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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Shark: Definition, Usage, and Examples (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：marine predator (shark)

shark 🔊

/ʃɑːrk/

A big sea fish with sharp teeth and a fin on its back, often seen as a dangerous predator in the ocean.

Shark swimming in ocean, dorsal fin above water, sharp teeth visible

marine predator 🔊

➕

/məˈriːn ˈpredətər/

A large, carnivorous fish with a streamlined body, sharp teeth, and a prominent dorsal fin, known as an apex predator in ocean ecosystems.

📁 Category：Animal Protection 🔖 Level：Elementary

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Origin uncertain. Possibly from German 'Schurke' (scoundrel) or Mayan 'xoc' (fish).

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a shark's SHARP teeth. Both the animal and the dishonest person are SHARPLY dangerous.

📖 Example

While snorkeling in Australia, I saw a shark gliding gracefully through the coral reef. 🔊 While snorkeling in Australia, I saw a shark gliding gracefully through the coral reef.

🔗 Collocations

great white shark – a large, powerful species of shark known for its size

shark attack – an incident where a shark bites a human

shark fin – the fin of a shark, sometimes used in cooking

🔄 Synonyms

predator (n.) – an animal that hunts and eats other animals

selachian (n.) – a technical term for a cartilaginous fish like a shark

🚫 Antonyms

prey (n.) – an animal hunted and killed by another for food

🌱 Derivatives

shark-infested (adj.) – describing waters where many sharks are present

📖 Cultural Story

In modern business and pop culture, 'shark' frequently describes ruthless, high-stakes dealmakers. The reality TV show 'Shark Tank', where investors negotiate with entrepreneurs, cemented this aggressive, predatory metaphor in finance and entrepreneurship.

Meaning 2：unscrupulous profiteer (shark)

shark 🔊

/ʃɑːrk/

A dishonest person in business who tricks others into paying too much money for bad advice or services.

Business person as a shark, cunning expression, holding a contract

unscrupulous profiteer 🔊

➕

/ʌnˈskruːpjələs ˈprɒfɪtɪər/

A person, especially in business or finance, who acts dishonestly and aggressively to cheat others out of money, often by overcharging or providing poor-quality services.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

My aunt warned me about that online seller; he turned out to be a shark who charged double the normal price for a used phone. 🔊 My aunt warned me about that online seller; he turned out to be a shark who charged double the normal price for a used phone.

🔗 Collocations

loan shark – a person who lends money at extremely high and often illegal rates of interest

pool shark – a highly skilled and sometimes deceptive pool player

corporate shark – a ruthlessly ambitious and aggressive businessperson

🔄 Synonyms

swindler (n.) – a person who uses deception to deprive someone of money or possessions

chiseler (n.) – a person who cheats or swindles others, especially in small matters

sharp (n.) – a shrewd or dishonest person, especially in business (archaic)

🚫 Antonyms

philanthropist (n.) – a person who seeks to promote the welfare of others, especially by generous donations

patron (n.) – a person who gives financial or other support to a person, organization, or cause

🌱 Derivatives

sharkish (adj.) – resembling or characteristic of a shark; rapacious