early bird
early bird — noun
1. a person who consistently gets up, arrives, or begins things earlier than most p
a person who consistently gets up, arrives, or begins things earlier than most people do, often gaining an advantage such as a better selection or extra time
Talia is a true early bird — she goes for a run every morning before the sun comes up.
pattern: be a(n) early bird for describing someone
The early birds who arrived at the flea market at dawn found the best vintage furniture.
Ramón was an early bird at the box office and got front-row seats.
Élise is an early bird who finishes her paperwork before anyone else arrives at the office.
Early birds at the summer sale snapped up the designer bags within minutes.
- early riser
specifically refers to someone who wakes up early, not someone who arrives early
- morning person
informal; describes someone who feels most energetic in the morning
- night owl
someone who stays up late and prefers evening or night hours
文法句型
be + an early bird
the early birds (plural)
用法筆記
The proverb 'the early bird catches the worm' reinforces the advantage of acting early. 'Early bird' is frequently contrasted with 'night owl' (someone who stays up late). Countable noun, often used in the singular with the indefinite article 'an' (e.g. 'She is an early bird'). The plural form 'early birds' is common when referring to a group of people who all arrive early.
常見錯誤
early bird — adjective
1. offered or made available only during the early part of the day, especially at a
offered or made available only during the early part of the day, especially at a reduced price or as a special service for those who come early
The hotel serves an early-bird breakfast from 5:30 a.m. for guests with morning flights.
attributive: early-bird + noun (breakfast / menu / special)
Isabela booked an early-bird spa session at a 20% discount and enjoyed a relaxing facial before 9 a.m.
Several coffee shops in the area offer early-bird discounts on drinks before 8 a.m.
Mira signed up for the early-bird brunch deal and paid half the usual price for her meal.
- early-morning
more neutral; not necessarily linked to a special offer
文法句型
early-bird + noun (meal / service / offer)
用法筆記
Attributive only — always used before a noun. You cannot say 'This breakfast is early-bird.' Instead say 'This is an early-bird breakfast.'
常見錯誤
2. offered at a reduced price or special rate for people who commit to buying or re
offered at a reduced price or special rate for people who commit to buying or registering before a set deadline, typically before the general sale begins
Early-bird tickets for the film festival go on sale next week at half the regular price.
collocation: early-bird ticket(s) / early-bird rate / early-bird registration
Padma saved £50 by taking advantage of the early-bird registration rate.
The early-bird subscription price of £29 per month will increase to £45 after the launch period ends.
Tanvi signed up for the early-bird membership before the price increase took effect.
- full-price
the standard price after the early-bird period ends
- regular
the normal, non-discounted rate
文法句型
early-bird + noun (ticket / rate / price / registration / discount)
用法筆記
Attributive only — always used before a noun. Commonly found in commercial contexts such as tickets, conferences, memberships, and subscriptions. The deadline for an 'early-bird' price is usually stated explicitly.
常見錯誤
3. describing a product or service that is discounted for customers who get up and
describing a product or service that is discounted for customers who get up and arrive early in the morning, rewarding those who are active before the usual hours
The hotel’s early-bird breakfast rate of $12 is available only to guests who check in before 6 a.m.
attributive: early-bird + noun (rate / pass / ticket) for services tied to early rising
Yuki bought an early-bird yoga pass that gives her access to all classes starting before 7 a.m.
Early-bird bird-watching permits at the nature reserve are sold at half price to hikers who arrive before dawn.
Aisha reserved an early-bird spa session and received a complimentary herbal tea with her treatment.
- early-morning
more neutral; refers to time of day rather than a special deal
文法句型
early-bird + noun (rate / pass / session / permit / ticket)
用法筆記
Attributive only — always placed before a noun describing the product, service, or price. Unlike adj/1 (which describes availability in a time window) and adj/2 (which describes a pre-deadline purchase), this sense specifically requires early-morning action from the customer to qualify.
常見錯誤
4. describing someone who invests money in, pre-orders, or commits to buying a prod
describing someone who invests money in, pre-orders, or commits to buying a product, service, or financial opportunity earlier than the general public does, typically at a favourable price or with exclusive early-adopter benefits
Early-bird investors who put money into the startup in 2020 now own shares worth ten times that amount.
collocation: early-bird investor / early-bird buyer / early-bird applicant
Xiu was one of the early-bird buyers who pre-ordered the console before the price went up.
Early-bird customers who pre-ordered the new tablet in October received it two weeks before the official release date.
Aylin was among the early-bird adopters who tested the app before its public launch.
Early-bird customers who placed orders in January received a free gift with delivery.
- first-mover
formal; used chiefly in business contexts to describe a company or individual that gains advantage by being first
- pioneering
stronger connotation of innovation; not limited to timing alone
文法句型
early-bird + noun (investor / buyer / adopter / applicant / customer)
用法筆記
Attributive only — always used before a noun that names the person. This sense differs from adj/2 in that adj/2 describes the offer or price, whereas adj/4 describes the person who takes advantage of that offer or acts before others.
常見錯誤
early bird — idiom
1. a person who secures the best choice of a limited number of items by arriving or
a person who secures the best choice of a limited number of items by arriving or acting before everyone else, based on the idea that the earliest person gets the biggest advantage
The early birds who got to the vintage market before sunrise found the best vinyl records at bargain prices.
plural form 'early birds' for a group of early arrivals
Anna was an early bird when the applications opened, so her résumé was reviewed before the rush.
Early birds at the bakery queue got the last loaves of sourdough.
The hotel only had ten suites, and early birds reserved them all.
- early arrival
literal; lacks the idiomatic quality of 'early bird'
- first comer
old-fashioned; less common in modern English
- late arrival
someone who comes after most others have already arrived
- straggler
someone who arrives after the expected time
文法句型
the early birds (who...)
be one of the early birds
用法筆記
This sense focuses on arriving early at a specific event or opportunity, rather than on a habitual waking time. The plural 'early birds' is commonly used to describe a group of early arrivals.