high-functioning
/ˌhaɪˈfʌŋk.ʃən.ɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌhaɪˈfʌŋk.ʃən.ɪŋ/ (ame, ipa)
high-functioning — adjective
1. describes a team, system, or organization that gets a lot done with few problems
describes a team, system, or organization that gets a lot done with few problems, because every part of it does its job well.
Kenji built a high-functioning sales team by hiring people who solve problems on their own.
attributive: high-functioning + noun (team / organization)
The hospital became a high-functioning emergency centre after the new triage system was added.
passive frame: became / is described as high-functioning
Mauricio said a high-functioning office needs clear roles, simple rules, and quick decisions.
Even a high-functioning democracy can break down when its courts lose public trust.
The factory floor in Osaka is high-functioning despite running with half the usual staff.
- high-performing
more common in business writing; about results rather than internal coordination
- well-oiled
informal; stresses smooth coordination of moving parts
- effective
broader and more neutral; lacks the 'every part working' nuance
- dysfunctional
describes a system whose parts work against each other
文法句型
high-functioning + noun
be high-functioning
用法筆記
Subject is usually a system, team, or institution — not a single person. Distinguish from sense 2, which describes individuals with a medical condition.
常見錯誤
2. used about a person with a mental health or developmental condition, when that p
used about a person with a mental health or developmental condition, when that person can still hold a job, study, or live independently — for example, a high-functioning autistic adult who works as an engineer.
Shanti is a high-functioning autistic adult who works as a software engineer in Taipei.
attributive use with a specific condition (autistic, depressed, alcoholic)
Doctors told Layla's family that her son is high-functioning despite his early diagnosis.
predicative: be high-functioning
Many high-functioning depressives hide their illness from coworkers for years at a time.
Nadia learned that her quiet uncle was a high-functioning alcoholic who never missed work.
The clinic in Kyoto offers therapy designed for high-functioning patients on the autism spectrum.
- mild
common in clinical phrasing ('mild autism'); avoids the 'still functions' framing
- independent
focuses on daily-life ability rather than the condition itself
- low-functioning
increasingly avoided in clinical writing; some communities find both labels reductive
- severely affected
preferred clinical alternative to 'low-functioning'
文法句型
high-functioning + noun (autism / depression / patient)
be high-functioning
用法筆記
Always paired with or implies a named condition (autism, depression, alcoholism, schizophrenia). Some patient communities find the label reductive; it is more accepted in clinical and educational settings than in personal self-description.