saturation

/ˌsætʃəˈreɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌsætʃəˈreɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌsa-chə-ˈrā-shən/ (ame, mw)

saturation — noun

1. a state in which something has taken in or absorbed as much as it possibly can,

1.名詞B2
釋義

a state in which something has taken in or absorbed as much as it possibly can, so that nothing more can fit, enter, or be used.

例句

The local coffee market reached saturation, with six cafés on one street alone.

market saturation — too many competitors for demand

Otis warned his team that further advertising would be useless once market saturation was reached.

同義詞
  • fullness

    more general; describes any container that is full, not specifically the limit beyond which nothing more can enter

  • capacity

    focuses on the maximum amount that can be held, not the state of having reached it

  • overload

    suggests strain or damage from too much, not just reaching a limit

反義詞
  • shortage

    a situation where there is less than needed

文法句型

saturation + of + noun

reach + saturation

saturation point

用法筆記

Frequently used in business and marketing contexts (market saturation, saturation point). Subject is often a market, system, or natural material that has a clear limit on what it can hold.

常見錯誤

❌The store has a saturation of customers.
✅The market has reached saturation.
💡'saturation' describes a state or limit, not a large quantity of something.
❌There is too much saturation of food on the table.
✅The table is completely full.
💡'saturation' is not used for visible physical fullness in everyday contexts.

2. the condition of being completely and thoroughly soaked by a liquid, so that no

2.名詞B2
釋義

the condition of being completely and thoroughly soaked by a liquid, so that no dry area remains inside a material.

例句

The sudden downpour caused total saturation of Tuan's shirt within seconds.

total saturation — completely soaked through

These towels need another five minutes in the water to reach full saturation.

同義詞
  • soaking

    more common in everyday speech; describes the action or state of getting wet

  • drenching

    emphasises being very wet, often from heavy rain or a large amount of water

  • sogginess

    describes the resulting unpleasant wet state, especially in food or fabric

反義詞
  • dryness

    the state of being completely free of liquid

文法句型

total + saturation

saturation + of + noun

reach + saturation

用法筆記

Most common in physical descriptions involving liquids and absorbent materials (sponges, towels, soil, clothing). This sense is less frequent in everyday speech than the business or chemistry senses.

常見錯誤

❌I spilled water on the table and caused saturation.
✅The cloth reached saturation from the spilled water.
💡'saturation' describes the state of an absorbent material, not the act of spilling.
❌The rain gave me saturation.
✅The rain soaked me through completely.
💡'saturation' is not used as a direct experience ('gave me saturation') in English.

3. the point at which a liquid has dissolved as much of a solid, gas, or other subs

3.名詞B2
釋義

the point at which a liquid has dissolved as much of a solid, gas, or other substance as it can hold under normal conditions of temperature and pressure.

例句

Rania added salt to the water until it reached saturation and the crystals stopped dissolving.

reach saturation — no more dissolves

The chemist said sugar saturation in hot tea is much higher than in cold tea.

同義詞
  • concentration

    measures how much of a substance is present, not necessarily the maximum possible amount

  • solubility limit

    the precise scientific term for the maximum amount that can dissolve

反義詞
  • dilution

    the process of making a liquid weaker by adding more liquid

文法句型

saturation + of + substance + in + liquid

reach + saturation

at + saturation

用法筆記

Common in chemistry, meteorology, and cooking. Temperature plays a key role — most substances become more soluble as the liquid heats up. Frequently appears with 'point' (saturation point) to indicate the specific threshold.

常見錯誤

❌The water has a high saturation.
✅The water is at saturation point.
💡'saturation' is used with 'at' or 'point' to describe the limit, not as a simple measurable quantity.
❌The saturation of the air is 80 percent.
✅The relative humidity is 80 percent.
💡in meteorology, 'relative humidity' is the preferred term for percentage values.

4. the quality of being rich, deep, and pure in colour, rather than pale or washed

4.名詞B2
釋義

the quality of being rich, deep, and pure in colour, rather than pale or washed out; how strong a colour looks in an image or on a screen.

例句

Femi turned up the saturation on his phone screen until the grass looked nearly fluorescent.

turn up saturation — increase colour strength

The photographer lowered the saturation in editing software to give the portrait a softer feel.

同義詞
  • vibrancy

    describes colours that feel alive and energetic; overlaps with high saturation

  • intensity

    a broader term that can refer to brightness or strength of light, not only colour purity

  • chroma

    the technical colour-science term for saturation; rarely used outside professional contexts

反義詞
  • desaturation

    the process of removing colour, resulting in a grayscale or muted appearance

文法句型

high + saturation

low + saturation

adjust + saturation

saturation + level

用法筆記

Used in photography, videography, graphic design, and display technology. High saturation makes colours intense and vibrant; low saturation creates a muted, soft, or vintage look. Professional photographers often adjust saturation carefully to avoid unnatural-looking results.

常見錯誤

❌The saturation of the picture is very bright.
✅The saturation of the picture is very high.
💡colours are 'high' or 'low' in saturation, not 'bright'.
❌This photo has too much colour saturation.
✅This photo is oversaturated.
💡the adjective 'oversaturated' is more natural than 'too much colour saturation'.