yonks

/jɒŋks/ (bre, ipa) · /jɑːŋks/ (ame, ipa)

yonks — noun

1. an informal British expression meaning a period that feels very long, often stre

1.名詞B2
釋義

an informal British expression meaning a period that feels very long, often stretching over several years

例句

I haven't been to the seaside in yonks — not since Grandma retired to Devon.

collocation: in yonks — used in negative present perfect

Feng said they hadn't enjoyed a film this much in yonks — not since the old cinema closed.

informal British register in reported speech

同義詞
  • ages

    more common across all English varieties; less distinctly British

  • an eternity

    more dramatic and exaggerated in tone

  • donkey's years

    also British informal; even more old-fashioned and humorous

反義詞

文法句型

for yonks

in yonks

用法筆記

Almost always used with 'for' or 'in' (e.g. 'for yonks' / 'in yonks'). Frequent in negative sentences and questions about the last time something happened. Never used in formal writing.

常見錯誤

❌We finished the project yonks ago.' (sounds odd because 'finished' suggests a specific, completed duration)
✅We finished the project ages ago.
💡'yonks' is better for describing how long something has been going on or how long it has been since something last happened, not for pinpointing a past event.