOWLEDGE [uncountable and countable] a general understanding of something, based on some knowledge about it:
Could you give me an idea of how bad his injuries are?
You must have some idea (=have at least a little knowledge) of what happened to the money.
Don’t worry if you don’t understand it right now – you’ll get the idea (=begin to understand or be able to do something).
have no idea/not have any idea
She doesn’t have any idea where they’ve gone.
a general/rough idea (=a not very exact idea)
Can you give me a rough idea of how much the repairs will cost?
not have the faintest/slightest/foggiest idea spoken:
I don’t have the faintest idea what to get Rachel for her birthday.
3. AIM/INTENTION [uncountable and countable] the aim, intention, or purpose of doing something:
The idea is to teach children to save money.
idea of/behind
The idea behind the outing is to encourage employees to get to know each other.
They wanted Mike to go to law school, but he had other ideas (=had different plans).
4. HOW YOU IMAGINE SOMETHING TO BE [uncountable and countable] an image in your mind of what something is like or should be like
idea of
Chefs differ in their idea of what makes a good dessert.
I only have a vague idea of the kind of work I’ll be doing.
It helps if you have a clear idea of what you want.
not my idea of something
Chocolate milk and a piece of cake is not my idea of dinner.
The very idea of kissing him made her feel physically sick.
5. BELIEF/OPINION [countable usually plural] someone’s opinion or belief about something
idea about
She had some rather unusual ideas about raising children.
where did you get that idea? (=used to say that what someone thinks is completely wrong)
No, I’m not seeing Jane. Where did you get that idea?
6. PRINCIPLE [countable] a principle or belief about how something is or should be
idea of
The whole idea of democracy was something strange and new to most people.
idea that
It’s based on the idea that all people are created equal.
7. have an idea (that) to be fairly sure that something is true, without being completely sure:
I’m not sure where my necklace is, but I have a pretty good idea who took it.
8. get the wrong idea to think that something is true when it is not:
Don’t get the wrong idea about Dan and Helen – they’re just friends.
9. have the right idea to act or think in a way that will probably lead to the correct result:
He still makes a few mistakes but I reckon he’s got the right idea.
10. that’s/there’s an idea spoken used to say that you like what someone has just suggested:
‘Why don’t you invite Paula to come with us?’ ‘There’s an idea.’
11. that’s the idea spoken
a. used to tell someone who is learning to do something that they are doing it the right way, in order to encourage them:
Keep your knees bent and lean forward slightly. That’s the idea!
b. used to emphasize what the main point of something is, or to say that someone understands that point:
‘You’re thinking of getting a new job?’ ‘Yeah, that’s the idea.’
12. bright idea a very clever idea, often used in a joking way to mean a very stupid idea or action:
Whose bright idea was it to leave the back door wide open?
13. give somebody ideas/put ideas into sb’s head to make someone think of doing something that they had not thought of doing before, especially something that they should not do:
Nick tells me he wants a motorbike. Have you been putting ideas into his head?
14. is it sb’s idea of a joke? used when you are surprised and often rather annoyed by what someone has said or done:
‘She wants you to do it by tomorrow.’ ‘Is that your idea of a joke?’
15. what’s the big idea? spoken used when you cannot understand why someone has done something
16. you have no idea (how/what etc) spoken used when you are telling someone that something is extremely good, bad etc:
You have no idea how worried I was.
17. the idea! old-fashioned spoken used to express surprise or disapproval when someone has said something stupid
⇨ buck your ideas up at buck up(4)
■ verbs
▪have an idea I’ve had an idea. Why don’t we walk into town?
▪get an idea She got the idea from an article in a magazine.
▪give somebody an idea What gave you the idea for the book?
▪come up with an idea (=think of an idea) He’s always coming up with interesting ideas.
▪hit on an idea informal (=suddenly think of an idea) Then we hit on the idea of renting a cottage.
▪toy with an idea informal (=think about using an idea, but not very seriously) I’m toying with the idea of going back to college.
▪brainstorm ideas (=get a group of people to all try and think of ideas) We had a meeting to brainstorm ideas for the new advertising campaign.
▪share/exchange ideas (=tell someone else your ideas, and learn their ideas) an opportunity for local business people to share ideas
▪an idea comes to somebody (=someone suddenly thinks of an idea) The idea came to me while I was having a bath.
■ adjectives
▪a good/bad idea Keeping the drinks cold in the bath was a good idea. | Knocking down this wall was a really bad idea.
▪a great/brilliant/excellent idea What a great idea!
▪a bright idea (=a very good idea - often used ironically) Whose bright idea was it to leave the washing out in the rain?
▪a clever idea It seemed like a clever idea at the time.
▪interesting The idea sounded interesting , but I didn’t think it would work.
▪stupid/ridiculous/crazy The idea sounded crazy to me. | Camping in the middle of winter was a ridiculous idea! | He had the crazy idea of hitchhiking around South America.
▪original/innovative (=no one has thought of it before) The company is looking for people who can come up with original ideas.
▪a half-baked idea (=an idea that has not been carefully thought out) It’s yet another of the government’s half-baked ideas.
