quantum leap
quantum leap — noun
1. a very large and important improvement in the quality, success, or effectiveness
a very large and important improvement in the quality, success, or effectiveness of something — for example, a business whose sales double in a single month or a medical treatment that cuts the death rate from a disease by half.
The new vaccine was a quantum leap in the fight against the disease.
quantum leap + in + field/area
After Isabela started working with a tutor, her test results showed a quantum leap.
The company's profits took a quantum leap forward after they launched the new product.
Building a new school gave the whole community a quantum leap in education.
Adding high-speed internet was a quantum leap for small businesses in the area.
- breakthrough
focuses on overcoming a specific obstacle or barrier
- giant step forward
more informal; common in business and sports contexts
- major advance
slightly less dramatic; suggests steady progress rather than a sudden jump
文法句型
a quantum leap + in + noun phrase
make a quantum leap
be a quantum leap
用法筆記
Subject is often an area of activity such as medicine, technology, or education — the field where the big improvement happens, named after 'in'. Common verbs: make, represent, be.
常見錯誤
2. a sudden, sharp change from one state or level to a much higher or more advanced
a sudden, sharp change from one state or level to a much higher or more advanced one in a single step, especially after a period when progress was slow or steady.
The country made a quantum leap from a farming economy to a high-tech centre in ten years.
quantum leap + from + X + to + Y
Owen's understanding of chemistry took a quantum leap after he joined the advanced class.
The move from film cameras to digital photography was a quantum leap in image technology.
With the new treatment, patients saw a quantum leap in how fast they recovered from surgery.
- leap
shorter and less dramatic; can describe any big jump
- sudden advance
emphasises the speed of the change
- transformation
suggests a complete change in the nature of something
- gradual decline
a slow move downward, not a sudden upward jump
- stagnation
no change at all over a period of time
文法句型
a quantum leap + from + starting point + to + end point
用法筆記
Frequently followed by 'from...to...' to describe the starting and ending points of the change. The emphasis is on the suddenness and scale of the jump, not just the positive outcome.