u-shaped
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective: Having a form or outline that resembles the letter "U"; characterized by a curve that is rounded at the bottom with two upward-extending sides.
Usage
The adjective "U-shaped" is used to describe objects, paths, formations, or graphs that have a shape similar to the capital letter U. It is almost always hyphenated when used before a noun.
Examples
- The valley was U-shaped, carved out by ancient glaciers.
- The company's profits followed a U-shaped recovery over the two-year period.
- She arranged the seating in a U-shaped configuration for the workshop.
- The graph of the quadratic function was a perfect U-shaped parabola.
Advanced Usage
- Economics/Business: A "U-shaped recession" or "U-shaped recovery" describes an economic downturn where the decline hits a low point and stays there for a period before rising again, forming a U-like pattern on a graph.
- Statistics/Mathematics: A "U-shaped distribution" is a probability distribution where the extremes (both high and low values) are more frequent than the median or moderate values.
Variants and Related Words
- U-shape (noun): The form or outline itself.
- The driveway had a wide U-shape.
- V-shaped (adjective): Having a sharp, angled form like the letter V, often contrasted with the more rounded "U-shaped."
Synonyms
- Curved
- Semicircular (though this implies a half-circle, not necessarily with parallel sides)
- Arced
Antonyms
- Straight
- Linear
- V-shaped
Adjective
- shaped in the form of the letter U