hours
hours — noun
1. units of time, each lasting sixty minutes, used to count how long something take
units of time, each lasting sixty minutes, used to count how long something takes or lasts.
Ezra waited three hours at the airport before his flight to Madrid took off.
[number] + hours for measuring duration
The drive from Taipei to Kaohsiung takes about four hours by high-speed rail.
duration of a journey
Sayaka practised the piano for two hours every afternoon before her recital.
The film was nearly three hours long, so Meera bought a large bag of popcorn.
Kemi finished the exam in less than two hours and walked out smiling.
- time
broader; less precise about the unit of measurement
文法句型
number + hours
for + [number] hours
用法筆記
Always plural after numbers greater than one. With 'one' use the singular form 'hour'.
常見錯誤
2. the set period each day when a shop, office, or service is open to the public, o
the set period each day when a shop, office, or service is open to the public, or when a regular activity takes place.
The library extends its opening hours to ten o'clock during exam week.
collocation: opening hours
Please check the bank's business hours on the front door before walking in.
collocation: business hours
Daniel can answer your questions during office hours, Monday to Friday.
Visiting hours at the hospital end at eight in the evening.
Aylin sends emails after hours and does not expect a reply until morning.
文法句型
opening / business / office hours
during [X] hours
用法筆記
Almost always appears with a defining adjective or noun in front: opening, business, office, visiting, school. Distinguish from sense 4 (the personal schedule of one worker) — sense 2 is about an organization's public schedule.
常見錯誤
3. the moments or part of a day or night when something happens, often described as
the moments or part of a day or night when something happens, often described as early, late, or quiet.
Christopher does his best writing in the early hours of the morning before sunrise.
the early hours of the morning
Asher kept calling his mother during the late hours of the night, worried about the storm.
the late hours of the night
The party went on into the small hours, with music drifting across the garden.
Niran prefers to fish in the quiet hours just before dawn.
Trains run less frequently during the off-peak hours between rush periods.
文法句型
the early / late / small hours of [period]
用法筆記
Subject is usually a stretch of time within the day or night, not a single moment. Distinguish from sense 1 (counting units of time): sense 3 names a part of the day, not a length.
4. the amount or pattern of time a person spends doing their paid job each day or w
the amount or pattern of time a person spends doing their paid job each day or week.
Kemi works long hours at the law firm, often leaving the office after midnight.
work long hours: typical collocation
Caio has flexible hours and can pick his daughter up from school in the afternoon.
flexible hours: chosen daily schedule
The new nurse keeps unsocial hours, working through most weekends and holidays.
Elena puts in forty hours a week at the bakery and still finds time to paint.
Defne wanted shorter hours so she could finish her university degree at night.
- shift
a single block of work time; 'hours' covers the overall pattern
文法句型
work + [adjective] hours
[number] hours a week
用法筆記
Subject is typically a single worker (a person). Distinguish from sense 2 (the public schedule of a shop or service): sense 4 describes one person's own working pattern.
常見錯誤
5. a long stretch of time that feels much longer than it really is, used to stress
a long stretch of time that feels much longer than it really is, used to stress how slow or tiring something feels.
Adina searched for her car keys for hours before finding them inside her coat pocket.
for hours: exaggerated long search
Léa spent hours cleaning the kitchen after the dinner party on Saturday.
spend hours + V-ing
We waited at the bus stop for hours in the rain before any bus appeared.
Brandon talks to his grandmother on the phone for hours every Sunday night.
Sana practised the violin for hours, until her fingers hurt and her teacher told her to rest.
- moments
suggests a very short time
文法句型
for hours
spend hours + V-ing
用法筆記
Mostly informal hyperbole — speakers rarely mean an exact count of hours. Distinguish from sense 1 (precise duration): sense 5 emphasises feeling, not measurement.
6. any time of day or night, with no set pattern, often used when something happens
any time of day or night, with no set pattern, often used when something happens too often or at awkward moments.
Mathieu's neighbours play loud music at all hours, which keeps the baby awake.
at all hours: any time, day or night
The hospital's emergency line is answered at all hours by trained nurses.
round-the-clock availability
Beatrix gets phone calls from clients at all hours, even on her holiday in Greece.
Sofie's new puppy barks at all hours of the night, and the family barely sleeps.
Kwame studies at all hours during the final week before his exams.
- round the clock
stresses continuous activity; often positive (services that never stop)
文法句型
at all hours
round / around the clock hours
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'at all hours' (sometimes 'at all hours of the day/night'). Carries a mild complaint or surprise about timing.