好词典

mercenary

UK //ˈmɜː.sən.ər.i//US //ˈmɝː.sən.er.i//

词源

源自拉丁语 'mercenarius',意为 '雇佣的' 或 '为工资工作的',来自 'merces'(报酬)。

noun

❶ 指为金钱而受雇于外国军队的士兵,通常不顾及战争的道义或立场,纯粹为了报酬而战。

“The warlord hired mercenaries to fight his battles.”

(军阀雇佣了雇佣兵来为他打仗。)

“Mercenaries often have no loyalty to the cause they fight for.”

(雇佣兵通常对他们为之战斗的事业没有忠诚。)

同义词:soldier of fortune, hired gun, contract killer

adjective

❶ 形容人或行为是出于金钱动机而非原则或忠诚,通常带有贬义,暗示贪婪或缺乏道德。

“His mercenary attitude made him unpopular among his colleagues.”

(他唯利是图的态度让他在同事中不受欢迎。)

“She married him for purely mercenary reasons.”

(她嫁给他完全是出于金钱动机。)

同义词:greedy, money-oriented, venal

常见短语

mercenary army — 指完全由雇佣兵组成的军队,通常为金钱而战,而非为国家或理想。

“The mercenary army was disbanded after the war ended.”

(战争结束后,这支雇佣军被解散了。)