fishbowl

Thân thiện

The child watches the goldfish swim in the fishbowl.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A transparent bowl in which small fish are kept: A small, usually round, glass or plastic container used as an aquarium for pet fish.
   • A state of affairs in which you have no privacy: A situation where one's actions, life, or work are subject to constant observation and scrutiny by the public or others.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Literal): The child was fascinated by the goldfish swimming in the fishbowl.She cleaned the algae from the sides of the fishbowl.

• Noun (Figurative): Celebrities often feel like they live in a fishbowl, with every move watched by the media.Working in the open-plan office was like being in a fishbowl; there was no privacy at all.

Advanced Usage

• "goldfish bowl": A common variant, especially in British English, used identically to "fishbowl" for both the literal object and the figurative state of being under constant observation.

Variants and Related Words

• Goldfish bowl (n): Synonymous with "fishbowl."
• Aquarium (n): A larger, often rectangular tank for keeping fish and aquatic plants. While similar, an "aquarium" is typically larger and more complex than a simple "fishbowl."
• Terrarium (n): A transparent enclosure for keeping plants or small land animals, structurally similar but for a different purpose.

Synonyms

• For the figurative sense: Public scrutiny, spotlight, glass house, exposed situation.
• For the literal object: Bowl, aquarium (small), tank.

Related Idioms

• "Living in a fishbowl/goldfish bowl": An idiom describing a life without privacy, constantly on display.
• "A fishbowl existence": A life characterized by a lack of privacy.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a transparent bowl in which small fish are kept
2. a state of affairs in which you have no privacy
   • the president lives in a goldfish bowl

Từ đồng nghĩa

• fish bowl
• goldfish bowl