toll
/təʊl/ (bre, ipa) · /təʊl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtōl/ (ame, mw) · /toʊl/ (ame, ipa)
toll — noun
- tollsingular
- tollsplural
1. Money you must pay for permission to drive on a particular road, bridge, tunnel,
Money you must pay for permission to drive on a particular road, bridge, tunnel, or highway.
Tariro had to stop at the booth and pay the bridge toll before she could drive across.
collocation: pay a toll / bridge toll
The toll for this highway rises during the morning rush hour every weekday.
collocation: toll for [road] rises
Ziad bought a prepaid electronic pass so he would not need cash at the toll gate.
Yuna was surprised how much the tunnel toll cost compared to the free surface road.
Many local commuters complained loudly when the city raised the bridge toll by three dollars.
用法筆記
Commonly modified by the name of the road or structure (bridge toll, highway toll, tunnel toll). The amount is usually fixed per vehicle type.
常見錯誤
2. The amount a telephone company charges for a call to a place that is far away, e
The amount a telephone company charges for a call to a place that is far away, especially a different city or country.
Lucía checked the rate before making a long-distance call so she would not pay a high toll.
collocation: pay a [high/low] toll for a call
International phone tolls have dropped sharply ever since internet calling became widely available.
The phone company charged a lower toll for calls made after nine o'clock in the evening.
Vikram compared the tolls of different providers before calling his cousin in Mexico City.
用法筆記
This sense is becoming less common as flat-rate and internet-based calling replace per-minute long-distance billing. Still found in discussions of landline phone plans.
常見錯誤
3. The total amount of harm, suffering, or loss that builds up over time as a resul
The total amount of harm, suffering, or loss that builds up over time as a result of something difficult or unpleasant.
Years of working twelve-hour days had taken a heavy toll on Takeshi's health and family life.
idiom: take a heavy toll on [someone/something]
The flood took a terrible toll on the village, destroying dozens of homes and crops.
Sirin worried constantly about the emotional toll of caring for her elderly mother alone.
The war's toll included more than a thousand displaced families across the northern region.
Constant stress at work began to take its toll, and Mark decided it was time to quit.
- cost
more neutral; 'cost' can refer to any price, not just harm
- damage
focuses on physical or material harm; less about emotional suffering
- casualty count
specifically the number of people killed or injured in a disaster or war
文法句型
take + toll + on + noun phrase
用法筆記
Most commonly found in the fixed expressions 'take a toll on', 'take its toll', and 'heavy toll'. The subject is typically a stressful situation, disaster, or prolonged difficulty rather than a person.
常見錯誤
4. The slow, regular sound produced by a large bell, especially when rung to announ
The slow, regular sound produced by a large bell, especially when rung to announce a death, a funeral, or an important event.
The low toll of the church bell echoed through the quiet street at midday.
Eliska counted twelve slow tolls from the tower before the bell fell completely silent.
pattern: count + number + tolls
The congregation stood in silence as the bell's toll marked the official end of the ceremony.
Each toll of the bell reminded Iris of the funeral procession she had watched the week before.
用法筆記
Often used in literary or ceremonial contexts. The toll is specifically slow and measured — distinct from a 'ring' (which can be faster and more musical) or a 'chime' (which follows a melody).
常見錯誤
toll — verb
- tollpresent simple I / you / we / they
- tolls3rd person singular
- tolling-ing form
- tolledpast simple
1. To ring a large bell slowly and with regular pauses, especially as a way of expr
To ring a large bell slowly and with regular pauses, especially as a way of expressing sadness or marking someone's death.
The church sexton tolled the bell once for each year of the old mayor's long life.
transitive: toll + bell
Bells tolled across the city to announce that the war had finally reached its end.
intransitive: bells + toll
The cathedral bell tolled slowly as the funeral procession entered through the main doors.
Talia heard the bell toll three times before she finally reached the old chapel gate.
文法句型
toll + bell
bell + tolls
用法筆記
The subject is usually a person (who rings the bell) or a bell (which sounds). The intransitive form ('the bell tolls') is more common than the transitive form ('he tolls the bell').
常見錯誤
2. To collect a payment from drivers or vehicles using a particular road, bridge, o
To collect a payment from drivers or vehicles using a particular road, bridge, or tunnel.
The private bridge company tolls each vehicle that crosses the river between the two towns.
active: tolls + vehicle
Motorcycles are tolled at a lower rate than trucks on this particular mountain pass.
passive: be tolled at [rate]
Christopher objected strongly when the state began to toll the previously free parkway.
The highway authority now tolls all vehicles entering the downtown zone during peak hours.
文法句型
toll + vehicle/person
be tolled
用法筆記
Typically used in official or technical contexts about road pricing policies. The passive construction ('vehicles are tolled') is especially common in news reports and government documents.