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HUBLOT Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
"case" meaning "a particular person and his or her condition or character"
http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/case
case
8 [singular] : a particular person and his or her condition or character
? You are a sad case.
I don't understand this definition very well. Simply speaking, case means a person, doesn't it? Could you please give me some examples in which "case" is used to mean "condition" or "character"?
case
8 [singular] : a particular person and his or her condition or character
? You are a sad case.
I don't understand this definition very well. Simply speaking, case means a person, doesn't it? Could you please give me some examples in which "case" is used to mean "condition" or "character"?
Top answer
"case" doesn't really mean a person but it can refer to the state/condition they are in, so in that way we can say that somebody is a/an (adjective) case (notice that "case" is always preceded by an adjective, or a noun acting as one). He is such a basket case. for example means that the state he's in seems hopeless and there appears to be no cure that could fix whatever is wrong with him.
- "case" doesn't really mean a person but it can refer to the state/condition they are in, so in that way we can say that somebody is a/an (adjective) case (notice that "case" is always preceded by an adjective, or a noun acting as one).
- He is such a basket case.
- for example means that the state he's in seems hopeless and there appears to be no cure that could fix whatever is wrong with him.
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5 Answers
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"case" doesn't really mean a person but it can refer to the state/condition they are in, so in that way we can say that somebody is a/an (adjective) case (notice that "case" is always preceded by an adjective, or a noun acting as one).
He is such a basket case. for example means that the state he's in seems hopeless and there appears to be no cure that could fix whatever is
He is such a basket case. for example means that the state he's in seems hopeless and there appears to be no cure that could fix whatever is
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Thank you, ozzourti. Is the definition wrong, then? Should it be "a state or condition that you are in"?
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I wouldn't go as far as saying it's wrong, but the meaning is certainly difficult to grasp.
The word "case" needs an adjective to describe a person and their state/condition. All I'm trying to show is that it doesn't really mean "a person" when used on its own.
The word "case" needs an adjective to describe a person and their state/condition. All I'm trying to show is that it doesn't really mean "a person" when used on its own.
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http://dictionary.infoplease.com/case
case
12. Informal. a peculiar or unusual person: He's a case.
Is case different from "case" in
case
12. Informal. a peculiar or unusual person: He's a case.
Is case different from "case" in
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Well, the dictionary lists it as another meaning of the word... So it's probably different. 
But as you see it's also labele
But as you see it's also labele
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