balance
balance — verb
1. to stay steady without falling, or to place something so that it stays steady.
to stay steady without falling, or to place something so that it stays steady.
Mira balanced on the low wall while tying her shoe.
balance on + narrow surface
The waiter balanced three soup bowls on one arm.
balance + object + on + body part
A red pencil balanced on the edge of the desk.
To cross the stream, Leo balanced carefully on two wet stones.
The mechanic balanced the spare tire on a wooden box.
文法句型
balance on + noun
balance + noun + on + noun
用法筆記
Intransitive use often takes 'on' to show the narrow surface or point of support. In transitive use, the object is usually something easy to drop, such as a tray, box, or wheel.
常見錯誤
2. to divide your effort or resources between different demands and keep any one of
to divide your effort or resources between different demands and keep any one of them from taking over.
Nadia balances teaching with caring for her two young children.
balance A with B
The cafe must balance low prices against rising food costs.
balance A against B
Our team balanced speed and safety during the bridge repair.
Even on holiday, Jin balances family time and work calls.
A good mayor balances local needs with long-term city plans.
文法句型
balance A with B
balance A against B
用法筆記
This sense usually names two competing needs after the verb, often with 'with' or 'against'. Distinguish from sense 3 and sense 4, which are specifically about accounts, budgets, or spending.
常見錯誤
3. to check an account or set of records and make the money coming in match the mon
to check an account or set of records and make the money coming in match the money going out.
Each Friday, Priya balances the shop account before going home.
balance + account
After lunch, Rosa balanced last month's sales record for the bakery.
balance + financial record
Before the meeting, the hotel balanced every room account by hand.
Ben stayed late to balance the club account for April.
At the end of June, the farm balanced its feed account.
文法句型
balance + account
balance + records
用法筆記
The object is usually an account, a set of books, or another record of money. Distinguish from sense 4: sense 3 is the checking step, while sense 4 is the broader aim of not spending too much.
4. to manage costs so you do not spend more than you earn or receive.
to manage costs so you do not spend more than you earn or receive.
After losing one job, Elena balanced the family budget by cutting travel costs.
balance + budget by + -ing
The town balanced its books without raising bus fares.
balance the books
To balance their budget, the couple stopped eating out on weekdays.
Rising rent made it harder for Sam to balance his monthly budget.
The school balanced its spending with the money from ticket sales.
- overspend
to spend more money than you have planned or received
- run a deficit
to end with spending higher than income
文法句型
balance + budget
balance + books
balance + spending with + income
用法筆記
The object is usually a budget, books, spending, or finances. Distinguish from sense 3, where you check account figures directly rather than control overall costs.
常見錯誤
balance — noun
1. the skill of keeping your body upright without falling, with your weight held st
the skill of keeping your body upright without falling, with your weight held steady as you stand, walk, or move.
Eva lost her balance on the icy step outside the station.
lose your balance
After the push, Noah kept his balance and stayed on the ladder.
keep your balance
The dance teacher trained the class to improve their balance.
A strong wave knocked Priya off balance near the rocks.
- steadiness
a plain word for not shaking or falling
- equilibrium
more formal and often used in science or medicine
- instability
lack of physical steadiness
- unsteadiness
the state of being shaky or close to falling
文法句型
lose/keep/regain your balance
throw [someone] off balance
用法筆記
Often follows verbs such as 'keep', 'lose', 'regain', and 'throw'. Distinguish from sense 2, which is about fairness between things rather than bodily steadiness.
常見錯誤
2. a state in which different needs, interests, or parts stay in fair or suitable a
a state in which different needs, interests, or parts stay in fair or suitable amounts instead of one side having too much.
The coach helped Mia find a balance between schoolwork and tennis practice.
a balance between [two things]
Good parents keep a balance between rules and kindness at home.
The menu strikes a balance between low prices and fresh food.
There must be a balance between work and rest on the trip.