■ phrases
▪be full of ideas (also be bursting with ideas ) (=have a lot of ideas) The children were enthusiastic and full of ideas.
▪fire/bounce ideas off one another (=discuss each other’s ideas and think of good new ones) Our regular meetings are opportunities to fire ideas off each other.
▪ idea something that you think of, especially something that you could do or suggest: I think that’s an excellent idea. | Let me know if you have any good ideas.
▪thought something that comes into your mind: The thought had entered my mind that he might be lying. | It was a worrying thought. | She was lost in her thoughts.
▪impression the idea that you have in your mind about what someone or something is like: What was your impression of him?
▪inspiration a good and original idea, which makes you think of doing or creating something: Where did you get your inspiration from for the book? | He suddenly had a flash of inspiration. | The design for the house was entirely the inspiration of the architect.
▪brainwave British English, brainstorm American English a sudden new and clever idea, especially one that solves a problem: I thought I’d have to sell the house, but then I had a brainwave.
▪concept an idea of how something is, or how something should be done: Concepts of beauty are different in different cultures. | the traditional concept of marriage
▪notion an idea about life or society, especially one that is a little silly or old-fashioned: There is no evidence to support the notion that poverty is caused by laziness.
i‧dea S1 W1 /aɪˈdɪə/
noun Date: 1300-1400
Language: Latin
Origin: Greek, from idein 'to see'
1. PLAN/SUGGESTION [countable] a plan or suggestion for a possible course of action, especially one that you think of suddenly:Language: Latin
Origin: Greek, from idein 'to see'
idea for
the idea of doing something
► Do not say ‘the idea to do something’. Say the idea of doing something. However, you can say it is a good idea to do something and it was someone’s idea to do something.
2. KNOWLEDGE [uncountable and countable] a general understanding of something, based on some knowledge about it:
have no idea/not have any idea
a general/rough idea (=a not very exact idea)
not have the faintest/slightest/foggiest idea spoken:
3. AIM/INTENTION [uncountable and countable] the aim, intention, or purpose of doing something:
idea of/behind
4. HOW YOU IMAGINE SOMETHING TO BE [uncountable and countable] an image in your mind of what something is like or should be like
idea of
not my idea of something
5. BELIEF/OPINION [countable usually plural] someone’s opinion or belief about something
idea about
where did you get that idea? (=used to say that what someone thinks is completely wrong)
6. PRINCIPLE [countable] a principle or belief about how something is or should be
idea of
idea that
7. have an idea (that) to be fairly sure that something is true, without being completely sure:
8. get the wrong idea to think that something is true when it is not:
9. have the right idea to act or think in a way that will probably lead to the correct result:
10. that’s/there’s an idea spoken used to say that you like what someone has just suggested:
11. that’s the idea spoken
a. used to tell someone who is learning to do something that they are doing it the right way, in order to encourage them:
b. used to emphasize what the main point of something is, or to say that someone understands that point:
12. bright idea a very clever idea, often used in a joking way to mean a very stupid idea or action:
13. give somebody ideas/put ideas into sb’s head to make someone think of doing something that they had not thought of doing before, especially something that they should not do:
14. is it sb’s idea of a joke? used when you are surprised and often rather annoyed by what someone has said or done:
15. what’s the big idea? spoken used when you cannot understand why someone has done something
16. you have no idea (how/what etc) spoken used when you are telling someone that something is extremely good, bad etc:
17. the idea! old-fashioned spoken used to express surprise or disapproval when someone has said something stupid
⇨ buck your ideas up at buck up(4)
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purpose what sth is supposed to achieve; what sb is trying to achieve 指目的、目标 ：◆ Our campaign's main purpose is to raise money. 我们这次活动的主要目的是募款。 aim what sb is trying to achieve; what sth is supposed to achieve 指目标、目的 ：◆ She went to London with the aim of finding a job. 她去伦敦是为了找工作。 ◆ Our main aim is to increase sales in Europe. 我们的主要目标是增加在欧洲的销售量。
purpose or aim? 用 purpose 还是 aim？
intention what you intend to do 指打算、计划、意图 ：◆ I have no intention of going to the wedding. 我无意去参加婚礼。 ◆ She's full of good intentions but they rarely work out.她虽然处处出于善意，却很少行的通。 plan what you intend to do or achieve 指计划、打算 ：◆ There are no plans to build new offices. 现在没有建新办公楼的计划。
intention or plan? 用 intention 还是 plan？
point ( the purpose or aim of sthrather
指意图、目的、理由 ：◆ What's the point of all this violence?这些暴行的意图何在？ ◆ The point of the lesson is to compare the two countries. 本课的目的是比较这两个国家。 idea ( the purpose of sth; sb's aimrather
指目的、意图 ：◆ The whole idea of going was so that we could meet her new boyfriend. 我们去的唯一目的就是要见她的新男朋友。 ◆ What's the idea behind this?这背后的意图是什么？
point or idea? 用 point 还是 idea？
Patterns
with the purpose/aim/intention/ideaof doing sthsb's intention/plan to do sth to have a(n) purpose/aim/intention/plan/pointto achieve/fulfil a(n) purpose/aim
