indistinctly
意味一覧 (2件)
不明瞭に
解説 Definition
声・発音・輪郭・文字などがはっきりせず、聞き取りにくい、見分けにくい状態を表す副詞です。内容が抽象的に曖昧というより、音や形など知覚できるものの明瞭さが足りない場面で使います。
Indistinctly describes a way of speaking, hearing, seeing, or appearing when something is not clear enough to recognize easily. It is often used for sounds, words, shapes, or outlines that are difficult to catch because they are blurred, faint, or not sharply defined. Unlike vaguely, which can describe unclear ideas or memories, indistinctly usually focuses on something you can hear or see but not clearly.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
distinct は「はっきり区別できる、明確な」という意味です。in- が付くと反対になり indistinct は「はっきりしない」、そこに副詞の -ly が付いて indistinctly は「不明瞭に」となります。speak indistinctly, hear indistinctly, appear indistinctly のように、声・音・輪郭がクリアでない場面で覚えると自然です。vaguely は考えや記憶の曖昧さにも広く使えますが、indistinctly は知覚上の不鮮明さが中心です。
Start with distinct, which means "clear" or "easy to tell apart." Add in- to make the opposite, indistinct, and then add -ly to make the adverb indistinctly. It is useful in phrases like speak indistinctly, hear indistinctly, and appear indistinctly, where a sound or shape is not clear to your senses.
例文
He spoke so indistinctly that I had to ask him to repeat his name.
彼はとても不明瞭に話したので、私は名前をもう一度言ってもらわなければならなかった。
Through the fog, we could see the lights of the town only indistinctly.
霧の向こうでは、町の明かりがぼんやりと不明瞭にしか見えなかった。
She heard someone calling her indistinctly from the other room.
彼女は別の部屋から誰かが自分を呼ぶ声を不明瞭に聞いた。
漠然と
(意味 2)解説 Definition
はっきりしない方法で、または曖昧なやり方で。明確性を欠いた、ぼんやりとした状態で発話や認識されること。
Indistinctly means not clearly or sharply. It can describe speech that is hard to hear, shapes that are hard to see, or thoughts and memories that are vague.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
このエントリでは、indistinctly を「漠然と」として覚えます。distinct は「はっきり区別された」なので、in- が付くと境界や中身がきれいに分かれない感覚になります。基本義の「不明瞭に」は声や輪郭が聞き取りにくい・見えにくい場合に使いますが、ここでは考え・印象・記憶などが具体性を欠いてぼんやりしている用法を意識します。vaguely に近いが、やや硬く珍しい言い方です。
Start with `distinct`, which means clear and easy to separate. Add `in-` and `-ly`, and `indistinctly` becomes the idea of hearing or seeing something in an unclear way. It is useful for sounds, voices, or shapes that are blurred rather than sharp.
例文
She spoke so indistinctly that we could barely understand her words.
彼女はぼんやり話したので、私たちは彼女の言葉をほとんど理解できなかった。
The photograph was captured indistinctly due to poor lighting conditions.
その写真は悪い照明条件のためにぼんやり撮られた。
We heard voices indistinctly through the thick walls of the old building.
私たちは古い建物の厚い壁を通して声がぼんやり聞こえた。
indistinctly の語源・成り立ち Etymology
in-「否定」＋distinct「はっきり区別された」＋-ly から成る語です。distinct はラテン語 distinguere「区別する」に由来し、distinguish と同根です。
Indistinctly is made from in-, meaning "not," plus distinct, and the adverb ending -ly. Distinct comes from the Latin distinguere, meaning "to separate" or "to distinguish," which is also the source of distinguish. The word developed the sense of something not being clearly separated or recognized.
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