advantage
advantage — noun
1. something about a person or situation that puts them in a stronger position than
something about a person or situation that puts them in a stronger position than others — for example, speaking the local language, knowing the right people, or having more money to spend.
Speaking French gave Lucia a real advantage at the Paris job interview.
give somebody an advantage
Tall players have a clear advantage over shorter ones in basketball.
have an advantage over somebody
One advantage of living near the train station is the short walk to work.
It is an advantage to know how to drive when you live in the countryside.
Studying abroad for a year gave Leila a big advantage when she started her career.
- edge
less formal; suggests a small but useful lead in a competition
- benefit
broader; the good result you get, not the head start that produces it
- head start
informal; emphasises starting earlier or ahead
- disadvantage
the direct opposite; something that puts you in a weaker position
- drawback
a negative aspect of an otherwise good thing
文法句型
the advantage of doing something
an advantage to/over someone
用法筆記
Often appears with 'have', 'give', or 'gain'. The thing being compared follows 'over' (an advantage over rivals); the field or area follows 'in' (an advantage in math).
常見錯誤
2. a quality of an object, plan, or method that makes it more helpful or attractive
a quality of an object, plan, or method that makes it more helpful or attractive than the alternatives — for example, a phone with a long battery life or a route with fewer traffic lights.
The big advantage of this laptop is its battery, which lasts twelve hours.
the advantage of + noun
Glass bottles have one advantage over plastic ones: they keep water tasting fresh.
advantage of X over Y
The new bus route has the advantage of stopping right outside the hospital.
Solar panels offer the advantage of cutting electricity bills by half.
One main advantage of cycling to school is the daily exercise it gives you.
文法句型
the advantage of something
the advantage of X over Y
用法筆記
Subject is usually an object, plan, route, or method (not a person). Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is about a person's stronger position; this sense is about a feature of a thing.
3. in the phrase 'take advantage of someone': to behave in an unkind or unfair way
in the phrase 'take advantage of someone': to behave in an unkind or unfair way toward a person so that you gain money, help, or some other benefit from them.
Don't let your boss take advantage of you by making you work every weekend without pay.
take advantage of + person
Some shop owners took advantage of tourists by charging them double for water.
take advantage of + person
Mira felt her flatmate was taking advantage of her kindness by never paying for shared food.
The lawyer warned the elderly couple that the salesman was trying to take advantage of them.
- exploit
more formal; emphasises using someone for selfish gain
- use
informal; 'he was using her' suggests the same idea
- manipulate
stresses cleverly controlling someone for personal benefit
文法句型
take advantage of somebody
用法筆記
Distinguish from idiom 'take advantage of (an opportunity)' (idiom 2 below): with a person object, the meaning is negative; with a thing or chance object, the meaning is positive.
常見錯誤
4. in tennis, the score called out by the umpire when one player wins the next poin
in tennis, the score called out by the umpire when one player wins the next point straight after the score has reached deuce; one more winning point ends the game.
After a long deuce, the umpire called 'advantage Williams' as Serena hit a clean ace.
advantage + player name
It was advantage Nadal, but Federer fought back and forced another deuce.
The crowd cheered loudly when the umpire announced advantage to the home player.
Lior needed only one more point after gaining advantage to take the game.
- ad
short, informal call used by players and casual commentators
- deuce
the 40–40 score that 'advantage' follows
用法筆記
Used as a single-word call by the umpire, often followed by the player's surname (e.g. 'advantage Djokovic'). No article in this announcement.
5. in football, rugby, and similar team sports, a decision by the referee to let pl
in football, rugby, and similar team sports, a decision by the referee to let play carry on after a foul because stopping would actually help the team that committed the foul.
The referee waved play on, signalling advantage to the attacking team near the goal.
play advantage / signal advantage
Spain played advantage and scored within seconds, before the referee could blow for the foul.
play advantage
The crowd booed when the referee failed to play advantage and stopped a promising attack.
Rugby referees often shout 'advantage' loudly so the players know the game is still live.
文法句型
play advantage
用法筆記
Common collocations are 'play advantage', 'signal advantage', and 'wave advantage'. The phrase 'advantage rule' refers to the rule itself.
advantage — verb
1. to put a person, group, or thing in a better position to do well, by changing th
to put a person, group, or thing in a better position to do well, by changing the situation in their favour; common in writing about policy, economics, or sport.
The new tax rules clearly advantage families with two working parents over single-earner households.
advantage + group + over + group
Children from wealthy homes are often advantaged by access to private tutors and extra books.
passive: be advantaged by
The wet pitch advantaged the home team, who were used to playing in heavy rain.
These trade rules advantage large companies and make life harder for small farmers.
- disadvantage
the direct opposite verb; put at a disadvantage
- handicap
make it harder for someone to succeed
文法句型
advantage somebody/something
be advantaged by something
用法筆記
Frequently passive ('groups advantaged by the system'). Belongs to formal written register; in everyday speech use 'help' or 'give an advantage to'.