tendency /ˈtɛndənsi/ noun plural tendencies
plural tendencies
Learner's definition of TENDENCY
[count]
1
: a quality that makes something likely to happen or that makes someone likely to think or behave in a particular way倾向；脾性；性情 -
The door has a tendency to get stuck. [=the door often gets stuck]这扇门常常卡住。
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She has a tendency to overreact. = She has a tendency toward/towards overreacting. [=she tends to overreact; she often overreacts]她常常反应过度。
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She displayed criminal tendencies [=she behaved in ways that suggested she was going to become a criminal] even when she was very young.她很小的时候就显示出了犯罪倾向。
2
: a way of behaving, proceeding, etc., that is developing and becoming more common趋势；趋向 -
There is a growing tendency among young people to continue living with their parents after college. [=more and more young people are continuing to live with their parents after college]在年轻人当中，大学毕业后仍与父母同住的趋势日益增长。
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The economy has shown a general tendency toward inflation.经济总体上呈现出通货膨胀的趋势。