factory

/ˈfæktri/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfæktri/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfak-t(ə-)rē/ (ame, mw)

factory — noun

  • factorysingular
  • factoriesplural

1. a site where products are created in large quantities, typically a big building

1.名詞B1
釋義

a site where products are created in large quantities, typically a big building or several connected buildings with machinery

例句

The car factory in Hamza's town employs over two thousand workers.

noun modifier: car factory — [product] + factory

A fire broke out at the old textile factory near the river last night.

preposition: at a factory

同義詞
  • plant

    usually refers to a factory for heavy industry, chemicals, or power generation; more specific than 'factory'

  • mill

    a factory that processes raw materials such as paper, steel, wood, or flour

  • workshop

    a much smaller workplace where goods are made by hand rather than by machines

文法句型

[product] + factory

at / in a factory

用法筆記

Use 'at' when referring to the workplace (e.g. 'works at a factory') and 'in' when describing location inside the building (e.g. 'works in a factory making parts').

常見錯誤

❌I work on a factory.
✅I work at a factory.
💡Use 'at' for the place where you are employed, not 'on'.
❌The factory make shoes.
✅The factory makes shoes.
💡'Factory' is singular and takes a singular verb.

2. a person, place, or organization that keeps producing a very large amount of som

2.名詞B2
釋義

a person, place, or organization that keeps producing a very large amount of something, often something unwanted or of low quality

例句

The abandoned warehouse on Elm Street became a factory for counterfeit goods.

metaphorical: a factory for [undesirable thing]

That celebrity gossip blog is a non-stop factory of fake news and rumours.

同義詞
  • hotbed

    a place where a lot of a particular activity happens, almost always negative (e.g. 'a hotbed of crime')

  • source

    neutral term for the origin of something; broader and less dramatic than 'factory'

  • powerhouse

    a person or organization with great energy and output, usually positive or admiring in tone

文法句型

a factory of [something]

a factory for [something]

become a factory of [something]

用法筆記

This sense is often used critically to describe places or systems that produce too much of something undesirable, such as crime, pollution, low-quality goods, or misinformation. When used positively (e.g. 'a factory of ideas'), it can carry a slightly ironic or exaggerated tone.

常見錯誤

❌The region is a factory of vegetables.
✅The region is a major producer of vegetables.
💡'Factory' sounds unnatural for agricultural products; use 'producer', 'grower', or 'supplier' instead.