high-octane
/ˌhaɪ ˈɒkteɪn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌhaɪ ˈɑːkteɪn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhī-ˈäk-ˌtān/ (ame, mw)
high-octane — adjective
1. describing petrol or other engine fuel that burns smoothly at high compression,
describing petrol or other engine fuel that burns smoothly at high compression, letting an engine produce more power without knocking.
Esme filled the rental sports car with high-octane petrol before the mountain drive.
attributive: high-octane + fuel noun
The racing team only uses high-octane fuel during the championship qualifying laps.
collocation: high-octane fuel
Older car engines often knock loudly when high-octane gasoline is not available at the station.
Nicholas warned the new driver that this engine needs high-octane petrol, not the cheap kind.
- low-octane
fuel that knocks under high compression
文法句型
high-octane + fuel/petrol/gasoline
用法筆記
Almost always attributive in front of a fuel noun (petrol, gasoline, fuel, gas); rarely used predicatively after 'be'.
常見錯誤
2. feeling or looking fast, exciting, and full of energy — used of films, shows, pe
feeling or looking fast, exciting, and full of energy — used of films, shows, performances, sports plays, or someone's working style.
The new action film delivers two hours of high-octane chase scenes across the streets of Bangkok.
attributive with event/scene noun
Eitan led a high-octane sales pitch that left the whole room clapping and laughing.
Amani finished her high-octane dance routine out of breath but still smiling at the judges.
The startup has a high-octane culture where the team often works late and ships new features every week.
Kian gave a high-octane speech that pushed the volunteers to knock on a hundred more doors.
- fast-paced
neutral; widely used for films, shows, and games
- action-packed
informal; mostly films and games, stresses non-stop events
- dynamic
more formal; works for people and organisations too
- low-key
calm, not showy or intense
文法句型
high-octane + performance/action/event noun
用法筆記
Used attributively with nouns naming an action, performance, event, atmosphere, or working style (chase, scene, pitch, routine, culture, speech). Distinguish from sense 1 by the noun it modifies: a fuel noun → sense 1; a performance/event/style noun → sense 2.