surcharge
/ˈsɜːtʃɑːdʒ/ (bre, ipa) · [sˈɚtʃˌɑrdʒ] /ˈsɜːrtʃɑːrdʒ/ (ame, ipa) · [sˈɚtʃˌɑrdʒ] /ˈsər-ˌchärj How to pronounce surcharge (audio)/ (ame, mw) · /ˈsɜː.tʃɑːdʒ/ (bre, ipa) · [sˈɚtʃˌɑrdʒ] /ˈsɝː.tʃɑːrdʒ/ (ame, ipa)
surcharge — noun
- surchargesingular
- surchargesplural
1. a fee added on top of the normal price, bill, or service charge.
a fee added on top of the normal price, bill, or service charge.
The airline added a fuel surcharge to every ticket sold in July.
collocation: fuel surcharge
Guests who paid by card faced a 3% surcharge at the front desk.
card-payment surcharge
Because the parcel was too large, Kenji had to pay a surcharge.
Parents noticed a late-payment surcharge on the school bus bill.
Lucia questioned the weekend surcharge printed on her hotel receipt.
- fee
broader and more neutral; it does not itself suggest an added cost
- premium
often suggests a higher price for extra quality or risk, not just an extra charge
- markup
focuses on raising the selling price, not necessarily listing a separate extra fee
- penalty
usually tied more clearly to breaking a rule or paying late
文法句型
pay a surcharge
surcharge on + noun
add/impose a surcharge
用法筆記
Often used for a fixed extra fee added to a bill or service, especially for fuel, card payments, or late payment. Common after 'on' and in compounds such as 'fuel surcharge'.
常見錯誤
surcharge — verb
- surchargepresent simple I / you / we / they
- surcharges3rd person singular
- surcharging-ing form
- surchargedpast simple
1. to add a separate extra fee to a bill, service, or payment because of a special
to add a separate extra fee to a bill, service, or payment because of a special cost or condition.
The hotel surcharged card payments after its bank raised card fees.
surcharge [payment type]
Shirin was surcharged for checking in two heavy bags at the airport.
passive: be surcharged for [reason]
Some delivery apps surcharge small orders during heavy rain.
The garage surcharged the repair bill for Saturday service.
Customers complained when the venue surcharged every drink after 10 p.m.
文法句型
surcharge a bill
surcharge somebody for something
be surcharged for + noun/verb-ing
用法筆記
This is a formal business use. The object is usually a bill, payment, ticket, or order, and the reason often follows 'for'. Distinguish from sense 2, which is about charging an unfairly high price.
常見錯誤
2. to make someone pay more than is fair or reasonable for something.
to make someone pay more than is fair or reasonable for something.
Taxi drivers sometimes surcharge tourists outside the station on festival nights.
object is the person paying
The repairman surcharged Femi for a part that cost only ten dollars.
surcharge somebody for [item]
Residents said the landlord had surcharged them for water all winter.
Noa warned her grandfather that the shop surcharged older customers.
A quick online search showed that the clinic had surcharged many families.
- overcharge
the most direct everyday equivalent for charging too much
- gouge
stronger and more informal, especially when sellers exploit urgent demand
- rip off
informal and strongly accusatory; suggests deliberate cheating
- undercharge
to ask for less money than the usual or correct amount
文法句型
surcharge somebody
surcharge somebody for something
be surcharged for + noun
用法筆記
This sense focuses on unfair or excessive pricing. The customer is usually the object, while the item or service often comes after 'for'. Distinguish from sense 1, which can be a stated extra fee that is not necessarily unfair.
常見錯誤
3. to put too much weight, material, or electrical charge into something so that it
to put too much weight, material, or electrical charge into something so that it goes beyond its safe or intended limit.
Workers surcharged the truck with bricks until the back wheels sank.
surcharge [vehicle] with [load]
The cook surcharged the mixer bowl with dough and burned out the motor.
surcharge [container] with [material]
During the move, the crew surcharged the elevator with boxes and jammed the doors.
Rafi surcharged the shelves with textbooks, and one board cracked overnight.
The mechanic said the cheap charger had surcharged the battery cells.
文法句型
surcharge something with something
be surcharged with + noun
用法筆記
The object is a thing being loaded, not a customer or a bill. This sense is uncommon in everyday English today and usually appears in technical, mechanical, or older-style writing.