even out

even out — phrasal verb

  • even outbase form
  • evens out3rd person singular
  • evening out-ing form
  • evened outpast simple

1. if a changing amount, rate, or situation evens out, it stops rising and falling

1.片語動詞不及物B2
釋義

if a changing amount, rate, or situation evens out, it stops rising and falling by large amounts and becomes more regular and balanced

例句

After the earthquake, the ground movement gradually evened out over the next few hours.

even out + time reference (gradually, over time)

Sivan waited for the breathing to even out before speaking again.

even out + body-related noun (breathing, heart rate)

同義詞
  • stabilise

    more general; can describe any return to a steady state

  • level off

    very close in meaning; 'level off' suggests a flat plateau after rising/falling

  • smooth out

    more informal, often used for small fluctuations

反義詞
  • fluctuate

    describes ongoing variation without settling

  • oscillate

    more technical; back-and-forth movement

文法句型

even out + no object

用法筆記

Common with nouns representing varying quantities such as rates, scores, prices, or physical measures like temperature and blood pressure.

常見錯誤

The government evened out the economy.
The economy evened out after the new policies took effect.
💡Sense 1 is intransitive; the thing itself becomes steady, you do not 'even out' something.

2. to divide or share something such as work, money, or resources over a period or

2.片語動詞及物B2
釋義

to divide or share something such as work, money, or resources over a period or among people so that each part or person gets a fair amount

例句

The manager tried to even out the workload among the team members.

even out + workload — distribute fairly in a workplace

Eliska evened out the payments so that each family paid the same amount.

同義詞
  • spread out

    more general; can also mean arrange over time without the fairness emphasis

  • distribute

    slightly more formal; does not always imply equal shares

  • share out

    more informal, British English; clear fairness component

反義詞
  • concentrate

    gather resources in one place rather than spread them

  • uneven

    the adjective describing the opposite outcome

文法句型

even out + noun phrase (workload, payments)

用法筆記

Always has a direct object. The object is typically something divisible: work, costs, portions, resources. Frequently used with 'among', 'between', or 'over' to specify the distribution target.

常見錯誤

The housework evened out between us.
We evened out the housework between us.
💡Sense 2 is transitive; the person doing the distributing must be the subject.