edges

IPA/edʒ/
KK[ˈɛdʒəz]IPA/edʒ/

edges — verb

  • edgespresent simple I / you / we / they
  • edgeses3rd person singular
  • edgesing-ing form
  • edgesedpast simple

1. to move gradually in a particular direction, or to make something do so — for ex

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to move gradually in a particular direction, or to make something do so — for example, inching a chair closer to a table, or watching temperatures rise bit by bit over several days.

例句

The old cat edged closer to the fireplace, one paw at a time.

edge + adverb of direction

Isabela edged the heavy box across the floor instead of lifting it.

transitive: edge + object + prepositional phrase

同義詞
  • inch

    even slower, suggests tiny movements

  • ease

    implies care to avoid friction or damage

  • creep

    suggests stealth or unwanted approach

反義詞
  • rush

    opposite of gradual movement

文法句型

edge + adverb/preposition

edge + object + adverb/preposition

用法筆記

Commonly used with direction adverbs (closer, nearer, away, upward, forward) or prepositional phrases (toward, into, across, through). Frequently in progressive aspect (is edging, has been edging).

常見錯誤

❌She edged the chair quickly.
✅She edged the chair slowly across the room.
💡'edge' describes gradual movement, so 'quickly' contradicts the meaning.

2. to defeat an opponent or competitor by an extremely small amount, such as a few

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to defeat an opponent or competitor by an extremely small amount, such as a few votes, points, or seconds.

例句

The mayoral candidate edged her opponent by just 312 votes.

edge + opponent + by + number

Yael edged past the defending champion in the final lap of the race.

edge past + opponent

同義詞
  • narrowly beat

    more general, works in any context

  • pip

    chiefly British, informal, used in sports and competitions

  • squeak past

    informal, suggests luck as well as skill

反義詞
  • crush

    opposite of a narrow margin

  • trounce

    implies a very large margin

文法句型

edge + opponent + by + amount

edge out + opponent

用法筆記

Often followed by out (edge out an opponent) or past (edge past a competitor). The margin is always very small — a few points, votes, or seconds, never a landslide.

常見錯誤

❌Our team edged the game.
✅Our team edged the opposing team 3
💡2.' — 'edge' needs an opponent as object, not the event itself.

3. in cricket, a mis-hit where the bat's narrow rim — not its flat face — meets the

3.動詞及物C1
釋義

in cricket, a mis-hit where the bat's narrow rim — not its flat face — meets the ball, typically sending a weak catch to a nearby fielder.

例句

The batsman edged the ball straight to the wicketkeeper and walked off.

edge + the ball + direction

Dylan edged a fast delivery into the slips during the second over.

文法句型

edge + the ball + direction

用法筆記

Used only in cricket. The edge is considered an unlucky or unskilled hit — the batsman usually intends to hit with the flat face of the bat.

常見錯誤

❌He edged the tennis ball.
✅He edged the cricket ball to the wicketkeeper.
💡'edge' as a cricket term only applies to cricket, not other sports.

4. to rotate a ski onto its side so the metal or plastic edge presses into the snow

4.動詞及物C1
釋義

to rotate a ski onto its side so the metal or plastic edge presses into the snow, giving the skier greater control during turns.

例句

To slow down on the steep slope, Anjali edged her skis into the snow.

edge + skis + into the snow

The instructor showed the class how to edge their skis for a sharp turn.

同義詞
  • tilt skis

    describes the same action without the technical term

  • carve

    the desired result of proper edging; a more advanced skill

文法句型

edge + a/one's + ski

edge + skis + into + the snow

用法筆記

Almost always used with skis or a specific ski as the object. Skiers also talk about 'edging' in absolute terms — 'you need more edge' — but the transitive verb use is the standard form.

5. to give something a border, rim, or sharp cutting surface — for example, adding

5.動詞及物B2
釋義

to give something a border, rim, or sharp cutting surface — for example, adding a lace trim to a dress or sharpening a knife blade.

例句

The carpenter edged the wooden shelf with a thin strip of brass.

edge + object + with + material

Pim edged the kitchen knife on a whetstone before slicing the vegetables.

同義詞
  • trim

    usually implies cutting excess away, not adding a border

  • border

    more general, works for both decorative and functional edges

  • sharpen

    the correct synonym for the blade-sharpening sense

文法句型

be edged with + material

edge + object + with + material

用法筆記

In the 'border/trim' meaning, the passive form be edged with (by far the most common pattern) describes what something is decorated or bordered with. In the 'sharpen' meaning, the object is a blade or cutting tool.

常見錯誤

❌She edged the cake with frosting.
✅She edged the tablecloth with ribbon.
💡The 'border' meaning is for physical objects that have a rim or boundary, not for food decoration.

6. to be positioned along the boundary of a place or area — for example, a road tha

6.動詞不及物B2
釋義

to be positioned along the boundary of a place or area — for example, a road that runs next to a forest or houses built right beside a beach.

例句

A thick forest edges the highway for about three miles near the lake.

subject (feature) + edges + location

Tall hedges edge the property on both sides of the house.

同義詞
  • border

    more common and less literary; used for countries and regions

  • line

    suggests a row of objects along a boundary

  • skirt

    suggests going around the boundary rather than being fixed along it

文法句型

edge + noun phrase (location)

be edged by + noun phrase

用法筆記

The subject is typically a natural or constructed feature (road, forest, wall, hedge) and the object is the area it runs alongside. Frequently in simple present tense to describe geographical layout.

常見錯誤

❌The house edges the street.
✅A row of trees edges the street.
💡The subject should be a continuous feature (wall, hedge, river, forest), not a point object like a building.

edges — noun