slacks
slacks — 名詞
1. a pair of trousers made in a style similar to suit trousers but designed to be w
休閒褲
非西裝的正式長褲
a pair of trousers made in a style similar to suit trousers but designed to be worn on their own, either for formal occasions without a jacket or as smart-casual wear.
Kenji wore a grey jacket with dark blue slacks for the office party.
健司穿著灰色外套和深藍色休閒褲去參加辦公室派對。
collocation: jacket with slacks
The store sells cotton slacks in eight different colours.
這家店有八種不同顏色的棉質休閒褲。
Mei-Lin pressed her black slacks before the job interview.
美霖在求職面試前熨燙了她的黑色休閒褲。
Most of the men at the dinner wore slacks and blazers.
晚宴上大多數男士都穿著休閒褲和西裝外套。
- jeans
casual denim trousers, opposite in formality
文法句型
slacks + plural verb
用法筆記
In British English, 'slacks' refers specifically to smart trousers that are not part of a matching suit. In American English, the term is less common and may simply mean casual trousers. Always used in the plural form.
常見錯誤
2. the state of being loose, not tight, or not pulled firm; the amount of extra len
鬆弛
繩索拉緊後多餘的部分
the state of being loose, not tight, or not pulled firm; the amount of extra length or movement in a rope, cable, or fabric.
The climber pulled the rope until there was no slack left.
攀岩者拉緊繩子，直到完全沒有鬆弛的部分。
collocation: take up / pull out the slack
Kwame adjusted the slack in the fishing line so it floated on the water.
Kwame 調整了釣線的鬆弛部分，讓它浮在水面上。
Too much slack in the guitar string made the note sound flat.
吉他弦太鬆，導致音聽起來偏低。
Ananya checked the slack on all four tent pegs before the storm hit.
Ananya 在暴風雨來臨前檢查了帳篷四根營柱的繩索鬆緊。
- tension
the opposite state — being pulled tight
文法句型
slack + verb
用法筆記
Typically used with verbs like 'take up', 'pull out', 'leave', or 'adjust'. Commonly refers to ropes, cables, strings, or any flexible material under tension.
常見錯誤
3. the amount of time, money, space, or resources that is available beyond what is
餘裕
額外可用的時間或資源
the amount of time, money, space, or resources that is available beyond what is currently needed; spare capacity or leeway.
The factory kept some slack in the budget for unexpected repairs.
工廠在預算中保留了一些餘裕，以備臨時維修之用。
collocation: slack in the budget / schedule
Sofia had no slack in her schedule to take on another project.
Sofia 的行程已排滿，沒有餘裕接下新專案。
collocation: no slack in [resource]
A good manager builds a little slack into every delivery timeline.
好的主管會為每個交貨時程預留一些餘裕。
With three new employees joining, the team finally has some slack.
三位新員工加入後，團隊終於有了一些餘裕。
- shortage
the opposite — not enough to meet needs
文法句型
slack for [something]
用法筆記
Common in business and project management contexts. Often used in negative constructions ('no slack', 'little slack') to indicate tight margins or heavy workload.
常見錯誤
4. the very small pieces and powder that are left over from processing or mining co
煤屑
煤礦殘留的細碎粉末
the very small pieces and powder that are left over from processing or mining coal; coal screenings too fine for many industrial uses.
The mining company sold the coal slack to a brick-making factory.
礦業公司將煤屑賣給了一家製磚廠。
Workers shovelled the slack into bags for use in low-grade furnaces.
工人們將煤屑裝進袋子，供應給低階鍋爐使用。
A pile of coal slack sat beside the railway tracks for three weeks.
一堆煤屑在鐵路旁堆了三個星期。
The old steam engine was fed a mix of coal and slack to keep costs down.
那臺老舊的蒸汽火車頭使用煤炭和煤屑的混合物以節省成本。
- screenings
the technical term for fine coal by-products
- culm
refers specifically to waste coal in the anthracite industry
文法句型
slack + noun
用法筆記
A specialised industrial term, rarely encountered outside mining or energy contexts. Not to be confused with the general 'slack' meaning looseness or spare capacity.
slacks — 動詞
1. to work at a slower speed or with less effort than expected, especially in order
偷懶
故意放慢工作速度
to work at a slower speed or with less effort than expected, especially in order to avoid doing what you are supposed to do.
Diego was sacked for slacking when the manager found him asleep in the storage room.
Diego 因為偷懶被開除——經理在儲藏室裡發現他睡著了。
informal register
Hiroshi told himself not to slack on his homework during the holiday break.
Hiroshi 告訴自己假期期間不要在功課上偷懶。
collocation: slack on [task]
The team leader noticed two workers slacking behind a pile of boxes.
組長注意到有兩名員工在一堆箱子後面偷懶。
Ama admitted she had been slacking at the gym and needed to train harder.
Ama 承認自己最近去健身房都在偷懶，需要更努力鍛鍊。
- diligent
the opposite behaviour — working hard and carefully
文法句型
slack + on [task]
用法筆記
Informal in tone. Often used in phrases like 'stop slacking' or 'get back to work (instead of slacking)'. The phrasal verb 'slack off' is more common in American English.
常見錯誤
2. to gradually become less tight, firm, or tense; to lose tension or tautness.
變鬆
繩子逐漸失去張力
to gradually become less tight, firm, or tense; to lose tension or tautness.
