evaporation
evaporation — noun
1. The natural change in which a liquid turns into a vapour or gas, usually because
The natural change in which a liquid turns into a vapour or gas, usually because warmth from the air or sun acts on it.
The evaporation of seawater leaves behind salt, which workers then collect and sell.
the evaporation of [liquid]
On a hot day, a shallow pond can lose centimetres of water through evaporation.
through evaporation
Plants use evaporation to pull water from their roots and release it into the air.
Morning dew on the grass vanishes once evaporation begins with the sunrise.
- vaporisation
More formal and scientific; often used in chemistry contexts
- drying
Focuses on the removal of moisture rather than the physical process of phase change
- condensation
The opposite process — gas changing back into a liquid
文法句型
the evaporation of [liquid]
evaporation from [surface]
用法筆記
Evaporation happens at the surface of a liquid at any temperature. This distinguishes it from 'boiling', which occurs throughout the liquid at a specific temperature.
常見錯誤
2. The way something abstract — such as trust, money, or support — slowly becomes l
The way something abstract — such as trust, money, or support — slowly becomes less until it is completely gone, as though it has been carried away like vapour.
The evaporation of public trust in the bank took just weeks after the news broke.
the evaporation of [abstract noun — trust]
Nora watched the evaporation of her savings as medical bills kept arriving month after month.
the evaporation of [possessor]'s [resource]
The sudden evaporation of funding forced the research team to abandon their project halfway through.
Kwame felt the evaporation of his enthusiasm for the project after months of delays.
- disappearance
Broader term; lacks the suggestion of gradualness that 'evaporation' carries
- fading
Emphasises the slow, step-by-step nature of the loss
- dissipation
More formal; suggests something being scattered or wasted over time
- accumulation
The gradual build-up of something over time
- growth
Increase in amount or strength, opposite of loss
文法句型
the evaporation of [abstract noun]
用法筆記
This figurative sense is almost always used with abstract nouns that represent intangible resources — trust, confidence, hope, support, funding, savings. It suggests a slow, quiet loss rather than a sudden violent disappearance.