repairs
repairs — noun
- repairssingular
- repairsesplural
1. The work or process of putting something that is damaged, broken, or not working
The work or process of putting something that is damaged, broken, or not working correctly back into a usable state.
The landlord hired a plumber to make repairs to the leaking kitchen pipe.
make repairs to [sth]
After the storm, the roof needed urgent repairs before the next rain.
All repairs on the old bridge are scheduled to finish by March.
The mechanic began the repair after checking what parts were needed.
Repairs to the school gym will cost about two thousand dollars.
- fixing
more informal, especially in spoken English
- mending
suggests sewing or small household fixes
- restoration
used for buildings, art, or historical objects; suggests a thorough process
- damage
the harm that creates the need for repair
文法句型
make repairs to [sth]
repairs on [sth]
用法筆記
Often appears in the plural (repairs) when referring to specific instances of fixing work, and in the singular (repair) for the general process. 'Make repairs to' is a common verb-plus-noun collocation.
常見錯誤
2. The condition of an object, building, or machine regarding how well it has been
The condition of an object, building, or machine regarding how well it has been maintained or whether it needs fixing.
The Victorian house on Elm Street is in excellent repair thanks to regular maintenance.
in excellent repair
The old tractor was in poor repair and often broke down during harvest season.
in poor repair
A building in good repair sells for more than one that needs work.
The charity accepted the books in any state of repair and sorted them later.
Park rangers keep the walking trails in a constant state of good repair.
- disrepair
the state of being broken or poorly maintained; 'the house fell into disrepair'
文法句型
in good repair
in bad repair
in a state of repair
用法筆記
Almost always used in the fixed phrases 'in good/ bad/ excellent/ poor repair' or 'in a state of repair'. This sense is uncountable and does not take an article.
常見錯誤
repairs — verb
- repairspresent simple I / you / we / they
- repairses3rd person singular
- repairsing-ing form
- repairsedpast simple
1. To take an object that no longer works properly and return it to a usable condit
To take an object that no longer works properly and return it to a usable condition, usually by replacing parts or fixing what is broken.
Diego repaired the broken garden chair with wood glue and new screws.
repair + concrete object
A technician came to repair the air conditioner before the summer heat arrived.
My uncle repairs vintage motorcycles as a hobby on weekends.
The watchmaker carefully repaired the tiny gears inside the antique clock.
Once the plumber repairs the leak, we can finally paint the bathroom walls.
文法句型
repair + noun
用法筆記
The object is usually a physical object (a machine, a building, a piece of clothing). For relationships or abstract things, use sense 2.
常見錯誤
2. To improve or restore a relationship, trust, or situation after something has go
To improve or restore a relationship, trust, or situation after something has gone wrong or been damaged.
After their argument, the two friends worked hard to repair their friendship.
repair + relationship
The company tried to repair its reputation by issuing a public apology.
Chiara and her brother went to family counselling to repair their broken trust.
The government hopes the new trade agreement will repair ties between the two countries.
It took years of honest communication to repair the damage caused by the lie.
文法句型
repair + abstract noun
用法筆記
The object is always abstract: a relationship, reputation, trust, ties, or the damage done to such things. This sense cannot be used for physical objects.