neutral
/ˈnjuːtrəl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈnuːtrəl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈnü-trəl ˈnyü-/ (ame, mw) · /ˈnjuː.trəl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈnuː.trəl/ (ame, ipa)
neutral — adjective
- neutralpositive
- more neutralcomparative
- most neutralsuperlative
1. describes a person, country, or organisation that does not take sides or give he
describes a person, country, or organisation that does not take sides or give help to any party in a conflict, dispute, or contest.
Switzerland remained neutral during both world wars, refusing to join any military alliance.
collocation: remain neutral
The teacher stayed neutral when her students argued about whose project was better.
Roya asked her father to be neutral and not take sides in the disagreement.
A neutral country can offer to host peace talks between opposing nations.
- impartial
stronger focus on fairness in judgment rather than mere non-involvement
- unbiased
emphasises lack of prejudice, often used in formal evaluations
- non-aligned
specifically describes a country that does not join any major power bloc
2. describes a sports venue where a match is held but which is not owned by any of
describes a sports venue where a match is held but which is not owned by any of the competing teams, giving neither side a home advantage.
The semi-final was on neutral ground in Osaka so neither team had home advantage.
collocation: neutral ground
The coach complained that playing on a neutral field removed their home-crowd energy.
Fans from both clubs traveled to the neutral stadium for the championship final.
The referee chose a neutral venue after a storm damaged the original stadium.
- home
belonging to one of the competing teams
用法筆記
Almost always used before a noun such as 'ground', 'field', 'stadium', or 'venue'. Does not describe the teams themselves, only the location of the match.
3. having no strong, bright, or distinctive qualities — used to describe colours, s
having no strong, bright, or distinctive qualities — used to describe colours, sounds, expressions, or general appearances that do not attract attention or show strong emotion.
Talia wore a plain grey dress so the interview focus stayed on her skills.
The walls were painted in a neutral beige that worked with any colour of furniture.
collocation: neutral colour
Liam's voice remained flat and neutral, giving away nothing about how he truly felt.
Naoko prefers a neutral look with light lip gloss and no eye shadow.
- bright
strongly coloured or vivid
- distinctive
easily noticed because of unusual qualities
常見錯誤
4. describes a substance that is neither acidic nor alkaline (basic), with a pH val
describes a substance that is neither acidic nor alkaline (basic), with a pH value of approximately 7.
Pure water has a pH of 7 and is chemically neutral — neither acidic nor alkaline.
The lab assistant tested the solution and confirmed it was neutral before the experiment.
domain: chemistry
Soil that is neutral is best for growing most common vegetables in a home garden.
Garden soil with a neutral pH helps tomatoes and carrots grow well.
用法筆記
Common with adverbs such as 'chemically' or 'roughly' (roughly neutral). The noun form 'neutrality' is rarely used in everyday conversation for this chemical sense.
5. describes a particle or object that has no overall electrical charge — it has eq
describes a particle or object that has no overall electrical charge — it has equal numbers of positive and negative charges, so it is neither positive nor negative.
A neutron is a neutral particle found inside the nucleus of every atom except hydrogen.
The physicist explained that a neutral atom has the same number of protons and electrons.
Rub a balloon on your hair and electrons move, making it no longer electrically neutral.
An atom is neutral when it has equal numbers of protons and electrons.
- uncharged
more direct synonym, common in technical writing
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 4 (CHEMICAL PH): that sense describes acidity level, while this sense describes electric charge. These are independent concepts — a chemical can be neutral in pH but charged electrically.
6. describes the wire in an electrical circuit that carries zero voltage and provid
describes the wire in an electrical circuit that carries zero voltage and provides the return path for current, completing the circuit safely.
The electrician fixed the live wire to the switch and neutral to the lamp holder.
domain: electrical engineering
Hiro checked the voltage between neutral and earth wires to confirm the circuit was safe.
In house plugs the neutral wire is blue and the live wire is brown.
Always turn off the power before touching a neutral wire in the fuse box.
用法筆記
Almost always used as an attributive adjective before 'wire'. Not used as a standalone description of a circuit — the full phrase 'neutral wire' is the standard technical term. Distinguish from sense 5: that sense describes particles with no electric charge; this sense describes a specific wire in a household or industrial electrical system.
neutral — noun
- neutralsingular
- neutralsplural
1. the position of a vehicle's gear stick or gearbox in which the engine is disconn
the position of a vehicle's gear stick or gearbox in which the engine is disconnected from the wheels, so the vehicle does not move forward or backward even when the engine is running.
Bao put the car into neutral while waiting at the traffic lights to save fuel.
Before starting the engine, make sure the gear stick is in neutral.
pattern: put/carry/shift into neutral
The driving instructor told João to shift into neutral before turning the ignition key.
Sumin put the car in neutral with the handbrake on while entering the shop.
用法筆記
Used in fixed prepositional phrases: 'in neutral' (state) and 'into neutral' (transition). Does not take an article — you say 'in neutral', not 'in a neutral' or 'in the neutral'.
常見錯誤
2. a situation or period in which no progress, activity, or development is taking p
a situation or period in which no progress, activity, or development is taking place.
After the CEO resigned, the company's plans slipped into neutral for several months.
metaphorical: slip into neutral
The peace talks remained stuck in neutral with neither side willing to make a move.
Wren felt her career was in neutral until she learned new digital skills.
The research project has been in neutral since the funding was cut.
- standstill
stronger — suggests complete halt rather than just slow progress
- limbo
implies uncertainty about when change will come
- stagnation
more formal, often used for economies or careers
用法筆記
This is a metaphorical extension of the gear sense (noun sense 1). Almost always appears after a form of 'be' or a verb like 'slip'/'stay' in the phrase 'in neutral'. Not used in formal or academic writing.
3. a person, group, or country that refuses to back any one party during a conflict
a person, group, or country that refuses to back any one party during a conflict, contest, or dispute.
During the debate the neutrals in the audience refused to clap for either speaker.
Tariro acted as a neutral in the talks and helped both sides reach an agreement.
collocation: act as a neutral
The warring parties met on the island because the locals were considered trustworthy neutrals.
When the vote was tied the chairperson asked a neutral to cast the deciding vote.
- participant
someone actively involved in the dispute or contest
- ally
someone who sides with and supports one party
用法筆記
Often used in plural form 'neutrals' to refer to a group of non-aligned countries or people. In diplomatic contexts it can serve as an adjective-like noun ('the neutral powers').
4. a shade that lacks vividness or intensity, like grey, beige, cream, or light bro
a shade that lacks vividness or intensity, like grey, beige, cream, or light brown, and which harmonises well with other colours.
The living room was decorated in soft neutrals like cream, taupe, and pale grey.
Roya chose a warm neutral for the walls to match different bedding and curtains.
countable: a neutral
Fashion designers often use neutrals as a base and add bright accessories for contrast.
Beige and grey are popular neutrals because they match almost any other colour.
- earth tone
warm, brown-based colours from nature — a subset of neutrals
- neutral shade
more explicit; avoids confusion with other senses of 'neutral'
- bright
vivid, highly saturated colours
- bold colour
a colour that stands out strongly, such as red or electric blue
用法筆記
Commonly used in the plural form 'neutrals' in decorating and fashion contexts. The singular 'a neutral' is less common but correct when referring to one specific shade.