lead-up
lead-up — 名詞
1. The time, events, or actions that happen just before an important occasion and h
準備期間
重大事件發生前的準備階段
The time, events, or actions that happen just before an important occasion and help to shape what follows.
In the lead-up to the election, both candidates held town hall meetings across the state.
選舉前的準備期間，兩位候選人在全州各地舉辦了市民大會。
the lead-up to [event]
The team's poor results in the lead-up to the tournament worried Coach Okafor.
球隊在錦標賽開打前的準備期間表現不佳，令 Coach Okafor 感到擔憂。
possessive: team's lead-up
There was nervous excitement in the lead-up to the wedding ceremony at the garden venue.
婚禮前的準備期間，花園場地瀰漫著緊張又興奮的氣氛。
During the lead-up to the product launch, the marketing team tested seventeen different ad designs.
產品上市前的準備期間，行銷團隊測試了十七種不同的廣告設計。
The lead-up to the peace agreement involved months of secret meetings between the two leaders.
和平協議達成前的準備期間，雙方領袖進行了數個月的祕密會談。
- run-up
more common in British English; interchangeable with lead-up for the period before an event
- build-up
emphasises the increasing intensity or preparation; can also refer to gradual accumulation of something
- prelude
more formal and literary; suggests a brief introductory event rather than an extended period
- aftermath
the period following an event, in contrast to the period before it
文法句型
the lead-up to [event]
用法筆記
Typically used in the singular with the definite article, followed by 'to' + noun phrase naming the main event.
常見錯誤
lead-up — 片語動詞
1. A period of time or a chain of events that happens just before an important occa
醞釀期
事件發生前的準備與醞釀階段
A period of time or a chain of events that happens just before an important occasion and builds toward it.
The six weeks leading up to the exam were filled with late-night study sessions for Mei-Lin.
考試前的那六週，Mei-Lin 每天都在熬夜讀書。
present participle: leading up to
The negotiations that led up to the trade deal took nearly eight months of back-and-forth discussions.
貿易協議達成前的談判，歷經了將近八個月的往返協商。
The minor clashes that led up to the conflict were mostly ignored by the international news media.
衝突發生前的小規模摩擦，國際新聞媒體大多沒有報導。
The events leading up to the mayor's resignation were investigated by a special committee of the city council.
市長辭職前發生的一連串事件，由市議會的一個特別委員會進行了調查。
Every year in the days leading up to the festival, the Watanabe family prepares traditional rice cakes.
每年祭典的醞釀期，渡邊家都會忙著準備傳統的麻糬。
- precede
more formal and neutral; simply means 'come before' without the implication of building toward something
- build up to
emphasises gradual increase in intensity or activity toward a climax
文法句型
[period/events] + lead up to + [event]
用法筆記
Always transitive and inseparable — the object follows 'to' directly. Cannot be used in passive voice ('the exam was led up to' is incorrect).
常見錯誤
2. To gradually move a conversation toward a particular subject, especially when th
逐步引出
委婉地將話題引向某個主題
To gradually move a conversation toward a particular subject, especially when the subject is delicate, awkward, or difficult to mention directly.
Javier kept talking about the rising cost of living before slowly leading up to the question of a pay rise.
Javier 一直聊生活成本不斷上漲，然後才慢慢把話題引到加薪的問題上。
lead up to + question of [topic]
Amara could tell her flatmate was leading up to something when she started praising her cooking skills.
Amara 發現她的室友突然誇她廚藝好，就知道室友一定有話想說。
Theo led up to the bad news by first asking how his parents were coping with the cold weather.
Theo 先問父母在寒冷的天氣裡過得好不好，然後才慢慢說出那個壞消息。
Instead of asking directly, Siti led up to the topic by mentioning how quiet the office had been lately.
Siti 沒有直接問，而是先提起最近辦公室很安靜，才慢慢帶出話題。
The manager led up to the layoff announcement by discussing the company's financial struggles for the past quarter.
經理先談了公司過去一季的財務困境，才逐步引出裁員的消息。
- build up to
interchangeable in this conversational sense, often with the added nuance of emotional preparation
- broach
more formal and direct; 'broach a topic' means to bring it up rather than circle toward it
- approach
can overlap, but 'approach a subject' is broader and does not always imply indirectness
- blurt out
to say something suddenly and directly, the opposite of gradually leading toward it
文法句型
lead up to + [topic/question/subject]
用法筆記
The object is typically a topic, question, or piece of news that the speaker expects to be unwelcome, surprising, or emotionally charged for the listener.
常見錯誤
lead-up — 動詞
1. To create the necessary conditions or groundwork that make a later development o
鋪路
為後續發展創造條件
To create the necessary conditions or groundwork that make a later development or achievement possible.
The early laboratory experiments led up to a major breakthrough in vaccine research at the university.
早期的實驗室研究為大學的疫苗研究重大突破鋪了路。
led up to + breakthrough / result
Years of community organising led up to the policy change that residents had been demanding for a decade.
多年的社區組織工作，為居民爭取了十年的政策改革鋪了路。
Her three gold medals at national meets led up to her first appearance at the Olympic Games in Paris.
她在全國比賽中獲得的三面金牌，為她首次踏上巴黎奧運的舞台鋪了路。
The protest marches across several cities led up to the new labour law that improved safety conditions in factories.
橫跨數個城市的抗議遊行，為改善工廠安全條件的新勞動法鋪了路。
- pave the way for
more idiomatic and explicit about preparation; slightly more common in formal writing
- set the stage for
metaphorical; suggests arranging conditions for a scene to unfold
- lay the groundwork for
emphasises foundational planning or preparation
- undermine
to weaken or damage conditions, the opposite of building them up
文法句型
[action/event] + lead(s) up + to + [result]
用法筆記
Distinguish from the phrasal verb 'lead up to' (HAPPEN BEFORE): this verb sense focuses on causation and preparation, not sequence alone. The subject is an action or event that actively creates conditions for the outcome.
常見錯誤
2. Of facts, events, or a situation: to gradually direct attention or discussion to
自然導向
事件或情勢自然將注意力引向某個方向
Of facts, events, or a situation: to gradually direct attention or discussion toward a particular topic or conclusion in a way that feels natural or inevitable.
The growing number of customer complaints about the software led up to a tense discussion at the board meeting.
客戶對那套軟體的投訴越來越多，這些投訴自然將董事會的討論導向了一場激烈辯論。
inanimate subject: complaints led up to discussion
Each clue that the detective found led up to the same suspect in the apartment building.
偵探找到的每一條線索，都指向公寓大樓裡的同一名嫌犯。
The strange pattern of injuries at the factory over six months led up to a formal investigation by the safety board.
工廠半年內一連串離奇的受傷事件，自然導向了安全委員會的正式調查。
The details in the annual financial report led up to one conclusion — the company needed new investors to stay open.
那份年度財務報告的細節，都指向同一個結論——公司需要新的投資者才能繼續營運。
- point toward
more common with conclusions than topics; 'the evidence points toward the same conclusion'
- build toward
emphasises gradual accumulation; 'the tensions built toward a confrontation'
文法句型
[situation/events/facts] + lead up to + [topic/conclusion]
用法筆記
Distinguish from the phrasal verb 'lead up to' (APPROACH TOPIC): the phrasal verb requires a person who deliberately steers a conversation toward a subject using speech. This verb sense takes an inanimate subject — a situation, accumulating evidence, or chain of events — that naturally draws attention toward a topic or conclusion without anyone's intentional steering.