fuel

/ˈfjuːəl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfjuːəl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfyü(-ə)l/ (ame, mw) · /ˈfjuː.əl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfjuː.əl/ (ame, ipa)

fuel — 名詞

1. a substance such as coal, gas, or wood that people burn to create warmth and mak

1.名詞B1
釋義

燃料

燃燒產生熱或能的物質

a substance such as coal, gas, or wood that people burn to create warmth and make machines run.

例句

The government announced a new tax on petrol and other fuels.

政府宣布對汽油及其他燃料課徵新稅。

countable plural 'fuels' for different types

Haruto filled the car with fuel before the long drive to Kaohsiung.

Haruto 在開車去高雄之前先把油箱加滿。

uncountable: fuel as a mass substance

同義詞
  • energy

    broader term — fuel is a source of energy, but 'energy' can also come from the sun, wind, or movement

  • power

    focuses on the result fuel produces, not the substance itself

  • petrol / gasoline

    specific types of fuel used in cars; petrol is British, gasoline American

文法句型

fuel (uncountable) for general reference

fuels (countable plural) for different types

用法筆記

Fuel is usually uncountable when referring to the substance in general ('We ran out of fuel'). It becomes countable when listing types or sources ('alternative fuels', 'fossil fuels').

常見錯誤

❌The car needs oil to run.
✅The car needs fuel to run.
💡Oil is one type of fuel; petrol/gasoline is the usual fuel for cars.
❌We need to buy a fuel for the stove.
✅We need to buy fuel for the stove.
💡No article needed when referring to fuel in general.

2. anything that makes an emotion, an argument, or an activity continue or become m

2.名詞B2
釋義

刺激；催化劑

使情緒或爭議更強烈的事物

anything that makes an emotion, an argument, or an activity continue or become more intense.

例句

The newspaper article added fuel to the debate about school reform.

那篇報紙文章為學校改革的辯論火上加油。

idiomatic phrase: 'add fuel to' meaning 'make stronger'

Adina's angry words were fuel for the argument between the two families.

Adina 憤怒的話語成了兩家人爭吵的燃料。

pattern: 'be fuel for' + conflict

同義詞
  • catalyst

    more formal; suggests something that speeds up change without being consumed

  • stimulus

    suggests something that provokes a reaction, often positive or neutral

  • fodder

    often dismissive — 'fodder for gossip' suggests the material is cheap or easily used

反義詞
  • dampener

    something that reduces enthusiasm or excitement

文法句型

fuel for + noun

add fuel to + noun

be fuel for + noun

用法筆記

Common in media and political contexts. The phrase 'add fuel to the fire/flames' is a fixed idiom meaning to make a bad situation worse. Often followed by 'for' + a conflict or emotion noun.

常見錯誤

❌The news created fuel for new arguments.
✅The news added fuel to the existing arguments.
💡Fuel in this sense intensifies something already present, it does not create something new.

fuel — 動詞