pinpoint
/ˈpɪnpɔɪnt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpɪnpɔɪnt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpin-ˌpȯint/ (ame, mw) · /ˈpɪn.pɔɪnt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpɪn.pɔɪnt/ (ame, ipa)
pinpoint — 動詞
- pinpointpresent simple I / you / we / they
- pinpointshe / she / it
- pinpointedpast simple
- pinpointing-ing form
1. To locate a person, object, or event with great precision in physical space or o
精確定位
找出事物在空間或時間上的確切位置
To locate a person, object, or event with great precision in physical space or on a timeline, often by using instruments or careful inspection.
The rescue team pinpointed the hiker's position to within a few metres.
搜救隊將登山客的位置精確定位到幾公尺的範圍內。
pinpoint + noun phrase for exact location
Doctors pinpointed the source of the internal bleeding using an ultrasound machine.
醫生用超音波儀器精確定位了內出血的源頭。
Seismologists pinpointed the earthquake's centre about thirty kilometres off the coast of Japan.
地震學家精確定位了震央，位於日本外海約三十公里處。
Kim managed to pinpoint the exact second when the car engine began to fail.
Kim 成功找出汽車引擎開始故障的那一秒。
- locate
more general; does not emphasise extreme accuracy
- zero in on
informal; suggests gradually narrowing focus
- home in on
suggests directed movement toward a target
文法句型
pinpoint + noun phrase (location/position/time)
用法筆記
Object is typically a physical location, a time, or a source — something that can be located in space or on a timeline.
常見錯誤
2. To identify and specify the precise cause, nature, or details of a problem, situ
確認；查明
找出問題原因或事實真相
To identify and specify the precise cause, nature, or details of a problem, situation, or abstract matter that is not obvious.
Investigators are trying to pinpoint the cause of the factory explosion that happened last night.
調查人員正試圖查明昨晚工廠爆炸的原因。
pinpoint the cause of [something]
Maria found it hard to pinpoint why she felt uneasy about the new job offer.
Maria 很難說清楚自己為什麼對這份新工作感到不安。
pinpoint + why-clause
The teacher pinpointed the areas where each student needed the most improvement.
老師精確指出每個學生最需要加強的地方。
Ana pinpointed rising energy costs as the main reason for the price increase.
Ana 確認能源成本上漲是物價上漲的主要原因。
- overlook
to fail to notice something important
文法句型
pinpoint + what/why/where + clause
pinpoint + noun phrase (cause, reason, problem)
用法筆記
Subject is often a person, investigation, or analysis. The object is typically abstract (cause, reason, issue, difference) rather than a physical thing.
常見錯誤
pinpoint — 名詞
- pinpointsingular
- pinpointsplural
1. An extremely small area or dot of light, colour, or substance that is barely vis
小點
非常細小的光點、色點或斑點
An extremely small area or dot of light, colour, or substance that is barely visible to the eye.
A tiny pinpoint of light appeared far away in the dark tunnel.
黑暗隧道遠處出現了一個小小的光點。
pinpoint of light
The rash started as small red pinpoints on her arms before spreading to her back.
疹子起初是手臂上的一些小紅點，後來擴散到背部。
Under the microscope, the rock sample showed glittering pinpoints of gold dust.
在顯微鏡下，岩石樣本中閃爍著點點金粉。
Fatima noticed a pinpoint of blood on her shirt where a thorn pricked her shoulder.
Fatima 注意到襯衫上有一個小血點，是玫瑰刺扎到肩膀留下的。
文法句型
pinpoint of + noun (light, colour, blood, etc.)
用法筆記
Often used with 'of' to specify what the dot consists of (light, colour, blood, metal, etc.). Frequently appears in descriptions of small visual details.
2. The very fine, sharp end of a pin or any similarly minuscule pointed tip on an o
針尖
大頭針或針的尖銳末端
The very fine, sharp end of a pin or any similarly minuscule pointed tip on an object.
The seamstress could hold a pinpoint steady between her fingers without a single tremor.
那位裁縫師手藝極其純熟，能穩穩捏住針尖而不顫抖。
literal meaning — the point of a pin
Engravers use tools as fine as a pinpoint to carve tiny letters into jewellery.
雕刻師使用細如針尖的工具在珠寶上刻出極小的字母。
Under a magnifying glass, the pinpoint of the needle looked thick and uneven.
在放大鏡下，針尖看起來又粗又不平整。
The map was so detailed that each house appeared as a single pinpoint.
那張地圖極為詳細，每棟房子在地圖上都只是一個針尖大小的點。
文法句型
the pinpoint of + noun
用法筆記
Historically the earliest meaning of the word. Today it appears mostly in literal descriptions of sewing or craft tools, or metaphorically to contrast extreme smallness against something larger.
pinpoint — 形容詞
- pinpointpositive
- more pinpointcomparative
- most pinpointsuperlative
1. Marked by such a high degree of accuracy that even the smallest detail is correc
精確的
極其準確且毫無誤差的
Marked by such a high degree of accuracy that even the smallest detail is correct and no error is made.
The surgeon used a laser to make a pinpoint cut in the patient's cornea.
外科醫生用雷射在病人的角膜上做了極精確的切口。
pinpoint + noun — extremely precise
GPS technology now provides pinpoint accuracy for drivers even in remote mountain areas.
GPS 技術為駕駛提供精確的導航，即使在偏遠山區也毫無誤差。
collocation: pinpoint accuracy
The rescue operation required pinpoint coordination between the navy and the air force units.
這次救援行動需要海軍和空軍部隊之間極精確的協調配合。
The actor's pinpoint timing brought him on stage just as the music peaked.
演員精準地算好時機，在音樂達到高潮時登上舞台。
The drone dropped its package with pinpoint precision onto the deck of the moving ship.
無人機以極高的精準度將包裹投放到行駛中的甲板上。
- precise
less emphatic than 'pinpoint'; a common alternative for any exact measurement
- exact
broader in meaning; describes correctness in many contexts
- meticulous
focuses on careful attention to detail rather than on the result of accuracy
文法句型
pinpoint + noun (accuracy, precision, timing, control)
用法筆記
Attributive only — used directly before a noun. Cannot be used predicatively (❌ 'The accuracy is pinpoint'). Commonly modifies nouns like 'accuracy', 'timing', 'precision', 'control', and 'coordination'.