last-minute
last-minute — 名詞
1. the final brief window of time available before a deadline, departure, or event
最後一刻
事情可以做的最晚時間點
the final brief window of time available before a deadline, departure, or event — the latest point at which something can still be done.
Diego always packs at the last minute before his weekend trips to the coast.
Diego 每次去海邊度週末，總是到最後一刻才打包行李。
fixed phrase: at the last minute
Chiara waited until the last minute to send in her university application.
Chiara 拖到最後一刻才把大學申請資料寄出去。
until the last minute + infinitive purpose
Bus tickets are often cheaper if you avoid buying them at the last minute.
如果不到最後一刻才買，巴士車票通常會便宜一些。
The chef added fresh herbs to the soup at the last minute before serving.
主廚在上桌前的最後一刻把新鮮香草加進湯裡。
- eleventh hour
more dramatic and idiomatic; suggests a tense, narrow escape rather than routine lateness
- deadline
names the cutoff point itself, not the small window just before it
- well in advance
the opposite habit — completing things with plenty of time to spare
文法句型
at the last minute
until the last minute
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed prepositional phrase 'at the last minute' or 'until the last minute'. The noun rarely stands alone as a bare subject or object.
常見錯誤
last-minute — 形容詞
1. arranged, decided, or carried out at the latest practical point — often with a s
最後一刻的
在最後關頭才安排或決定的
arranged, decided, or carried out at the latest practical point — often with a sense of haste or after earlier plans fell through.
Anong booked a last-minute flight to Bangkok when her sister fell ill.
妹妹突然生病時，Anong 訂了最後一刻才出發的曼谷機票。
attributive: last-minute + noun (flight)
The team made several last-minute changes to the report before the meeting started.
團隊在會議開始前對報告做了好幾項臨時的修改。
last-minute changes — common collocation
Sivan threw together a last-minute birthday gift for her father using items from the kitchen.
Sivan 用廚房裡現有的東西，臨時湊出一份要送給爸爸的生日禮物。
A last-minute goal in the final seconds gave the visiting team a surprise win.
客隊在比賽最後幾秒踢進一球，意外贏得了這場比賽。
Chidi cancelled the wedding venue and found a last-minute replacement online.
Chidi 取消了原本的婚宴場地，又在網路上臨時找到了替代場地。
- eleventh-hour
more dramatic, often suggesting a rescue or narrow avoidance of failure
- rushed
emphasises haste and lack of preparation rather than the late timing itself
- hasty
stresses the speed of the decision and a possible lack of care; can carry mild criticism
- advance
as in 'advance booking' — planned well before the event
- pre-planned
arranged with adequate time, the deliberate opposite of last-minute
文法句型
last-minute + noun
用法筆記
Attributive only — placed directly before a noun. Cannot be used after 'be' (you cannot say 'the decision was last-minute' in formal writing; rephrase as 'the decision was made at the last minute').