premium
/ˈpriːmiəm/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpriːmiəm/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈprē-mē-əm/ (ame, mw) · /ˈpriː.mi.əm/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpriː.mi.əm/ (ame, ipa)
premium — noun
1. money you pay or receive on top of what something would normally cost — for exam
money you pay or receive on top of what something would normally cost — for example, a buyer paying extra for a rare item, or shares trading above their listed price.
Collectors are willing to pay a premium of fifty dollars for the rare baseball card.
pattern: a premium of + amount
Diego sold his tech shares for three dollars above the listed price, pocketing a tidy premium.
collocation: pocket / earn a premium
Tourists in Venice usually pay a premium for hotel rooms during the summer carnival.
Mei was happy to pay a small premium to get her phone delivered the next morning.
Office space in central Tokyo sells at a steep premium compared with the suburbs.
- discount
an amount taken off the regular price rather than added
文法句型
a premium of + amount
premium on + noun
at a premium
用法筆記
Subject is usually money, a price, or shares; very often appears with 'pay' or in the fixed phrase 'at a premium'. Distinguish from sense 2: this is any extra amount, while sense 2 is specifically the regular fee for an insurance contract.
常見錯誤
2. the regular sum of money a person or company hands over to an insurance company
the regular sum of money a person or company hands over to an insurance company so that the company will cover losses from things like accidents, illness, or damage.
Carlos pays his car insurance premium at the start of every month.
monthly premium collocation
After the second accident, the insurance company raised Lina's premium by thirty percent.
raise / lower a premium
After her cancer diagnosis, Mrs. Patel's health insurance premiums jumped to four hundred dollars a month.
After two speeding tickets, Jake's car insurance premium jumped to nearly twice what his neighbour pays.
- contribution
less specific; can refer to any regular payment into a fund
- instalment
any scheduled payment, not specific to insurance
文法句型
pay a premium
monthly / annual premium
用法筆記
Almost always countable and almost always paired with 'insurance' or a type of insurance (health, car, life). Often modified by 'monthly', 'annual', 'high', 'low'. Distinguish from sense 1: this is a fixed insurance payment, not an extra amount above a normal price.
常見錯誤
3. the most expensive, top-grade petrol or gas sold at filling stations — designed
the most expensive, top-grade petrol or gas sold at filling stations — designed for high-performance engines and priced higher than the regular kind next to it on the pump.
Marcus always fills his sports car up with premium at the corner garage.
fill up with premium
When Hana bought her new BMW, the dealer warned her that the engine must run on premium, never regular.
run on premium
Owen checked the petrol station board and saw that premium cost twenty cents more per litre than regular.
Sara always fills her vintage Mustang with premium because the mechanic warned her against using regular.
- high-octane
technical term focused on the octane rating rather than the brand grade
- super
British informal label for premium grade petrol at the pump
- regular
the cheaper, lower-grade fuel sold next to premium at most stations
文法句型
fill up with premium
run on premium
用法筆記
Uncountable in this sense (no plural and no 'a premium'). Often contrasted with 'regular' or 'standard'. Mostly used with verbs like 'fill up with', 'run on', 'buy', 'use'.
常見錯誤
premium — adjective
1. describing goods, services, or materials that are clearly better than ordinary o
describing goods, services, or materials that are clearly better than ordinary ones — usually marketed as the best in their range and sold at a higher price.
The bakery on Main Street uses premium butter from a small farm in Normandy.
premium + noun (material)
Spotify offers a premium account that removes ads and lets you download songs.
premium + service noun
Anna saved up for a year to buy a premium leather handbag stitched by hand in a Florence workshop.
The hotel charges twice as much for its premium rooms with sea views.
The premium chocolate Mei brought back from Brussels tasted far smoother than the supermarket bars at home.
- high-end
very close in meaning; more about market position than the product itself
- deluxe
stresses luxury and comfort, often used for hotels and trims
- top-quality
neutral and descriptive; less tied to marketing
- superior
more formal; emphasises being clearly better than alternatives
文法句型
premium + noun
用法筆記
Almost always sits directly before a noun (attributive); rarely used after a linking verb like 'be'. Strongly tied to marketing and pricing language — labels a tier above 'standard' or 'basic'.