ending

/ˈendɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈendɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈen-diŋ/ (ame, mw)

ending — 名詞

  • endingsingular
  • endingsplural

1. the way a written or visual story finishes, including how the characters' proble

1.名詞A2
釋義

結局

故事、電影等的最後部分

the way a written or visual story finishes, including how the characters' problems are resolved and what finally happens.

例句

The novel's surprise ending made Jabari want to read it again immediately.

這本小說出人意料的結局讓 Jabari 想立刻重讀一次。

surprise ending — unexpected final twist

Nila guessed the film's ending correctly before the final scene started.

Nila 在最後一幕開始前就正確猜出了這部電影的結局。

同義詞
  • conclusion

    more formal; suggests a thoughtful or logical resolution

  • finale

    usually for performances (concerts, theatre); implies a grand or dramatic finish

  • close

    slightly more literary; 'the close of the novel'

反義詞
  • beginning

    the first part of a story or film

  • opening

    often used for the first scene or chapter

文法句型

a/an + adjective + ending

the + noun + ending

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 3: sense 1 refers to the crafted final part of a created work (a story, film, or play), while sense 3 refers to the process or event of bringing something to a close (a war, a partnership, a holiday).

常見錯誤

❌I fell asleep before the ending of the film.
✅I fell asleep before the end of the film.
💡Use 'end' for the temporal point when something finishes; use 'ending' for the content and structure of the final part.

2. letters attached at the tail of a base word to show its grammatical function, su

2.名詞B1
釋義

詞尾

加在單字末尾的字母或音節

letters attached at the tail of a base word to show its grammatical function, such as marking a noun as plural or a verb as past tense.

例句

Adding the plural ending '-s' to 'cat' gives you 'cats'.

在 cat 的末尾加上複數詞尾 '-s' 就變成了 cats。

plural ending -s shows more than one

Christopher learned that '-ed' is a common past tense verb ending in English.

Christopher 學到 '-ed' 是英文中常見的過去式動詞詞尾。

past tense ending -ed

同義詞
  • suffix

    broader term — includes both inflectional and derivational

  • inflection

    more technical; refers to the system of endings in a language

反義詞
  • prefix

    a letter group added to the beginning of a word

  • root

    the main part of a word before endings are added

文法句型

[word/verb/noun] + ending

ending + [letter/syllable]

用法筆記

Only sense that describes parts of words rather than narrative or event conclusions. An ending in grammar is a letter or group of letters; it is not a full word by itself.

常見錯誤

❌The -ly in quickly is a word ending.
✅The -ly in quickly is a suffix.
💡'Ending' in grammar usually means inflectional endings that show tense, number, or case; derivational suffixes like -ly, -ful, -ness are not called endings.

3. the process or event of bringing something to a close or reaching its final stag

3.名詞B1
釋義

終結；結束

某事物結束的過程或時刻

the process or event of bringing something to a close or reaching its final stage, especially a period, arrangement, or activity.

例句

The ending of the war brought relief to people across the country.

戰爭的終結讓全國人民都鬆了一口氣。

ending of [event] — concluding a major event

Selim was unhappy about the early ending of his holiday in France.

Selim 對於假期在法國提前結束感到很不開心。

early ending of [period]

同義詞
  • conclusion

    more formal; often used for events, talks, or processes

  • termination

    very formal; common in legal or contractual contexts

  • close

    slightly formal; 'the close of business', 'the close of the day'

反義詞

文法句型

the + ending + of + [noun]

adjective + ending + of

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: sense 3 focuses on the process or event of ending something (a war, a contract, a holiday), while sense 1 refers to the final part of a created narrative work. For a specific finish time, use 'end' rather than 'ending'.

常見錯誤

❌The ending of the meeting was at 3 PM.
✅The end of the meeting was at 3 PM.' or 'The meeting ended at 3 PM.
💡For a specific finish time, use 'end' (noun) or 'end' (verb), not 'ending'.