neutral
/ˈnjuːtrəl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈnuːtrəl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈnü-trəl ˈnyü-/ (ame, mw) · /ˈnjuː.trəl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈnuː.trəl/ (ame, ipa)
neutral — 形容詞
- neutralpositive
- more neutralcomparative
- most neutralsuperlative
1. describes a person, country, or organisation that does not take sides or give he
中立
不偏袒任何一方
describes a person, country, or organisation that does not take sides or give help to any party in a conflict, dispute, or contest.
Switzerland remained neutral during both world wars, refusing to join any military alliance.
瑞士在兩次世界大戰中都保持中立，拒絕加入任何軍事聯盟。
collocation: remain neutral
The teacher stayed neutral when her students argued about whose project was better.
當學生們為誰的作業比較好而爭論時，老師保持中立。
Roya asked her father to be neutral and not take sides in the disagreement.
Roya 請父親保持中立，不要在爭執中偏袒她弟弟。
A neutral country can offer to host peace talks between opposing nations.
一個中立的國家可以主動主辦敵對雙方之間的和平會談。
- impartial
stronger focus on fairness in judgment rather than mere non-involvement
- unbiased
emphasises lack of prejudice, often used in formal evaluations
- non-aligned
specifically describes a country that does not join any major power bloc
2. describes a sports venue where a match is held but which is not owned by any of
中立場
不屬於參賽隊伍的場地
describes a sports venue where a match is held but which is not owned by any of the competing teams, giving neither side a home advantage.
The semi-final was on neutral ground in Osaka so neither team had home advantage.
準決賽在大阪的中立場地舉行，兩隊都沒有主場優勢。
collocation: neutral ground
The coach complained that playing on a neutral field removed their home-crowd energy.
教練抱怨說移到中立場地比賽，讓他們失去了主場觀眾帶來的氣勢。
Fans from both clubs traveled to the neutral stadium for the championship final.
兩家俱樂部的球迷都前往中立體育場觀看冠軍決賽。
The referee chose a neutral venue after a storm damaged the original stadium.
原場地遭暴風雨損壞後，裁判選了一個中立場地進行重賽。
- home
belonging to one of the competing teams
用法筆記
Almost always used before a noun such as 'ground', 'field', 'stadium', or 'venue'. Does not describe the teams themselves, only the location of the match.
3. having no strong, bright, or distinctive qualities — used to describe colours, s
樸素；不鮮明
不引人注意的顏色或特徵
having no strong, bright, or distinctive qualities — used to describe colours, sounds, expressions, or general appearances that do not attract attention or show strong emotion.
Talia wore a plain grey dress so the interview focus stayed on her skills.
Talia 穿著樸素的灰色洋裝，讓面試焦點集中在她的能力上。
The walls were painted in a neutral beige that worked with any colour of furniture.
牆壁漆成了樸素的米色，可以搭配任何顏色的家具。
collocation: neutral colour
Liam's voice remained flat and neutral, giving away nothing about how he truly felt.
Liam 的語氣保持平淡中性，完全沒有流露任何真實感受。
Naoko prefers a neutral look with light lip gloss and no eye shadow.
Naoko 偏好樸素的妝容——只擦一點淡色唇蜜，不畫濃眼影。
- bright
strongly coloured or vivid
- distinctive
easily noticed because of unusual qualities
常見錯誤
4. describes a substance that is neither acidic nor alkaline (basic), with a pH val
中性
既非酸性也非鹼性
describes a substance that is neither acidic nor alkaline (basic), with a pH value of approximately 7.
Pure water has a pH of 7 and is chemically neutral — neither acidic nor alkaline.
純水的 pH 值為 7，屬於化學中性，既非酸性也非鹼性。
The lab assistant tested the solution and confirmed it was neutral before the experiment.
實驗室助理測試了溶液，確認其中性後才加入實驗中。
domain: chemistry
Soil that is neutral is best for growing most common vegetables in a home garden.
中性土壤最適合在家庭菜園裡種植大多數常見蔬菜。
Garden soil with a neutral pH helps tomatoes and carrots grow well.
pH 值中性的花園土壤有助於番茄和胡蘿蔔長得好。
用法筆記
Common with adverbs such as 'chemically' or 'roughly' (roughly neutral). The noun form 'neutrality' is rarely used in everyday conversation for this chemical sense.
5. describes a particle or object that has no overall electrical charge — it has eq
不帶電
不帶正電或負電的
describes a particle or object that has no overall electrical charge — it has equal numbers of positive and negative charges, so it is neither positive nor negative.
A neutron is a neutral particle found inside the nucleus of every atom except hydrogen.
中子是存在於原子核內的中性粒子。
The physicist explained that a neutral atom has the same number of protons and electrons.
物理學家解釋說，電中性的原子擁有相同數量的質子和電子。
Rub a balloon on your hair and electrons move, making it no longer electrically neutral.
用氣球摩擦頭髮後電子轉移，氣球就不再是電中性的了。
An atom is neutral when it has equal numbers of protons and electrons.
當原子擁有相同數量的質子和電子時，它就是電中性的。
- uncharged
more direct synonym, common in technical writing
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 4 (CHEMICAL PH): that sense describes acidity level, while this sense describes electric charge. These are independent concepts — a chemical can be neutral in pH but charged electrically.
6. describes the wire in an electrical circuit that carries zero voltage and provid
中性線
電路中零電壓的導線
describes the wire in an electrical circuit that carries zero voltage and provides the return path for current, completing the circuit safely.
