accrue
/əˈkruː/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈkruː/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈkrü/ (ame, mw)
accrue — verb
- accruepresent simple I / you / we / they
- accrueshe / she / it
- accruedpast simple
- accruing-ing form
1. to gradually grow in number, amount, or size as time passes, often as a natural
to gradually grow in number, amount, or size as time passes, often as a natural result of a process or situation.
Over the years, Mei-Lin's collection of vintage stamps accrued steadily as she visited flea markets across Europe.
accrue + steadily; time adverbial (over the years)
The benefits of regular exercise accrue slowly, so you may not notice changes in the first few weeks.
accrue slowly; subject = benefits
As the dry season continued, the village's water supply problems accrued, forcing families to travel further each day.
A deep sense of trust accrued between the two teams after they worked together on the hospital project.
Significant experience accrues naturally when you spend years solving the same kind of engineering problem.
- accumulate
more general and can be transitive; 'accrue' suggests a natural, gradual process
- build up
more informal, used in everyday speech
- amass
implies a large total; often used with wealth or possessions
- gather
more neutral, can be intentional or natural
- dwindle
gradually decrease in amount or strength
文法句型
accrue + (to/from something)
用法筆記
Unlike 'accumulate', which can be transitive ('She accumulated wealth'), this sense of 'accrue' is always intransitive — something accrues by itself rather than being deliberately gathered.
常見錯誤
2. (of money, interest, debts, or financial obligations) to build up gradually over
(of money, interest, debts, or financial obligations) to build up gradually over time and become due for payment or receipt.
Arjun checked his credit card statement and was shocked to see how much interest had accrued on the unpaid balance.
interest accrued + on [balance] — financial context
Sofia let the rent payments accrue for three months while she was waiting for her insurance claim to be approved.
payments accrue — obligations collecting
Holiday pay accrues at a rate of one day for every twenty shifts worked at the factory.
If you do not pay the fine within thirty days, additional charges will accrue on top of the original amount.
Ingrid's pension savings accrue in a tax-free account that she set up through her employer.
- accumulate
more general; 'accrue' is the standard term for interest and debts
- build up
informal alternative, e.g. 'the debt kept building up'
- collect
suggests intentional gathering rather than natural growth
- diminish
to become smaller or less
文法句型
accrue + (on something)
interest / debt / expenses accrue
用法筆記
Common in formal financial writing and spoken contexts about bills, loans, savings, and employee benefits. The subject is almost always a type of money-like item: interest, debt, fees, leave, dividends, or penalties.