borderline
/ˈbɔːdəlaɪn/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈɔrdɚlˌaɪn] /ˈbɔːrdərlaɪn/ (ame, ipa) · [bˈɔrdɚlˌaɪn] /ˈbȯr-dər-ˌlīn How to pronounce borderline (audio)/ (ame, mw) · /ˈbɔː.də.laɪn/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈɔrdɚlˌaɪn] /ˈbɔːr.dɚ.laɪn/ (ame, ipa)
borderline — adjective
- borderlinepositive
- more borderlinecomparative
- most borderlinesuperlative
1. so close to a dividing line that it could belong on either side, or only just go
so close to a dividing line that it could belong on either side, or only just good enough to be accepted.
The judge called the email a borderline threat and ordered extra security.
borderline + noun for barely acceptable status
After the scan, Dr. Mehta said the results were borderline normal.
be borderline + adjective for test results
Teachers saw his joke as borderline cruel during the class debate.
The loan application was borderline, so the bank asked for more records.
The plan looked borderline legal after the rules changed overnight.
- marginal
often stresses a very small difference or safety margin
- questionable
focuses more on doubt about quality or ethics than on a dividing line
- unclear
shows uncertainty, but not always the idea of only just passing
- clear-cut
clearly on one side, with no doubt about classification
- acceptable
plainly good enough rather than only just meeting the standard
文法句型
borderline + noun
borderline + adjective
be borderline
用法筆記
Usually appears with a result, judgment, rule, or behaviour, such as borderline normal, borderline legal, or borderline cruel. The surrounding noun or adjective shows whether it means near a dividing line or only barely acceptable.
常見錯誤
borderline — noun
1. a line, rule, or point that marks where one state ends and another begins.
a line, rule, or point that marks where one state ends and another begins.
For Pim, the borderline between caution and fear disappeared after the storm.
the borderline between X and Y
The new law moved the borderline of what schools may collect online.
move the borderline of what ...
In art class, the teacher asked where the borderline between copy and tribute lies.
Years of drought pushed the borderline between farm and desert farther south.
The argument showed a thin borderline between honesty and cruelty.
文法句型
the borderline between X and Y
move the borderline of what ...
a thin borderline
用法筆記
Often followed by between when two feelings, categories, or standards are being contrasted. It can also be followed by of what is allowed or possible when the speaker is defining a limit.
常見錯誤
borderline — adverb
1. by a very small amount; almost reaching a point without fully getting there.
by a very small amount; almost reaching a point without fully getting there.
The soup was borderline too salty after Omar added the last spoonful.
borderline + too + adjective
By midnight, the baby was borderline asleep in Evan's arms.
The room felt borderline empty after everyone carried chairs outside.
Roya laughed so hard she was borderline crying at dinner.
The hill looked borderline white under the first snow of winter.
- almost
the most neutral and common choice
- nearly
similar in meaning, often a little less informal
- practically
stronger and often more emphatic than borderline
文法句型
borderline + adjective
borderline + -ing form
用法筆記
This adverb is informal and usually comes before an adjective or -ing form to mean almost. It is common in speech when someone wants to sound a little stronger or more dramatic than nearly.