extraneous

/ɪkˈstreɪniəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪkˈstreɪniəs/ (ame, ipa) · /ek-ˈstrā-nē-əs/ (ame, mw)

extraneous — adjective

  • extraneouspositive
  • more extraneouscomparative
  • most extraneoussuperlative

1. having nothing to do with the topic, task, or situation being dealt with — and s

1.形容詞C1
釋義

having nothing to do with the topic, task, or situation being dealt with — and so getting in the way rather than helping.

例句

The judge told the lawyer to leave out extraneous details about the defendant's childhood.

common collocation: extraneous details

Anong cut every extraneous slide from her pitch so the investors could focus on the numbers.

attributive use before a noun

同義詞
  • irrelevant

    more everyday; emphasises lack of connection to the point

  • immaterial

    formal/legal; means it doesn't affect the outcome

  • superfluous

    stresses that it is extra and could be cut without loss

反義詞

文法句型

extraneous to + noun

用法筆記

Subject is usually information, content, or words (details, material, information, comments, questions). Frequently appears as 'extraneous to + topic/task' when contrasting against what truly belongs.

常見錯誤

❌She felt extraneous at the party.
✅She felt out of place at the party.
💡'extraneous' describes information or content that doesn't belong, not a person's feelings.
❌The coffee tastes extraneous.
✅The coffee tastes off.
💡'extraneous' is not used for sensory qualities like taste or smell.

2. originating from outside a system, body, or container — for example, dust that d

2.形容詞C2
釋義

originating from outside a system, body, or container — for example, dust that drifts into a sealed machine, or noise leaking in from the street.

例句

The lab keeps the chamber sealed to block out extraneous particles during the experiment.

scientific register: extraneous particles

Folake set up thick curtains in the studio to keep extraneous street noise off the recording.

collocation: extraneous noise

同義詞
  • external

    neutral; describes anything from outside without negative tone

  • outside

    everyday word; less formal

  • intrusive

    stresses that the outside element interferes

反義詞

用法筆記

Subject is usually a physical thing entering a system: light, noise, moisture, dust, particles, vibration. Distinguish from sense 1 (which is about content or information that doesn't belong); here the contrast is inside vs. outside, not relevant vs. irrelevant.

常見錯誤

❌A few extraneous friends joined the trip.
✅A few extra friends joined the trip.
💡'extraneous' is not used casually to mean 'additional people'; it refers to physical matter or signals entering from outside.