ace
/eɪs/ (bre, ipa) · [ˈes] /eɪs/ (ame, ipa) · [ˈes] /ˈās/ (ame, mw)
ace — noun
- acesingular
- acesplural
1. a one-mark card that may rank above every other card, or below them all, dependi
a one-mark card that may rank above every other card, or below them all, depending on the game.
Zayd drew the ace of hearts and won the last trick.
collocation: ace of hearts
Ayana kept the ace hidden until the others had played their kings.
Hari smiled when the dealer gave him an ace and two queens.
Minh needed one more ace to complete the trick-taking plan.
- playing card
much broader; refers to any card in the pack, not specifically the one-mark card
用法筆記
Used in card games for one specific card, often in phrases such as ace of spades or hold an ace. In some games it is the highest card, while in others it can also count as the lowest.
2. someone who does something extremely well and is better than most other people a
someone who does something extremely well and is better than most other people at it.
Elise is the ace of our design team when deadlines get tight.
be the ace of a team
Ignacio became the club's ace after winning three junior tournaments.
Wei asked the kitchen ace to plan the menu for the festival.
Dario was the newsroom ace at spotting weak facts before print.
- amateur
someone without high skill or professional-level ability
文法句型
ace at + noun/-ing
用法筆記
Informal. Often refers to a person who is the strongest member of a team or who is especially good in sport, work, or another skill area.
常見錯誤
3. a serve in tennis or a similar sport that wins the point at once because the rec
a serve in tennis or a similar sport that wins the point at once because the receiver does not get the ball back.
James ended the set with an ace down the middle.
ace down the middle
Nellie could not touch Sora's ace out wide on match point.
Wei cheered after a third ace landed just inside the line.
Dario's first ace of the day gave him extra confidence.
- unreturnable serve
plain descriptive phrase rather than the short sports term
用法筆記
Used mainly in tennis. The key idea is that the serve itself wins the point because the receiver cannot make contact with the ball.
4. someone who feels no sexual attraction, using ace as a short form of asexual.
someone who feels no sexual attraction, using ace as a short form of asexual.
Yael said they were an ace before they found a local support group.
identity label: be an ace
Sora met other aces online and finally felt less alone.
plural: other aces
Minh wrote a blog post about dating as an ace in college.
Ayana explained what being an ace means to her at the workshop.
- asexual person
full and more explicit form of the same idea
文法句型
be an ace
other aces
用法筆記
This is an informal identity label, especially common in online and community spaces. It is a noun, unlike adjective sense 2, which describes a person or experience.
5. a score of one shot on a golf hole, meaning the ball goes in from the tee at onc
a score of one shot on a golf hole, meaning the ball goes in from the tee at once.
Zayd made an ace on the short eighth hole during the charity round.
make an ace
Hari could not believe his ace rolled straight into the cup.
The crowd went silent, then cheered when Elise scored an ace.
Ignacio framed the ball from his first ace and hung it upstairs.
- hole-in-one
the more explicit and very common golf term
用法筆記
Used in golf for a hole-in-one. It describes the result on the hole, not just a powerful shot.
ace — verb
- acepresent simple I / you / we / they
- aces3rd person singular
- acing-ing form
- acedpast simple
1. to do extremely well in a test, game, interview, or other task, often with littl
to do extremely well in a test, game, interview, or other task, often with little difficulty.
Zayd aced the chemistry exam without staying up all night.
ace + exam
Ayana aced her job interview by answering every question calmly.
ace + interview
Hari aced the driving test on his first attempt.
Minh aced the final presentation and won the client account.
- flunk
to fail badly, especially in a test
文法句型
ace + test/exam/interview/task
用法筆記
Informal. Usually takes the thing you succeed in as its object: ace the exam, ace the interview, ace the presentation.
常見錯誤
2. to win a point against an opponent by serving so well that the opponent cannot t
to win a point against an opponent by serving so well that the opponent cannot touch the ball.
James aced his opponent twice in the opening game.
ace + opponent
Sora aced Nellie with a serve that kissed the sideline.
ace someone with a serve
Wei aced the top seed to save the second set point.
Dario aced his partner in practice and laughed in surprise.
- serve an ace against
full descriptive expression of the same action
文法句型
ace + opponent
用法筆記
Used mainly in tennis and similar sports. The object is the person who fails to return the serve.
3. to play a golf hole in one shot from the tee.
to play a golf hole in one shot from the tee.
Ignacio aced the par-three fourth hole before lunch.
ace + hole
Zayd aced the last hole and jumped into the air.
Hari nearly cried after acing the island green on Sunday.
Ayana aced a short practice hole during the junior camp.
- make a hole-in-one
more common everyday wording for the same golf result
文法句型
ace + hole
用法筆記
A golf verb. It usually takes the hole as its object, as in ace the fourth hole.
常見錯誤
ace — adjective
- acepositive
- acercomparative
- acestsuperlative
1. excellent and of a very high standard.
excellent and of a very high standard.
The coach called Zayd's passing display absolutely ace after the final.
intensifier: absolutely ace
Ayana found an ace little cafe near the station.
ace + noun
Hari gave us an ace tip for saving money on train tickets.
Minh said the concert was ace from the first song.
文法句型
ace + noun
be + ace
用法筆記
Informal and especially common in British English. It can appear before a noun or after be to praise quality very strongly.
2. not feeling sexual attraction, used as a short form of asexual.
not feeling sexual attraction, used as a short form of asexual.
Yael realized they were ace after reading an online article.
be ace
Sora joined an ace student group and made new friends.
ace + noun
Minh told a partner about being ace and still wanting closeness.
Ayana posted an ace pride flag on her dorm room wall.
- asexual
the full and more explicit adjective form
文法句型
be ace
ace + person/group
用法筆記
Informal short form, often used inside LGBTQIA+ community conversations. Distinguish it from noun sense 4, where ace refers to a person rather than describing them.