treble
/ˈtreb.əl/ (bre, ipa) · [trˈɛbəl] /ˈtreb.əl/ (ame, ipa) · [trˈɛbəl] /ˈtre-bəl How to pronounce treble (audio)/ (ame, mw) · /ˈtrebl/ (bre, ipa) · [trˈɛbəl] /ˈtrebl/ (ame, ipa)
treble — determiner
1. three times as large, as many, or as much as something else — always placed befo
three times as large, as many, or as much as something else — always placed before words like 'the,' 'this,' or 'that' with a noun, for example 'treble the amount,' 'treble the size.'
Owen earns almost treble the amount that I do.
treble + the + noun phrase pattern
The new factory is treble the size of the old warehouse.
Pim paid treble what I paid for the same concert ticket.
The company now ships treble the number of parcels it handled five years ago.
Building a house here costs treble the price it would in the countryside.
- triple
More common in American English; interchangeable in most contexts
- three times
Less formal; works as an adverbial phrase ('three times the size')
- half
Expresses the opposite fraction ('half the amount')
文法句型
treble + the + noun
treble + what-clause
用法筆記
This is a predeterminer, which means it comes before articles such as 'the' — you say 'treble the amount,' not 'the treble amount.' More common in British English; American English usually prefers 'triple' in the same position.
常見錯誤
treble — verb
- treblepresent simple I / you / we / they
- trebles3rd person singular
- trebling-ing form
- trebledpast simple
1. when a figure such as a price, profit, or population grows to three times its or
when a figure such as a price, profit, or population grows to three times its original value, or when someone causes this to happen.
The price of property has almost trebled in the last ten years.
intransitive: price / amount + treble
The factory trebled its output after installing new machines.
transitive: company + treble + object
Ryo's monthly rent has trebled since he moved into the city centre.
The government trebled the tax on imported cars last year.
Enrolment at the music school trebled after the scholarship programme began.
- triple
More common in American English; same meaning and usage patterns
- increase threefold
More formal; often used in written reports
- halve
To reduce by half ('the budget was halved')
文法句型
[noun] treble(s)
[noun] treble(s) [noun]
be trebled
用法筆記
Common with economic and statistical subjects: prices, costs, profits, population, output. Can be used both transitively (someone trebles something) and intransitively (something trebles). The passive form 'was trebled' is also frequent in business writing.
常見錯誤
treble — adverb
1. at the highest musical pitch — used to describe how someone sings or plays an in
at the highest musical pitch — used to describe how someone sings or plays an instrument, especially a boy whose voice has not yet deepened, or a high-pitched instrument.
The youngest members of the choir sing treble in most pieces.
sing treble — adverb of manner
Owen sang treble in the school musical until his voice broke at fourteen.
The violin section plays treble while the cellos handle the bass line.
Tamar was asked to sing treble because her voice was the clearest among the children.
- bass
The lowest vocal range
文法句型
sing treble
play treble
用法筆記
The adverb 'treble' only appears after verbs of sound production (sing, play) to describe the pitch. It does not mean 'three times' — that meaning belongs to the determiner and adjective entries. Do not confuse this musical use with the numerical sense.
treble — noun
- treblesingular
- treblesplural
1. a boy whose singing voice is in the highest range, with a pure, light tone that
a boy whose singing voice is in the highest range, with a pure, light tone that is typical before the voice deepens during puberty.
This part is written for a boy treble with a strong, clear voice.
a treble — countable noun for a singer
The cathedral choir has twelve trebles and eight adult singers.
Lauren's younger brother was the lead treble in the Christmas concert.
The conductor trained the trebles to hold the final note for eight full beats.
- choirboy
Broader term for any boy in a choir, not specifically the high-voice part
- bass
The lowest male voice part
文法句型
a treble
boy treble
用法筆記
Used both as a general term for boys with high voices and as a specific choir role. A 'treble' is distinct from a soprano (typically a female or adult male singing in a high register). Once a boy's voice breaks, he is no longer called a treble.
2. the rare achievement of a football club winning its three most important trophie
the rare achievement of a football club winning its three most important trophies during one playing year — for instance, the domestic league title, the main domestic cup, and the continental championship.
Bayern Munich secured a historic treble: the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal, and the Champions League.
the treble — unique achievement, usually singular with 'the'
Only a handful of European clubs have ever managed to win the treble.
The manager said that achieving the treble had been the dream of his entire career.
Fans gathered in the city square to celebrate the club's first ever treble.
- triple crown
Equivalent term in some sports like rugby, horse racing, and baseball
文法句型
achieve a/the treble
win the treble
用法筆記
Almost always used with 'the' — 'the treble.' Originally a British football term, now also used for other sports that have three major competitions. The exact set of three trophies varies by country and league.
3. the highest range of musical notes in a piece, or the higher frequencies in an a
the highest range of musical notes in a piece, or the higher frequencies in an audio signal that can be adjusted on a sound system — for example, the 'treble' control on a stereo that makes sounds brighter or sharper.
Can you turn up the treble on the stereo? The music sounds too dull.
the treble — audio equipment control
The violin carries the treble while the double bass holds the low notes.
Jude prefers to boost the treble when he listens to acoustic guitar recordings.
The teacher asked the children to hum the treble part while she played the harmony.
The treble on these speakers is much clearer than on my old headphones.
- bass
The opposite low-frequency range in music and audio
文法句型
the treble
treble and bass
用法筆記
In audio equipment, 'treble' is used as a control label (alongside 'bass') for adjusting high-frequency output. In musical scores, 'treble' can refer to the section of music written for high-pitched instruments or voices. The opposite range is 'bass.'
常見錯誤
treble — adjective
- treblepositive
- treblercomparative
- treblestsuperlative
1. relating to the highest range of musical notes; high-pitched and often clear or
relating to the highest range of musical notes; high-pitched and often clear or bright in tone — used for voices, instruments, or recorded sound that sits in the upper frequency register.
The treble notes of the flute could be heard clearly above the orchestra.
treble + instrument noun
Rodrigo adjusted the treble strings on his classical guitar before the concert began.
The treble melody carries the main tune in this piece of baroque music.
A treble voice stood out from the rest of the choir during the solo.
- high-pitched
More general and widely understood; not specific to music
- soprano
Describes the vocal range specifically, not instruments
- bass
Describing the lowest range of musical sound
- low-pitched
General opposite
文法句型
treble [noun]
用法筆記
As an adjective, 'treble' describes the quality of a sound itself (a treble tone) or which part of the range something belongs to (the treble section). Less common than the noun 'treble' for the same concept — in everyday speech people say 'high notes' more often.
2. amounting to one and two more times the original number, size, or value; also de
amounting to one and two more times the original number, size, or value; also describing something made up of three separate parts or elements — for example, a treble payment (three instalments) or a treble increase (three times as much).
The company announced a treble increase in profits this quarter compared to last year.
Customers who choose the treble payment plan pay in three equal monthly instalments.
treble payment — three parts
The artist received a treble fee for licensing the painting to three separate galleries.
The report proposed a treble strategy: reduce costs, improve quality, and expand overseas.
- single
One time or one part
文法句型
treble [noun]
用法筆記
This 'threefold' sense of 'treble' is quite formal and less common than using 'triple' or 'threefold' in modern English. You will encounter it more often in legal or financial documents ('treble damages') than in everyday conversation. See the determiner entry for the more frequent 'three times' use.