tolls
tolls — noun
- tollssingular
- tollsesplural
1. Money you must pay in order to drive on a particular road, highway, bridge, or t
Money you must pay in order to drive on a particular road, highway, bridge, or through a tunnel.
Drivers on the M6 motorway must pay a toll at several points along the route.
collocation: pay a toll
The new bridge across the river charges a toll of three dollars for each car.
Noa put coins into the toll machine before driving onto the expressway.
Many cities now use electronic toll collection so drivers do not have to stop.
Tamás was surprised the harbour tunnel toll had gone up again this year.
2. The amount of money charged for making a telephone call to a different city or c
The amount of money charged for making a telephone call to a different city or country.
When Dario called his family in Brazil from Japan, the toll was very expensive.
long-distance call context
International phone calls used to have much higher tolls than they do today.
The phone company charged a toll of fifty cents per minute for long-distance calls.
Aoi checked the toll rates before calling her grandmother in Taiwan from her hotel room.
用法筆記
This sense is becoming less common as mobile phone plans and internet-based calling replace traditional long-distance services. In modern usage, 'call charges' or 'roaming fees' are more frequent.
常見錯誤
3. The total amount of harm, suffering, or loss caused by a war, accident, illness,
The total amount of harm, suffering, or loss caused by a war, accident, illness, natural disaster, or other difficult event.
The earthquake in Turkey took a terrible toll, with thousands of buildings destroyed.
collocation: take a toll / take its toll
Years of working in the coal mine had taken a toll on Grandpa's lungs.
The rising number of road accidents is taking a heavy toll on young drivers in Thailand.
Shirin spoke quietly about the emotional toll of caring for her mother with Alzheimer's.
The war's toll on civilian life was far greater than the official reports showed.
- cost
broader and less dramatic; 'the cost of the war' is factual while 'the toll of the war' emphasises human suffering
- price
often metaphorical like toll; 'the price of success' suggests sacrifice
- damage
focuses on physical harm rather than deaths or emotional suffering
- casualties
specifically refers to people killed or injured; toll can include non-human damage too
用法筆記
In this sense, 'toll' almost always appears with a possessive or in the fixed phrase 'take a/its toll (on someone/something).' The word is normally used in the singular ('the toll', 'a toll'), not the plural.
常見錯誤
4. The deep, slow sound produced by a large bell, especially when rung to mark a de
The deep, slow sound produced by a large bell, especially when rung to mark a death or a funeral.
The slow toll of the village bell echoed across the valley at sunset.
descriptive: single bell, slow rhythm
The old tower bell made a deep, sad toll that everyone in the square could hear.
Justin heard the toll of the cathedral bell while walking through the old town at noon.
Each toll of the funeral bell reminded the villagers of their loss.
用法筆記
This sense is often used in literature or historical descriptions. The sound is different from the bright ring of a small bell — 'toll' specifically refers to a slow, heavy sound.
tolls — verb
- tollspresent simple I / you / we / they
- tollses3rd person singular
- tollsing-ing form
- tollsedpast simple
1. If a large bell tolls, or if someone tolls it, the bell rings slowly and repeate
If a large bell tolls, or if someone tolls it, the bell rings slowly and repeatedly, often to announce a death or to signal a funeral.
The church bells tolled slowly as the funeral procession passed through the village.
intransitive use
The priest tolled the bell twelve times for the oldest woman in the parish.
transitive use: toll + bell
Hana could hear the old cathedral bells tolling at noon each day.
The great bell at Westminster Abbey tolled to mark the passing of the queen.
文法句型
toll (intransitive)
toll + noun (transitive: toll a bell)
用法筆記
Unlike 'ring', which can be fast or slow, 'toll' always implies a slow, measured stroke. This verb is associated almost exclusively with large bells in towers or churches, not with doorbells or handbells.
常見錯誤
2. To demand and collect a payment from vehicles or drivers for using a particular
To demand and collect a payment from vehicles or drivers for using a particular road, bridge, or highway.
The private company that built the bridge tolls every car entering from the mainland side.
transitive: tolls + object
The city plans to toll all heavy trucks that use the downtown ring road.
The expressway authority tolls motorcycles at half the rate charged for cars.
The government decided to toll foreign lorries using the main trade route.
文法句型
toll + object (toll vehicles / toll drivers)
用法筆記
This verb is uncommon in everyday speech. Most English speakers use 'charge a toll' (noun) instead of the verb 'toll.' You will mostly find it in official documents, news reports about transportation policy, or technical descriptions.