war chest

IPA/ˈwɔː tʃest/
IPA/ˈwɔːr tʃest/

war chest — noun

1. a large amount of cash that a group keeps ready, so it can pay for a campaign, a

1.名詞C1
釋義

a large amount of cash that a group keeps ready, so it can pay for a campaign, a contest, or a costly plan when the time comes

例句

The mayor built a huge war chest before the election, ready to outspend every rival.

build a war chest before [a contest]

Emre's startup raised a war chest of forty million dollars to fight off bigger competitors.

a war chest of [amount]

同義詞
  • fund

    neutral and general; lacks the sense of being saved for a fight or contest

  • reserve

    money kept back for safety or emergencies, not specifically for an aggressive push

  • kitty

    informal; usually a much smaller shared pool of money

文法句型

a war chest of [amount]

build/raise a war chest

用法筆記

Subject is almost always a group — a party, company, union, or government — not a single private person. The money is held in reserve for one big future effort, so it pairs with verbs like build, raise, save, and spend.

常見錯誤

❌I saved a small war chest for my holiday.
✅I saved a small fund for my holiday.
💡'war chest' is for a group's big campaign or fight, not personal everyday savings.
❌The company has a war chest in the bank for salaries.
✅The company has a cash reserve in the bank for salaries.
💡routine running costs are a reserve; a war chest is for a special contest or push.