英语短语 "cool off" 是一个常用的不及物动词短语,核心含义围绕“从热/激动的状态转向温和/平静”,具体可分为三类场景,用法和例句如下:
指温度从高变低,回到常温或更凉爽的状态,主语通常是食物、饮料、天气或物体。
例句:
The soup will cool off in 5 minutes—don’t burn your mouth!(汤5分钟后会凉,别烫着嘴!)
The afternoon sun finally cooled off as the clouds rolled in.(云层涌来时,午后的太阳终于变柔和了。)
指情绪从激动、愤怒或急躁中平复,回归理性,主语通常是人(常与“after an argument/fight”等搭配)。
例句:
He’s still angry—give him some time to cool off.(他还在气头上,给点时间让他冷静。)
She went for a walk to cool off after the fight with her sister.(和姐姐吵架后,她去散步消气。)
口语祈使句:Cool off! You’re overreacting.(冷静点!你反应过度了。)
指原本热烈的关系、兴趣或情感逐渐冷却,主语通常是抽象事物(如友谊、爱情、热情等)。
例句:
Their friendship cooled off after they moved to different cities.(搬到不同城市后,他们的友谊变淡了。)
My interest in the hobby cooled off once I realized how time-consuming it was.(当我意识到这个爱好有多耗时,兴趣就减退了。)
cool off with sth.:用某物降温/冷静(强调方式)。
例句:I cooled off with a cold shower after running.(跑步后我冲了个冷水澡降温。)
cool oneself off:(主动)让自己冷静/降温(反身代词强调“自我行动”)。
例句:He splashed water on his face to cool himself off.(他往脸上泼水让自己冷静。)
两者常可互换,但"cool off"更强调“从热到凉的过程”(如食物变凉、人消气);而"cool down"更侧重“最终达到冷却/平静的状态”(如运动后降温、情绪平复)。
After the game, the players cooled down in the locker room.(赛后球员在更衣室降温。)
(此处用"cool off"也可以,但"cool down"更强调“从运动的热状态回归正常”。)
总之,"cool off"的核心是“从高温/高情绪向低温/低情绪的转变”,根据主语(物/人/抽象事物)的不同,对应“变凉、冷静、变淡”三种常见含义。