inflated

/ɪnˈfleɪtɪd/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈfleɪtɪd/ (ame, ipa) · /in-ˈflā-təd/ (ame, mw)

inflated — adjective

  • inflatedpositive
  • more inflatedcomparative
  • most inflatedsuperlative

1. Used about prices, costs, or numbers that are pushed up to a level much greater

1.形容詞C1
釋義

Used about prices, costs, or numbers that are pushed up to a level much greater than people would judge fair or accurate, often because someone is trying to make money or make a result look better than it really is.

例句

Tourists paid inflated prices for bottled water during the festival in Lisbon.

attributive: inflated + noun (prices)

Joon discovered that the auction house had used inflated estimates to attract bidders.

attributive: inflated + noun (estimates)

同義詞
  • exorbitant

    more formal; emphasises that the price is shockingly high

  • excessive

    broader; can describe amounts of anything, not only prices

  • overpriced

    specifically about goods costing more than they are worth

反義詞
  • reasonable

    describes a fair, acceptable price or figure

  • discounted

    describes a price lowered below the normal level

文法句型

inflated + noun (prices/costs/figures)

be inflated

用法筆記

Frequently modifies money-related nouns (prices, costs, fees, rents, salaries) or measurement nouns (figures, numbers, estimates, statistics). Carries a clear negative judgement: the speaker thinks the level is unreasonable or dishonest.

常見錯誤

❌The inflated cake was on the table.
✅The cake had risen on the table.
💡'inflated' is not used for food that has expanded while cooking; reserve it for prices, numbers, or self-importance.

2. Showing or describing an opinion of one's own importance, talent, or value that

2.形容詞C1
釋義

Showing or describing an opinion of one's own importance, talent, or value that is much greater than the facts support — for example, a person who believes they are far more impressive than they actually are, or writing that uses grand language to sound more meaningful than it is.

例句

Niran walked into the meeting with an inflated sense of his own expertise.

collocation: inflated sense of [one's own importance / expertise]

The young actor's inflated ego made the other cast members reluctant to work with him.

collocation: inflated ego

同義詞
  • pretentious

    describes someone or something trying too hard to seem important

  • conceited

    describes a person too proud of their own qualities, slightly stronger

  • pompous

    describes a person or speech using grand language to sound impressive

反義詞
  • humble

    describes someone with a modest view of their own importance

  • modest

    describes someone who does not boast about their abilities

文法句型

inflated + abstract noun (ego/sense/opinion/view)

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is always attributive and modifies abstract nouns about self-perception or style (ego, sense, opinion, view, prose, language). Subject is typically a person being judged from outside, not the person describing themselves.

常見錯誤

❌She felt inflated about her promotion.
✅She had an inflated opinion of her promotion.
💡'inflated' does not describe how a person feels in the moment; it modifies the noun naming the opinion or trait.