- equilibrium
more formal; often used for stable systems or ideas
- proportion
focuses on the right relative amount of each part
- fairness
stresses equal treatment more than equal amount
- imbalance
too much weight or importance on one side
文法句型
a balance between [two things]
strike/find/keep a balance
用法筆記
Usually appears with 'between' when two sides are compared, or with verbs such as 'find', 'keep', and 'strike'. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about staying upright.
常見錯誤
3. in the phrase 'on balance', used when you give a final opinion after comparing t
in the phrase 'on balance', used when you give a final opinion after comparing the main facts for and against something.
On balance, the family chose the smaller flat near the station.
fixed phrase: on balance
The train is slower, but on balance it is the cheaper choice.
On balance, Mr. Wu thinks the new plan will work better.
The idea seemed odd, yet on balance it could save time.
- overall
shorter and less formal when giving a general judgment
- all things considered
a longer phrase with the same summarizing function
文法句型
on balance, ...
..., but on balance ...
用法筆記
Only used in the fixed phrase 'on balance', usually near the start of a sentence or clause. Distinguish from sense 2, which names the fair state itself rather than the final judgment.
常見錯誤
4. the money still left in an account, bill, or fund, or the part of a total that r
the money still left in an account, bill, or fund, or the part of a total that remains after some has been used or paid.
Nina checked her balance before paying for the train tickets online.
check your balance
After one payment, the balance on the bill was fifty dollars.
the balance on [a bill/account]
Our class still has a small balance left in the trip fund.
The bank app shows your balance at the top of the screen.
- remainder
more general word for what is left after part is taken away
- amount due
used when the remaining sum still needs to be paid
- funds
broader word for money available to use
文法句型
check your balance
a balance of [amount]
the balance on [a bill/account]
用法筆記
Often used for bank accounts, bills, and funds, and commonly follows verbs such as 'check', 'show', and 'pay off'. Distinguish from sibling noun/5, where 'balance' means the money handed back after a purchase.
常見錯誤
5. cash a seller gives back when you hand over more than the price of what you are
cash a seller gives back when you hand over more than the price of what you are buying.
The cashier counted out my change and placed two coins on the tray.
cash payment: count out change
After buying the sandwich, Nora waited for her balance at the counter.
Please take your balance before you leave the ticket window.
After the bus fare, the driver handed Sam his balance in coins.
There was no balance to collect because Leo paid the exact amount.
文法句型
give [someone] their balance
take your balance
用法筆記
Often follows a possessive, especially 'your' or 'my', in shops, taxis, and ticket windows. Distinguish from sense 4: that sense is money still in an account or left over, not cash handed back in a sale.
常見錯誤
6. on speakers, headphones, or other music equipment, the setting or sound relation
on speakers, headphones, or other music equipment, the setting or sound relationship that decides how much you hear from each side.
Ben turned the balance left when the right speaker sounded too loud.
set the balance left/right
The DJ checked the balance before the school concert began.
check the balance
My headphones need better balance because voices come from one side.
During the test, the teacher adjusted the balance on the music player.
文法句型
adjust/check/set the balance
set the balance left/right
用法筆記
Usually appears with verbs such as 'adjust', 'check', and 'set', and often with 'left' or 'right'. This sense belongs to audio equipment, not fairness or money.
常見錯誤
7. a weighing tool with one pan on each side of a central beam, used to compare how
a weighing tool with one pan on each side of a central beam, used to compare how heavy two things are.
In science class, Nora used a balance to compare two small rocks.
use a balance to weigh [something]
The shopkeeper put rice on one side of the balance and weights on the other.
The gold seller checked the ring on a small balance by the window.
Old markets often kept a balance beside the cash box.
- scales
the more common everyday word for weighing equipment
- beam scale
more exact term for this older two-pan type
文法句型
use a balance to weigh [something]
put [something] on the balance
用法筆記
Countable and often used with verbs such as 'use', 'put', 'weigh', and 'compare'. Distinguish from modern 'scale', which can also mean an electronic weighing machine.