deal
/diːl/ (bre, ipa) · /diːl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdēl/ (ame, mw)
deal — noun
- dealsingular
- dealsplural
1. A formal arrangement between two or more people or groups in which each side agr
A formal arrangement between two or more people or groups in which each side agrees to do something for the other, often related to business or money.
Samir and the supplier signed a deal to deliver fresh produce every week.
collocation: sign a deal
After months of negotiations, the two companies reached a deal on sharing technology patents.
collocation: reach a deal
Lucía got a great deal on her used car for less than half the usual price.
The peace deal between the two countries brought an end to thirty years of fighting.
- agreement
more general; deals are always agreements, but not all agreements are deals
- contract
a formal written deal with legal force
- arrangement
less formal and less specific than a deal
文法句型
make + deal
reach + deal
sign + deal
deal + for + amount
常見錯誤
2. A very large quantity or degree of something; used only in the fixed expressions
A very large quantity or degree of something; used only in the fixed expressions 'a great deal' or 'a great deal of' to emphasise how much there is.
A great deal of time and money was spent renovating the old library.
pattern: a great deal of + uncountable noun
Hugo put a great deal of effort into learning classical guitar over the summer.
Jenna felt a great deal better after taking a short break from work.
The new highway project has caused a great deal of noise for nearby residents.
- a lot of
more common in everyday speech; less formal
- plenty of
suggests more than enough, not just a large amount
- a huge amount of
more emphatic than 'a great deal of'
- a small amount
direct opposite in quantity terms
文法句型
a great deal of + uncountable noun
a great deal + comparative adjective
用法筆記
Frequently used with uncountable nouns (time, effort, money, trouble). For countable plural nouns, use 'a great number of' or 'many' instead.
常見錯誤
3. The act of giving out playing cards to each player one by one at the beginning o
The act of giving out playing cards to each player one by one at the beginning of a round in a card game.
It was Nkechi's turn to give the deal, so she picked up the cards and shuffled them.
After the deal, each player looked at their cards and decided whether to bet.
phrase: after the deal
A bad deal can ruin your chances of winning before the game really starts.
Hao asked for a new deal because the cards had fallen off the table during the shuffle.
- distribution
more general; not specific to card games
文法句型
someone's turn to deal
after the deal
用法筆記
Distinguish from verb/2 (to deal cards). As a noun, 'the deal' refers to the event of distributing cards. The phrase 'it's your deal' means 'it is your turn to give out the cards.'
常見錯誤
4. A pale, soft wood that comes from pine or fir trees and is used in making furnit
A pale, soft wood that comes from pine or fir trees and is used in making furniture, shelves, and other everyday wooden items because it is easy to cut and not expensive.
The shelves in the shed were made of deal and began to warp after the winter.
passive: made of deal
Marco chose deal for the bookshelves because it was much lighter than oak or mahogany.
Garden furniture made from deal needs to be painted to protect it from the rain.
The smell of fresh deal filled the workshop as Sirin cut the boards for the new table.
- hardwood
wood from deciduous trees, which is denser and stronger
用法筆記
This sense is primarily British English. In American English, 'pine' or 'fir' are more commonly used instead of 'deal' for the wood itself.
deal — verb
- dealpresent simple I / you / we / they
- dealshe / she / it
- dealtpast simple
- dealing-ing form
1. To buy and sell goods or services as part of your job or business; often used wi
To buy and sell goods or services as part of your job or business; often used with 'in' to say what you trade, or 'with' to say who you trade with.
The shop on the corner deals mainly in handmade pottery and ceramics from local artists.
pattern: deal in + goods
Élise's company deals with textile suppliers from India and Bangladesh.
pattern: deal with + supplier
Yael has been dealing in rare books for over twenty years and knows every collector in the city.
The cooperative refuses to deal with any business that pays workers less than the minimum wage.
- trade
very similar but 'trade' can be used without a preposition
- sell
simpler and more direct; focuses on the act of selling rather than the full business activity
- do business
a phrase rather than a single word; broader meaning
文法句型
deal in + goods
deal with + person/company
用法筆記
Always takes a preposition (in/with) before its object. 'Deal in' specifies the type of goods. 'Deal with' specifies the trading partner. The simple transitive form 'deal something' is not used for this sense.
常見錯誤
2. To give out playing cards to each person taking part in a card game, one by one
To give out playing cards to each person taking part in a card game, one by one in a fixed order around the table.
Layla dealt seven cards to each player before picking up her own hand.
pattern: deal + number + cards + to + player
The dealer dealt the cards quickly around the table without looking up.
Samir dealt himself an excellent hand and tried not to smile at his luck.
In this game, the person sitting on your left deals the first round of cards.
- distribute
more formal; used for any kind of distribution, not just cards
- hand out
informal; can include but is not specific to cards
- collect
collecting cards is the opposite of dealing them out
文法句型
deal + cards + to + player
deal + player + cards
用法筆記
When followed by a person and then cards, 'deal' takes an indirect object: 'deal someone something' (deal me five cards) or 'deal something to someone' (deal five cards to me).
常見錯誤
3. To cause serious damage, difficulty, or failure to someone or something, especia
To cause serious damage, difficulty, or failure to someone or something, especially to their plans, hopes, or reputation; used in the fixed expression 'deal a blow.'
The sudden factory closure dealt a heavy blow to the local job market.
pattern: deal a + adjective + blow + to
Losing their star player just before the final dealt a serious blow to the team's chances.
The earthquake dealt a severe blow to the region's already struggling economy.
Hamza's resignation dealt a major blow to the company's expansion plans in Asia.
- boost
to improve or strengthen, the opposite of dealing a blow
文法句型
deal + a blow + to + noun
deal + noun + a blow
用法筆記
Almost always used with 'blow' as the object. The blow can be modified by adjectives such as 'heavy,' 'serious,' 'major,' or 'severe.' The target usually follows 'to': deal a blow to the economy / deal a blow to someone's hopes.
常見錯誤
4. To take the necessary action to solve a problem, manage a difficult situation, o
To take the necessary action to solve a problem, manage a difficult situation, or respond to someone's needs or behaviour.
Layla had to deal with a difficult customer who refused to pay for the damaged item.
pattern: deal with + person
The school has a special team to deal with bullying among students.
Marco finds it hard to deal with stress before important exams and often loses sleep.
The city government is still trying to deal with the shortage of affordable housing.
文法句型
deal with + problem/person/situation
用法筆記
Always requires 'with' before the object in active sentences. In questions with 'how,' 'what,' or 'who,' the word order is: How do you deal with stress? Who deals with complaints? What are we going to deal with next?