illiquid

/ɪˈlɪk.wɪd/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪˈlɪk.wɪd/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)i(l)-ˈlik-wəd/ (ame, mw)

illiquid — adjective

  • illiquidpositive
  • more illiquidcomparative
  • most illiquidsuperlative

1. describes an asset or investment that exists as something other than cash and ta

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describes an asset or investment that exists as something other than cash and takes a long time to sell without accepting a much lower price. For example, a house or a piece of land takes much longer to sell than shares in a company, so it is an illiquid asset.

例句

Andre wanted to sell his apartment quickly, but he soon learned that real estate is a highly illiquid asset.

illiquid + noun (asset, investment)

The pension fund held most of its money in illiquid investments like private company shares.

held most of its money in illiquid investments

同義詞
  • non-cash

    broader term; any asset that is not cash, even if easily sold (e.g., stocks are non-cash but liquid — less precise)

  • unmarketable

    focused on the lack of buyers rather than the difficulty of converting to cash

  • frozen

    informal; suggests the asset is legally or practically trapped and cannot be moved at all, not just slow to convert

反義詞
  • liquid

    direct opposite — describes assets that can be turned into cash quickly without significant loss of value

  • cash-equivalent

    narrower antonym; assets so close to cash they can be used like money

文法句型

illiquid + noun (asset, investment, market)

用法筆記

Frequently paired with financial nouns such as 'assets', 'investments', 'market', 'securities', or 'positions'. The opposite is 'liquid', which describes assets that can be quickly turned into cash (e.g., publicly traded stocks, cash itself).

常見錯誤

The company is illiquid and cannot pay its debts.
The company is insolvent and cannot pay its debts.
💡'Illiquid' describes assets or markets, not a person or company. A company unable to pay debts is 'insolvent' or 'bankrupt.'
I need cash now, but my money is illiquid in the bank.
I need cash now, but my money is locked in a fixed-term deposit.
💡Standard bank deposits are liquid; 'illiquid' applies to assets like real estate, art, or private equity that take time to sell.