reduced

reduced — verb

1. to make something smaller or less in size, amount, price, or importance; or to b

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

to make something smaller or less in size, amount, price, or importance; or to become smaller or less — for example, reducing the staff at a factory, reducing the speed of a car, or reducing the risk of a disease.

例句

The supermarket reduced the price of bread by twenty percent during the weekly sale.

reduce + noun phrase + by + [percentage]

The new highway reduced travel time from five hours to under three.

active: subject + reduce + object + from + [X] + to + [Y]

同義詞
  • decrease

    suggests a more gradual or continuous decline; 'The population decreased slowly over ten years'

  • lower

    most natural for height, level, or price; 'The bank lowered its interest rates'

  • cut

    informal and often implies a deliberate, sharp reduction; 'The manager cut the budget by half'

反義詞
  • increase

    to make larger in size, amount, or degree

  • raise

    to move to a higher level, especially price or amount

文法句型

reduce + noun phrase

reduce + noun phrase + by + [amount/percentage]

reduce + noun phrase + from + [X] + to + [Y]

noun phrase + be reduced + by/from/to + [amount]

用法筆記

Very common in the passive voice ('was reduced' / 'were reduced') to describe outcomes or results. The object is typically a measurable thing: cost, speed, size, amount, level, or risk. To talk about reducing something to zero, use 'reduce to nothing' or 'eliminate'.

常見錯誤

❌The company reduced the workers from the office.
✅The company reduced the number of workers in the office.
💡'reduce' needs a measurable noun as object, not a person directly.
❌I reduced my weight by the gym.
✅I reduced my weight by exercising every day.
💡Use 'by + verb-ing' to show how the reduction was achieved, not 'by + place'.

2. to boil a liquid such as wine, stock, or sauce so that its volume decreases and

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to boil a liquid such as wine, stock, or sauce so that its volume decreases and its flavour becomes richer and more concentrated.

例句

The chef reduced the red wine by half before adding it to the beef stew.

reduce + liquid ingredient + by + [fraction]

After simmering for fifteen minutes, the tomato sauce had reduced to a thick, rich paste.

intransitive: (liquid) reduce + to + [result]

同義詞
  • thicken

    focuses on the result (thicker consistency) rather than the process of boiling off liquid; 'Thicken the sauce with cornflour'

  • concentrate

    emphasises intensifying flavour rather than reducing volume; 'Concentrate the stock by boiling'

反義詞
  • dilute

    to make a liquid weaker or thinner by adding water

文法句型

reduce + noun (liquid ingredient)

reduce + noun + by + [fraction/amount]

(liquid) + reduce + to + [result]

reduce + noun + over + [time period]

用法筆記

The object is always a liquid (sauce, stock, wine, juice, vinegar). Not used for heating solid food. In recipes, you will often see 'reduce by half' or 'reduce until thickened'.

常見錯誤

❌Reduce the vegetables until they are soft.
✅Reduce the vegetable stock until it thickens.
💡'reduce' in cooking only applies to liquids, not to solid food items.