max
max — adjective
- maxpositive
- maxercomparative
- maxestsuperlative
1. an informal word meaning the greatest or highest that something can be or is all
an informal word meaning the greatest or highest that something can be or is allowed to be, used before a noun like speed, volume, or capacity
Christopher set the oven to its max temperature before roasting the chicken.
attributive: max + noun (temperature, speed, volume)
The new sports car reaches its max speed of three hundred kilometres per hour.
Iris turned the music to max volume and danced around the bright kitchen.
During the storm, the small boat carried its max load of eight passengers.
The gym trainer asked Rafael to give max effort on the final heavy lift.
文法句型
max + noun
用法筆記
Comes directly before a noun (max speed, max volume, max capacity); in formal writing the full word 'maximum' is preferred.
常見錯誤
max — noun
1. the greatest amount, level, or number that is possible, allowed, or actually rea
the greatest amount, level, or number that is possible, allowed, or actually reached
Twenty push-ups is my max, so Selim challenged me to reach it today.
possessive: my / her max = personal limit
The small theatre holds a max of three hundred people during a single show.
noun pattern: a max of + number
After months of training, Nkechi finally hit her max on the bench press.
Our monthly food budget has a strict max that the family never goes over.
The busy factory's output reached its max during last summer's long heat wave.
- minimum
the lowest possible amount or level
文法句型
a max of + number
possessive + max
用法筆記
Often appears as 'a max of + number' or with a possessive ('my max', 'her max'); the formal equivalent is the noun 'maximum'.
常見錯誤
max — abbreviation
1. the short written form of 'maximum', used on forecasts, gauges, and specificatio
the short written form of 'maximum', used on forecasts, gauges, and specification sheets to label the highest figure of something
Saturday's weather forecast showed max twenty-eight degrees, so Yael planned a beach day.
written forecast/spec: max + value = the maximum figure
The pressure gauge has the max clearly marked with a thin red line.
labels the maximum value on a dial or chart
Stefan checked the max engine output listed on the motorbike's specification sheet.
The label gives the freezer's max temperature as minus eighteen degrees.
The pharmacist noted the max dose printed in bold on the cough syrup bottle.
- min
the matching short form of minimum
文法句型
max + number
用法筆記
Written shorthand for 'maximum' that labels the highest figure of something (max temperature, max dose, max output); distinguish from sense 2's spoken 'at the most'.
2. used directly after a number or amount to mean that the true figure will be no m
used directly after a number or amount to mean that the true figure will be no more than that
The taxi to the airport will cost twenty dollars max, the driver promised.
postpositive: [amount] + max = at the most
Walking from the station to the museum takes ten minutes max on a quiet day.
Linh said the repair would need three days max before the car was ready.
The whole trip should use fifty litres of fuel max, even with the long detours.
Hassan reckoned the crowd was two hundred people max at the small concert.
- at least
states the lowest, not the highest, figure
文法句型
amount + max
用法筆記
Comes after the amount in informal speech ('twenty dollars max'); distinguish from sense 1, the written form that labels a maximum figure.
常見錯誤
3. used to say that something is done as fully, completely, or intensely as it poss
used to say that something is done as fully, completely, or intensely as it possibly can be, almost always in the fixed phrase 'to the max'
Sahil enjoyed his birthday weekend in Lisbon to the max with old friends.
fixed phrase: do something to the max
The engineers pushed the rocket engine to the max during the final ground test.
After recovering from illness, Élise decided to live to the max every single day.
The team used the new stadium's bright lights to the max for the night final.
Jiwoo turned the speakers up to the max for the lively rooftop party.
- fully
neutral, without the slangy tone
- to the limit
phrase stressing a point that cannot be passed
- barely
only to the smallest degree
文法句型
to the max
用法筆記
Almost always fixed in the phrase 'to the max' and keeps 'the'; it is not interchangeable with the quantity senses above.