substance

名词主要指构成事物的物质或最核心、最真实的内容，也可指坚实程度、财产和某些药物；作动词时表示使某物变得真实或有实质。

💡 记忆钩子

把 substance 想成“支撑事物、让它真正站得住的东西”：它可以是物质本身，也可以引申为事物的核心内容；有了足够的 substance，东西就显得结实、有分量，甚至可以说一个人很有财产。现代语境中，某些毒品也被笼统地称为 substance。

📝 学习建议

先掌握“物质”和“实质、核心”两条主线，再学习“财产”和“毒品”等固定语境；不要把 substance 一律理解成“物质”。
看到 substance abuse 时，通常应整体理解为“滥用药物或毒品”，而不是泛指对任何物质的滥用。

📖 中文释义

noun

core 物质；材料

📖 指构成物体或存在于其中的实际物质，是让东西真正存在的“材料”。

💡 常用于 the substance of something 或 a substance that...，表示某物由什么构成或含有什么物质。它比 material 更强调“实际存在的物质”，但在一般语境中两者有时可以接近；不要把它只理解为固体材料。

countable uncountable

The scientist found a strange substance in the bottle.

科学家在瓶子里发现了一种奇怪的物质。

Water is the main substance in the mixture.

水是这种混合物中的主要物质。
core 实质；核心内容

📖 指一件事最重要、最有价值的部分，而不是表面形式或外在印象。

💡 常见 the substance of an argument、the substance of a speech 和 have substance 等搭配。它通常指内容、思想或事实的分量；不要把 the substance of 当成单纯的“物质的……”。

countable uncountable

The report has a clear structure, but it lacks substance.

这份报告结构清晰，但缺乏实质内容。

She focused on the substance of his proposal rather than its appearance.

她关注的是他的提议的实质，而不是它的表面形式。
common 坚实度；厚实感

📖 指材料或物体本身具有的厚度、密度和坚实程度，也就是摸起来或看起来是否有分量。

💡 常用于 have little substance、add substance to something 或 a material with substance。这里通常不可数，强调质量或厚实程度；不要误解为“内容丰富”，后者通常属于“实质、核心内容”的用法。

countable uncountable

This thin fabric has very little substance.

这种薄布料几乎没有什么厚实感。
common 财产；资产

📖 指一个人拥有的财产、资源和经济实力，强调其物质基础很充足。

💡 最常见的模式是 a person of substance，表示“有财产、有地位或有经济实力的人”。这个用法较正式，不能简单理解为“有实质的人”；在日常口语中常直接说 wealthy 或 rich。

countable uncountable

He is a man of substance who owns several businesses.

他是个拥有多家企业的富有之人。
common 毒品；违禁药物

📖 在法律、医疗和公共健康语境中，指毒品或可能被滥用的药物等物质。

💡 最常见于 substance abuse、substance use 和 controlled substance 等搭配，通常需要结合上下文判断具体是哪种药物。这个义项常见于正式、医疗或法律语境；不要把 substance 单独出现时一律翻译成“毒品”。

countable uncountable

The program helps young people avoid substance abuse.

这个项目帮助年轻人避免滥用毒品。
rare 本体；本质实体

📖 在哲学或神学中，指独立存在并作为其他性质基础的根本实体或本质。

💡 通常出现在哲学、神学或学术文章中，常与 essence、form 等概念对照。它不是日常英语中普通的“物质”或“内容”；初学时先识别其学术语境即可。

countable uncountable

substances plural

verb

rare 使具体化；使有实质

📖 指把抽象的想法或存在变成真实、具体而有分量的东西，可以看作“赋予它 substance”。

💡 常见的自然替代表达是 give substance to something，而不是直接使用 substanced。该动词十分罕见，主要见于文学或理论文本；学习时认出其“使有实质”的意思即可。

rare transitive

substances present,singular,third-person substancing participle,present substanced participle,past substanced past

📘 英文释义 (WordNet) 共 8 组

the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists

同义词集: substance

DNA is the substance of our genes

上位: component, component part, constituent, matter, part, portion 下位: activator, atom, chemical element, chemistry, element, essence, fluid, material, medium, mixture, stuff, substrate, volatile

a particular kind or species of matter with uniform properties

同义词集: substance

shigella is one of the most toxic substances known to man

上位: matter 下位: agent, antigen, assay, digestive, elixir, ferment, food, fuel, inhibitor, jelly, ligand, lube, lubricant, lubricating substance, lubricator, metabolite, nutrient, philosopher's stone, philosophers' stone, poison, poisonous substance, propellant, propellent, toxicant, vehicle

the property of holding together and retaining its shape;

同义词集: consistency consistence substance body

wool has more body than rayon

when the dough has enough consistency it is ready to bake

上位: property 下位: hardness, softness, thickness, viscosity, viscousness

the idea that is intended

同义词集: meaning substance

What is the meaning of this proverb?

上位: idea, thought 下位: connotation, denotation, extension, implication, import, reference, semantics, significance, strain, tenor

the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience; ;

同义词集: kernel substance core center centre essence gist heart heart and soul inwardness marrow meat nub pith sum nitty-gritty

the gist of the prosecutor's argument

the heart and soul of the Republican Party

the nub of the story

上位: cognitive content, content, mental object 下位: stuff

what a communication that is about something is about

同义词集: message content subject matter substance

上位: communication 下位: acknowledgement, acknowledgment, approval, aside, body, bunk, commendation, commitment, counsel, counseling, counselling, dedication, digression, direction, disapproval, discourtesy, disrespect, divagation, drivel, entry, excursus, garbage, guidance, hokum, humor, humour, import, info, information, insertion, instruction, interpolation, meaning, meaninglessness, memorial, narration, narrative, nonsense, nonsensicality, offer, offering, opinion, packaging, parenthesis, petition, postulation, promo, promotion, promotional material, proposal, publicity, refusal, reminder, request, respects, shocker, significance, signification, statement, story, subject, submission, tale, theme, topic, view, wit, witticism, wittiness

considerable capital (wealth or income)

同义词集: means substance

he is a man of means

上位: capital

material of a particular kind or constitution

同义词集: substance

the immune response recognizes invading substances

🌳 词源

源自拉丁语 substantia，原意与“站在下面、作为支撑”有关，因此逐渐发展出“基础物质”和“内在实质”等含义。

Inherited from Middle English substance, from Old French substance, from Latin substantia (“substance, essence”), from substāns, present active participle of substō (“exist”, literally “stand under”), from sub + stō (“stand”). Displaced native Old English andweorc.

🔄 变式

substanced past substances plural substancing present

🏷 单词标签 & 词根