bubbling
[bˈʌbəlɪŋ] /ˈbə-bəl How to pronounce bubble (audio)/ (ame, mw) · /ˈbʌb.əl/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈʌbəlɪŋ] /ˈbʌb.əl/ (ame, ipa)
bubbling — noun
1. a small, round hollow ball of air or gas that forms inside water or another liqu
a small, round hollow ball of air or gas that forms inside water or another liquid; also, a thin skin of liquid stretched around a pocket of air that drifts through the air
Nkechi blew soap bubbles into the garden and watched them float away.
collocation: blow bubbles
Tiny bubbles rose from the bottom of the glass of lemonade.
The boiling water was full of bubbles dancing on the surface.
Hamza pressed the bubble wrap between his fingers until each pocket popped.
A single air bubble sat trapped inside the ice cube.
2. a period when the price of something, such as houses or company shares, climbs f
a period when the price of something, such as houses or company shares, climbs far above its real worth and then suddenly collapses
The housing bubble burst in 2008, and many families lost their homes.
collocation: housing bubble burst
Investors worried that the tech bubble would soon collapse without warning.
Owen lost his savings when the stock market bubble finally popped.
During the dot-com bubble, companies with no profits were worth millions.
Economists warned for months that the property bubble could not last.
3. a closed environment where people only meet others who share the same views and
a closed environment where people only meet others who share the same views and never come across different ideas or experiences
Felipe realised he had been living in a social media bubble for years.
collocation: live in a bubble
The university felt like a bubble where no one questioned the same ideas.
Adina stepped outside her bubble and began reading news from other countries.
If you only talk to people like yourself, you stay trapped inside a bubble.
Breaking out of your bubble can feel uncomfortable but it opens your mind.
- echo chamber
more specific to media and online spaces where the same opinions bounce back unchallenged
- insular group
more formal; emphasises isolation from outside influence rather than shared beliefs
- open society
a community where diverse views and people freely mix and challenge each other
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun/2 (ECONOMIC BOOM): an economic bubble involves markets and prices; a social bubble involves groups of people and shared beliefs.
bubbling — verb
- bubblingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- bubblings3rd person singular
- bubblinging-ing form
- bubblingedpast simple
1. to produce or send up small round pockets of air or gas, especially when a liqui
to produce or send up small round pockets of air or gas, especially when a liquid is heated or when gas moves through it
The soup began to bubble gently on the stove after ten minutes.
intransitive: liquid begins to bubble
Bao watched the water bubble and steam as it reached boiling point.
Luca poured in the vinegar and the mixture began to bubble immediately.
Mud bubbled up from the hot spring in the middle of the forest.
Trang heard the stream bubbling over the rocks behind the old house.
文法句型
bubble
bubble up
bubble + [noun]
2. to be so full of a strong positive feeling that it bursts out in the way you spe
to be so full of a strong positive feeling that it bursts out in the way you speak and act
Dewi was bubbling with joy when she opened her university acceptance letter.
pattern: bubble with + joy
The children came home bubbling about the trip to the science museum.
Henry bubbled over with excitement as he described his new project idea.
Sahil's grandmother bubbled with pride as he walked across the stage.
The room bubbled with laughter as Hannah told her funny story.
文法句型
bubble with + [excitement/joy/enthusiasm]
bubble over
常見錯誤
3. to organise people so they only spend time with each other and have almost no in
to organise people so they only spend time with each other and have almost no interaction with anyone else, usually to prevent illness from spreading
The school decided to bubble the first-year students together during the outbreak.
During lockdown, single parents were allowed to bubble with one other household.
pattern: bubble with + [group] as a social unit
The team bubbled for two weeks before the tournament to avoid catching the virus.
Some families chose to bubble with grandparents so they could share childcare.
The government advised care homes to bubble residents and staff as a single unit.
- isolate
broader term for keeping someone apart; does not imply forming a closed group
- quarantine
specifically about disease prevention; usually more formal and often mandatory
- integrate
to bring different groups together rather than keep them apart
文法句型
bubble + [group]
bubble with + [group]
用法筆記
This sense became common during the COVID-19 pandemic. It can be used both transitively ('The school bubbled the children') and intransitively ('The two families bubbled together').