energy
Definitions
The strength and vitality needed for sustained physical or mental activity
精力，活力
Power derived from physical or chemical resources to run machines and produce heat or light
能源；能量
In physics, the measurable capacity of a system to do work
（物理）能
Root Breakdown
Root-deriveden- (within) + erg (work) + -y (noun) = 'the work that is inside.' Greek energeia named the inner force that lets a thing act — its being-at-work. That single idea covers all of today's uses: a person's vigor, the fuel that runs machines, and the physicist's capacity to do work.
Root erg still carries 6 more wordsWhy It Means This
Aristotle coined energeia to mark the difference between potential (a seed) and actuality (a growing plant) — being actively at work. Centuries later physics borrowed the word for the measurable capacity to do work, and everyday English kept the human sense: the inner fuel that lets you act. All three meanings are the same picture at different scales.
Common Collocations
- 1.renewable energy可再生能源
- 2.energy source能源
- 3.save energy节约能源
- 4.full of energy精力充沛
- 5.nuclear energy核能
Example Sentences
- 1.
After a good night's sleep, I had the energy to tackle the whole list.
- 2.
The country is investing heavily in clean, renewable energy.
- 3.
Heat is just energy moving from a warmer object to a cooler one.
- 4.
She brought so much energy to the meeting that everyone woke up.
Synonym Comparison
- energy — inner power to act, or fuel to run things
- power — the rate of using energy, or control/authority
- strength — physical force or sturdiness, not the fuel itself
- vigor — lively, healthy energy, especially physical
- stamina — energy that lasts, the ability to keep going