spontaneous
Intermediatezipf 3.71Pronunciation
/spɒnˈteɪniəs/(spon-TAY-nee-us)
Part of speech
adjectiveneutral
Chinese
自发的;自然而然的(没有经过事先计划,出于内在冲动而发生的)
Definition
Happening or arising naturally without planning or external cause; done on impulse.
Word family
- spontaneously/spɒnˈteɪniəsli/(adv)自发地
- spontaneity/ˌspɒntəˈniːɪti/(n)自发性
Collocations
- spontaneous applause
- spontaneous combustion
- spontaneous reaction
- act spontaneously
- spontaneous decision
Examples
- 1.The crowd broke into spontaneous applause before the performance had even ended. (unplanned reaction)
- 2.She's known for her spontaneous travel plans — she once booked a flight to Tokyo with four hours' notice. (impulsive)
Synonyms
- impromptu/ɪmˈprɒmptjuː/— done without preparation, usually for a speech or performance
- impulsive/ɪmˈpʌlsɪv/— acting on sudden urge, often recklessly
- unplanned/ʌnˈplænd/— neutral; simply not planned
Etymology
from Latin "spontaneus" = of one's own will, from "sponte" = willingly