totalling
[tˈotəlɪŋ] /ˈtō-tᵊl How to pronounce total (audio)/ (ame, mw)
totalling — adjective
- totallingpositive
- more totallingcomparative
- most totallingsuperlative
1. including every part, person, or thing without any being left out; representing
including every part, person, or thing without any being left out; representing the whole of something.
The total cost of the holiday, including flights and hotels, was nearly two thousand dollars.
total cost — describes cost of everything combined
When Sana counted the total number of guests, she realised they needed more chairs.
total number — all items counted together
The total amount raised by the school fair was enough to buy ten new basketballs and repaint the gymnasium walls.
Linh checked the total hours she worked on site before submitting her payslip to the foreman.
The total weight of the luggage was over the airline limit, so Tariro removed some items.
- partial
refers to only a part rather than the whole
文法句型
total + noun
用法筆記
Only used before a noun — you cannot say 'the cost was total'. Use 'total' + noun to refer to the sum of all parts.
常見錯誤
2. as great in degree as possible; used to emphasise the strength of a feeling, sit
as great in degree as possible; used to emphasise the strength of a feeling, situation, or quality — for example, total silence, total chaos, or total honesty.
When the power went out, the house fell into total darkness and nobody could see.
total darkness — complete absence of light
Piotr felt total surprise when his friends threw him a birthday party he knew nothing about.
The manager demanded total honesty from every team member during the meeting about the budget.
After the earthquake, there was total chaos in the streets as people tried to find their families.
Jiwoo listened in total silence as the head teacher announced the winner of the science prize.
- partial
only a part rather than the full degree
文法句型
total + noun
用法筆記
Common with abstract nouns describing states or feelings (darkness, silence, chaos, surprise, honesty). Cannot be used with physical objects — you would not say 'a total table'.
常見錯誤
3. using every possible effort or resource to achieve a goal; with nothing held bac
using every possible effort or resource to achieve a goal; with nothing held back.
The army launched a total assault on the enemy camp, using all available soldiers and weapons.
total assault — military operation using every resource
The company made a total commitment to reducing its carbon emissions within five years.
Yael's team put in a total effort to finish the project before the Friday deadline.
The government called for a total ban on single-use plastic bags across the whole country.
- all-out
informal equivalent; 'an all-out effort' = 'a total effort'
- full-scale
commonly used for operations or attacks; 'a full-scale investigation'
- comprehensive
focuses on wide coverage rather than intensity
- limited
restricted in scope or effort
文法句型
total + noun
用法筆記
Typically used with nouns describing organised efforts, campaigns, or operations. Stronger and more formal than 'full' in this context.
totalling — adverb
1. to the greatest possible degree; used to emphasise that something is true in eve
to the greatest possible degree; used to emphasise that something is true in every way, leaving no room for doubt or exception.
David was totally confused by the complicated instructions for the new software at work.
totally + adjective describing a feeling
Romi totally forgot about the dentist appointment until the receptionist called to remind her.
totally + verb — emphasises the completeness of the action
After the tour guide explained the castle's history, Eli knew his friend's tunnel theory was totally wrong.
The two paintings looked totally different even though both were painted by the same artist.
Tamás was totally honest with his parents about how he had damaged the family car.
- completely
standard neutral alternative; 'totally agree' = 'completely agree'
- absolutely
slightly stronger emphasis; common in agreement ('Absolutely!')
- entirely
slightly more formal; 'entirely different' = 'totally different'
文法句型
totally + adjective
totally + verb
用法筆記
Common in both formal and informal English. In very casual speech, 'totally' can also be used as a vague filler ('That is so totally cool'), but this is not standard in writing.
常見錯誤
❌ 'I totally agree with you.' (acceptable) — This is correct; 'totally agree' is a common collocation.
totalling — noun
1. the number or amount that you get when you add together several smaller numbers
the number or amount that you get when you add together several smaller numbers or amounts.
Sana added up the prices of all the items and arrived at a total of eighty-five dollars.
a total of + amount
The total of all the donations collected during the charity week reached over ten thousand pounds.
the total of + noun phrase
Piotr checked his calculator twice because the total did not match what he expected to pay.
A total of thirty-two students signed up for the summer art workshop at the community centre.
In total, Jiwoo spent six months travelling through Southeast Asia before returning home.
