maximum
maximum — adjective
- maximumpositive
- more maximumcomparative
- most maximumsuperlative
1. describing an amount, level, or number that is as big as the rules, the situatio
describing an amount, level, or number that is as big as the rules, the situation, or the physical space allows — nothing can be bigger than this.
The maximum speed on this road is forty miles per hour.
maximum + noun: the highest possible speed/temperature/weight
Saira lifted the maximum weight allowed for her age group at the competition.
The oven's maximum temperature reaches five hundred degrees Celsius.
This suitcase has a maximum capacity of twenty-three kilograms.
Drivers must check the maximum height limit before entering the tunnel.
- greatest
more general than 'maximum'; 'greatest' can describe size, importance, or intensity while 'maximum' specifically refers to an upper limit
- highest
used for concrete measurements like temperature, speed, or rank; 'highest temperature' and 'maximum temperature' are interchangeable
- utmost
more formal and intense than 'maximum'; suggests the absolute extreme possible ('utmost care' vs 'maximum care')
- top
informal alternative; 'top speed' is common in everyday speech but less formal than 'maximum speed'
- minimum
the smallest amount or number possible or allowed
文法句型
maximum + noun (the thing that has an upper limit)
用法筆記
Always placed directly before the noun it describes. Do not use after a number — for that meaning, use the adverb sense instead.
常見錯誤
maximum — adverb
1. placed after a stated number or amount to say that this figure represents the up
placed after a stated number or amount to say that this figure represents the upper limit — the real number could be the same or lower.
The repair will cost two hundred dollars maximum.
amount + maximum: indicates the upper bound of a cost or count
We need ten volunteers maximum for the school science fair.
The waiting time for a table is thirty minutes maximum on weekdays.
Each guest can bring one friend maximum to the dinner party.
The airport minibus carries twelve passengers maximum, so the team booked two of them.
- at most
the full prepositional phrase equivalent; 'at most' is more formal and can go before the amount ('at most five people') or after ('five people at most')
- at the outside
informal British expression; 'It'll take an hour at the outside' means the same as 'an hour maximum'
- at least
used after a number to show it is the lowest possible figure; the opposite of 'maximum' as an adverb
文法句型
number/amount + maximum
用法筆記
This use is always postpositive — it follows the amount, never precedes it. The meaning is the same as 'at most'. Common in pricing, time estimates, and capacity limits.
常見錯誤
maximum — noun
- maximumsingular
- maximumsplural
1. the greatest size, number, or degree that something can reach or be allowed to r
the greatest size, number, or degree that something can reach or be allowed to reach in a particular situation.
The thermometer reached a maximum of forty-two degrees yesterday.
reach a maximum of + number: used for temperatures, costs, or speeds
Hamza tried to borrow the maximum that the bank would lend him for the house.
The stadium holds a maximum of fifty thousand spectators for concerts.
Never exceed the maximum written on the back of the medicine bottle.
The professor set a maximum of fifteen pages for the final essay.
- limit
broader term that can refer to either the upper or lower boundary; 'maximum' always means the upper boundary
- ceiling
more formal and often used for official or legal upper limits, especially in finance ('a ceiling on rent increases')
- cap
informal; common in business and government contexts for a fixed imposed limit ('a cap on carbon emissions')
文法句型
a/the maximum of + number
exceed/reach the maximum
用法筆記
When followed by a number, use the pattern 'a maximum of + number' ('a maximum of 20 people'). When the reference is clear from context, 'the maximum' alone is sufficient ('the thermometer reached its maximum').