in use

in use — idiom

1. describes a thing or facility that is currently being occupied or operated by so

1.慣用語B1
釋義

describes a thing or facility that is currently being occupied or operated by someone, making it unavailable for anyone else to use at that moment.

例句

The public toilet in the park was in use, so Paloma went to the café.

be + in use describing unavailability of a facility

All three meeting rooms on the second floor were in use when the team arrived.

passive context: rooms are occupied

同義詞
  • occupied

    more formal; typically used for rooms, seats, or telephone lines

  • taken

    informal; common for seats or facilities ('Is this seat taken?')

  • engaged

    British English; used for telephones or toilets ('Sorry, the line is engaged.')

反義詞
  • free

    available for use ('Is this table free?')

  • available

    general term for something ready to be used

  • vacant

    more formal; for rooms, seats, or positions

文法句型

be + in use

用法筆記

Always used after a form of the verb 'be' (is, are, was, were, etc.). Unlike many adjectives, 'in use' cannot be placed directly before a noun: 'the in-use phone' is incorrect; instead say 'the phone that is in use'.

常見錯誤

❌This bathroom is in using.
✅This bathroom is in use.
💡'in use' is a fixed phrase; do not change 'use' to 'using'.
❌The in-use computer is very slow.
✅The computer that is in use is very slow.
💡'in use' cannot be placed before a noun as an attributive adjective.