par

/pɑː(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /pɑːr/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpär/ (ame, mw)

par — noun

1. an even footing between two people or things, where each is rated as matching th

1.名詞C1
釋義

an even footing between two people or things, where each is rated as matching the other in quality, importance, or value.

例句

Maya argues that her novel sits on a par with the prize-winning entries.

on a par with + noun phrase

In Carlos's view, no other guitarist is on a par with his late teacher.

同義詞
  • equal

    more general; works as adjective or noun outside this frame

  • equivalent

    stresses matching value or function rather than overall quality

  • level

    informal: 'on a level with' carries the same meaning

反義詞

文法句型

on a par with + noun

用法筆記

Almost always appears in the fixed frame 'on a par with [X]'; standalone use is rare. Subject and object should be comparable in kind (book to book, city to city).

常見錯誤

❌Her cooking is on par to my mother's.
✅Her cooking is on a par with my mother's.
💡the fixed frame is 'on a par with', not 'on par to'.

2. the level of quality, performance, or health that you would normally expect — us

2.名詞C1
釋義

the level of quality, performance, or health that you would normally expect — used mainly in phrases like 'below par' (worse than usual) or 'up to par' (good enough).

例句

Lina has been feeling below par since she caught the flu last week.

below par = worse than usual, often about health

The hotel's breakfast is just not up to par for the price we paid.

up to par = good enough

同義詞
  • standard

    more neutral; works as a bare noun without fixed frames

  • norm

    stresses the typical or average level

  • average

    everyday word; works as adjective or noun

文法句型

below par

up to par

above par

用法筆記

Rarely used as a bare noun; almost always inside 'below par', 'up to par', or 'above par'. Distinguish from sense 1 (which compares two specific things) — this sense compares one thing to a generic norm.

常見錯誤

❌My energy is in par today.
✅My energy is below par today.
💡'in par' is not standard; use 'below/up to/above par'.

3. in golf, the number of strokes a skilled player is expected to need to finish on

3.名詞B2
釋義

in golf, the number of strokes a skilled player is expected to need to finish one hole or the whole course; scoring fewer strokes than this number counts as good play.

例句

Marcus finished the eighteenth hole one stroke under par.

under par = better than expected in golf

Par for this short hole at Pebble Beach is just three.

par for + hole/course

同義詞
  • scratch

    informal golf term for a player who shoots par

  • bogey

    slightly different: one stroke over par on a hole

文法句型

par for the hole/course

under par

over par

用法筆記

Domain-specific to golf. Numbers above the figure are 'over par' (worse), numbers below are 'under par' (better) — opposite of what 'below par' means in sense 2, so context matters.

常見錯誤

❌She played below par and won the tournament.' (if you mean she played well in golf)
✅She played under par and won the tournament.
💡in golf, 'under par' is good; 'below par' (sense 2) means poor performance.

4. the price printed on a share, bond, or banknote when it is first issued, used as

4.名詞C2
釋義

the price printed on a share, bond, or banknote when it is first issued, used as a fixed reference point against which the market price later rises or falls.

例句

The bonds were issued at par and now trade slightly above par.

at par / above par in finance

After the bad earnings report, the shares fell below par for the first time.

同義詞
  • face value

    everyday equivalent; same meaning, less technical

  • nominal value

    formal accounting term for the printed amount

文法句型

at par

above par

below par

用法筆記

Strictly a finance term. Subject is usually a stock, bond, or note. Often appears as the compound 'par value'. Don't confuse with sense 2's 'below par', which is about general standards, not money.

常見錯誤

❌The bond's par went up after good earnings.
✅The bond's market price went up; its par stays fixed.
💡par is the fixed issue value; only the market price moves.

par — verb