The electrician fixed the live wire to the switch and neutral to the lamp holder.
電工將火線接到開關上，將中性線接到燈座上。
domain: electrical engineering
Hiro checked the voltage between neutral and earth wires to confirm the circuit was safe.
Hiro 檢查了中性線與地線之間的電壓，以確保電路安全。
In house plugs the neutral wire is blue and the live wire is brown.
家用插頭的中性線是藍色的，火線是棕色的。
Always turn off the power before touching a neutral wire in the fuse box.
在觸碰保險絲盒裡的中性線之前，一定要先關掉電源。
用法筆記
Almost always used as an attributive adjective before 'wire'. Not used as a standalone description of a circuit — the full phrase 'neutral wire' is the standard technical term. Distinguish from sense 5: that sense describes particles with no electric charge; this sense describes a specific wire in a household or industrial electrical system.
neutral — 名詞
- neutralsingular
- neutralsplural
1. the position of a vehicle's gear stick or gearbox in which the engine is disconn
空檔
引擎與車輪未連接的排檔位置
the position of a vehicle's gear stick or gearbox in which the engine is disconnected from the wheels, so the vehicle does not move forward or backward even when the engine is running.
Bao put the car into neutral while waiting at the traffic lights to save fuel.
Bao 在等紅綠燈時將車子打到空檔以節省燃油。
Before starting the engine, make sure the gear stick is in neutral.
發動引擎前，請確認排檔桿在空檔位置。
pattern: put/carry/shift into neutral
The driving instructor told João to shift into neutral before turning the ignition key.
教練告訴 João 在轉動鑰匙發動引擎之前要先排入空檔。
Sumin put the car in neutral with the handbrake on while entering the shop.
Sumin 排入空檔、拉好手煞車，然後下車走進店裡。
用法筆記
Used in fixed prepositional phrases: 'in neutral' (state) and 'into neutral' (transition). Does not take an article — you say 'in neutral', not 'in a neutral' or 'in the neutral'.
常見錯誤
2. a situation or period in which no progress, activity, or development is taking p
停滯
沒有進展或活動的狀態
a situation or period in which no progress, activity, or development is taking place.
After the CEO resigned, the company's plans slipped into neutral for several months.
CEO 辭職後，公司的各項計畫陷入了長達數月的停滯狀態。
metaphorical: slip into neutral
The peace talks remained stuck in neutral with neither side willing to make a move.
和平談判陷入停滯，雙方都不願意採取任何行動。
Wren felt her career was in neutral until she learned new digital skills.
Wren 覺得自己的職涯陷入停滯，於是她去上了課學習新的數位技能。
The research project has been in neutral since the funding was cut.
自從資金被砍掉之後，這個研究計畫就一直處於停滯狀態。
- standstill
stronger — suggests complete halt rather than just slow progress
- limbo
implies uncertainty about when change will come
- stagnation
more formal, often used for economies or careers
用法筆記
This is a metaphorical extension of the gear sense (noun sense 1). Almost always appears after a form of 'be' or a verb like 'slip'/'stay' in the phrase 'in neutral'. Not used in formal or academic writing.
3. a person, group, or country that refuses to back any one party during a conflict
中立者
不支持任何一方的人或國家
a person, group, or country that refuses to back any one party during a conflict, contest, or dispute.
During the debate the neutrals in the audience refused to clap for either speaker.
辯論進行期間，觀眾席上的中立者拒絕為任何一方鼓掌。
Tariro acted as a neutral in the talks and helped both sides reach an agreement.
Tariro 在會談中擔任中立者，協助雙方達成協議。
collocation: act as a neutral
The warring parties met on the island because the locals were considered trustworthy neutrals.
交戰各方同意在島上會面，因為當地人被認為是值得信賴的中立者。
When the vote was tied the chairperson asked a neutral to cast the deciding vote.
投票出現平手時，主席請一名中立者投下關鍵的一票。
- participant
someone actively involved in the dispute or contest
- ally
someone who sides with and supports one party
用法筆記
Often used in plural form 'neutrals' to refer to a group of non-aligned countries or people. In diplomatic contexts it can serve as an adjective-like noun ('the neutral powers').
4. a shade that lacks vividness or intensity, like grey, beige, cream, or light bro
中性色
不太明亮或強烈的顏色
a shade that lacks vividness or intensity, like grey, beige, cream, or light brown, and which harmonises well with other colours.
The living room was decorated in soft neutrals like cream, taupe, and pale grey.
客廳以柔和的中性色裝飾，像是奶油色、灰褐色和淺灰色。
Roya chose a warm neutral for the walls to match different bedding and curtains.
Roya 為牆壁選了一種溫暖的中性色，以便搭配不同的床單和窗簾。
countable: a neutral
Fashion designers often use neutrals as a base and add bright accessories for contrast.
時裝設計師經常用中性色作為基底，再用亮色配件形成對比。
Beige and grey are popular neutrals because they match almost any other colour.
米色和灰色是受歡迎的中性色，因為它們幾乎能搭配任何其他顏色。
- earth tone
warm, brown-based colours from nature — a subset of neutrals
- neutral shade
more explicit; avoids confusion with other senses of 'neutral'
- bright
vivid, highly saturated colours
- bold colour
a colour that stands out strongly, such as red or electric blue
用法筆記
Commonly used in the plural form 'neutrals' in decorating and fashion contexts. The singular 'a neutral' is less common but correct when referring to one specific shade.