- sum
more mathematical; 'the sum of 4 and 5 is 9'
- aggregate
formal; used in business or statistics
- grand total
emphasises that this is the final figure after adding everything
文法句型
a total of + number
the total + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Common in the fixed phrase 'in total' meaning 'when everything is added together'. 'A total of' is followed by a plural noun but takes a singular verb: 'A total of 50 people was present' (formal) or 'were present' (more common).
常見錯誤
2. a complete amount or quantity that someone has, owes, or pays — seen as a single
a complete amount or quantity that someone has, owes, or pays — seen as a single unit in financial or business contexts, not as a result of adding items up.
Nila's total savings from two years of babysitting was not enough for the nursing programme fees.
the total of someone's savings — a complete accumulated amount
Mert checked the total on the restaurant bill before deciding whether to leave a tip.
the total on the bill — common in everyday shopping/dining
Ravindra showed Kian the company sales total, which was thirty percent above last year.
Romi could not believe the total when the car repair shop handed her the final invoice.
- part
a portion of the whole
文法句型
the total of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often used with possessive determiners ('my total', 'the company's total') or in business/financial contexts. Distinguish from sense 1 (SUM TOTAL): sense 1 focuses on the result of addition; sense 2 focuses on the complete quantity viewed as a whole.
totalling — verb
- totallingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- totallings3rd person singular
- totallinging-ing form
- totallingedpast simple
1. to calculate the complete amount of something by adding together all the separat
to calculate the complete amount of something by adding together all the separate parts or figures.
Sana totalled the receipts from her bakery's weekend sales at the kitchen table.
totalling the receipts — calculating a financial total
The accountant totalled all the expenses on a large spreadsheet before sending the quarterly report.
Linh totalled the scores from every round to find out who had won the prize.
Before splitting the bill, Piotr had to total what each person had ordered for dinner.
David totalled the votes from each classroom to announce the winner of the school election.
文法句型
total + noun phrase
total up + noun phrase
total something up
用法筆記
British English spells the -ing form as 'totalling' and the past tense as 'totalled'. American English uses 'totaling' and 'totaled'. The verb can be used with or without 'up': 'total the figures' = 'total up the figures'.
常見錯誤
2. to reach a particular number or amount when separate parts are combined.
to reach a particular number or amount when separate parts are combined.
The cost of repairing the roof totalled over three thousand dollars, which shocked the homeowners.
total + amount — stating the final figure
Donations from the local community totalled fifty thousand dollars for the new library building fund.
Tariro's travel expenses for the month totalled less than her budget had originally allowed for.
The number of students who signed up for the summer course totalled one hundred and twenty people.
Yael's electricity bills totalled eight hundred dollars over the three coldest months of winter.
文法句型
total + amount/number
用法筆記
This sense does not use 'up'. The subject is typically a cost, number, or quantity, and the object is the final figure. Can also be used figuratively: 'His lies totalled a complete loss of trust.'
3. to wreck a motor vehicle in a serious accident so completely that fixing it cost
to wreck a motor vehicle in a serious accident so completely that fixing it costs more than the vehicle is worth.
Jiwoo's brother totalled his car when he hit a tree on the icy road last winter.
totalled + car/vehicle — informal use for wrecking a vehicle
The delivery van was totalled in the highway crash, but the driver escaped with only minor injuries.
passive: was totalled in the crash
Caleb totalled his hatchback when he skidded on a patch of black ice and hit the barrier on the motorway.
Mert's insurance company declared the motorcycle totalled after the accident on the mountain highway.
Léa was grateful that nobody was hurt even though the accident totalled her brand new hatchback.
文法句型
total + vehicle noun phrase
用法筆記
Chiefly American English and informal. In formal contexts, use 'written off' (British) or 'declared a total loss'. The British spelling is 'totalled'; American spelling is 'totaled'. Can occasionally be extended to other objects in very informal speech (e.g., 'I totally totalled my phone'), but this is non-standard.
常見錯誤
❌ 'He totalled his computer when he dropped it.' — This is non-standard; 'total' for wrecking is only standard for vehicles.
❌ 'The car was totally destroyed.' — This is correct but different; 'totally destroyed' is standard English, while 'totalled' is the specialised informal term for vehicles.