The tent ropes had slacked overnight after the heavy rain soaked them.
帳篷繩經過一夜大雨浸濕之後變鬆了。
A sailing crew watches the sheets carefully so the sail never slacks too much.
帆船水手仔細觀察控帆索，確保船帆不會變鬆太多。
domain: sailing
As the temperature rose, the wire fence slacked and began to sag.
氣溫升高後，鐵絲圍籬變鬆了，開始往下垂。
Zara checked the washing line and tightened it where it had slacked.
Zara 檢查了晾衣繩，在已經變鬆的地方把它拉緊。
- tighten
to become tighter
文法句型
slack + [preposition]
用法筆記
Less common than the adjective form 'go slack' or 'become slack'. Most frequently encountered in technical or mechanical contexts (ropes, cables, sails).
常見錯誤
❌ 'The rope slacked, so I slacked it.' — The intransitive verb 'slack' (become loose) and transitive verb 'slack' (make loose) are different uses. Context clarifies which is meant.
3. to deliberately make something less tight or tense; to release or reduce the ten
放鬆
故意減弱繩索張力
to deliberately make something less tight or tense; to release or reduce the tension on a rope, cable, or strap.
Omar slacked the guy ropes on the tent so he could move it a few feet.
Omar 放鬆了帳篷的固定繩，以便把帳篷移動幾英尺。
The sailor slacked the mainsheet to let the wind fill the sail fully.
水手放鬆了主帆索，讓風力完全吹滿船帆。
domain: sailing
Arjun slacked the dog's lead so the animal could sniff the bushes.
Arjun 放鬆了狗繩，讓小狗能去聞路邊的灌木叢。
Before untying the load, Minh slacked the straps one by one.
Minh 在解開貨物之前，一條接一條地放鬆了綁帶。
- tighten
to increase tension on something
文法句型
slack + [object]
用法筆記
More common in nautical and outdoor contexts. The transitive verb 'slack' is the deliberate counterpart to the intransitive 'slack' (sense 2).
4. to become less intense, strong, or active; to decrease in force or speed.
減弱
風雨等自然力量逐漸減緩
to become less intense, strong, or active; to decrease in force or speed.
The storm slacked after midnight, allowing the rescue team to go out.
暴風雨在午夜後減弱了，救援隊得以出動。
intransitive: storm / wind / rain slacks
The rain slacked to a drizzle by the time Takuya reached the station.
Takuya 到達車站時，雨已經減弱成毛毛雨。
Maria waited for the wind to slack before taking the small boat out on the lake.
Maria 等風減弱之後，才把小船划到湖上。
The wind slacked toward evening, so the fishing boats finally left the harbour.
風在傍晚時減弱了，漁船終於得以離港。
- intensify
to become stronger or more extreme
文法句型
slack + [time/preposition phrase]
用法筆記
This intransitive sense describes a natural force or activity decreasing on its own. It is most common with weather phenomena (wind, storm, rain). The transitive 'slacken' is the more frequent modern form when an agent causes the reduction.
slacks — 形容詞
1. pulled or stretched less than is usual or needed; not tight, firm, or taut.
鬆的
不緊的；寬鬆的
pulled or stretched less than is usual or needed; not tight, firm, or taut.
The rope was too slack to hold the boat against the current.
繩子太鬆了，無法把船固定在流水之中。
slack rope / line / cable
Emma tightened the slack guitar strings until each one played the right note.
Emma 把吉他上鬆掉的弦一一調緊，直到每根弦都發出正確的音。
slack strings / wire / chain
Her skin felt slack after she lost a lot of weight very quickly.
她體重急速下降之後，皮膚變得鬆垮垮的。
The line between the two poles hung slack in the afternoon heat.
兩根桿子之間的繩索在午後的烈日下鬆鬆地垂著。
- tight
pulled firmly; the opposite state
文法句型
slack + noun
用法筆記
Used for physical objects (ropes, cables, fabric, skin) that have too little tension. The opposite is 'tight' or 'taut'.
2. not busy; with very little commercial or social activity happening; having few c
冷清
生意或活動不多的
not busy; with very little commercial or social activity happening; having few customers or orders.
The café is always slack on Tuesday afternoons between lunch and dinner.
這家咖啡館在星期二午餐和晚餐之間總是冷冷清清。
collocation: slack period / season / time
Business gets slack during the winter months at the beach resort.
冬季時這家海濱度假村的生意會變得冷清。
collocation: business is slack
James found a summer job even though the hotel industry was unusually slack.
James 找到了一份暑期工作，儘管旅館業當時異常冷清。
The real estate market turned slack after interest rates went up.
房地產市場在利率調升之後變得冷清。
Priyanka used the slack afternoon to reorganise the stockroom.
Priyanka 利用冷清的下午時間重新整理了倉庫。
- busy
having a lot of activity or customers
文法句型
slack + noun
用法筆記
Describes periods, not individual moments. 'Slack' in this sense refers to a general lull in activity, not a temporary pause. A 'slack season' is a predictable slow period in an annual cycle.
常見錯誤
3. not taking enough care or making enough effort when doing something; failing to
懈怠
不盡責或粗心的
not taking enough care or making enough effort when doing something; failing to meet expected standards of diligence.
The security guard was criticised for being slack in checking visitors' ID badges.
該保全因為在檢查訪客證件時懈怠而受到批評。
collocation: slack in + [doing something]
The company's slack safety procedures led to a serious accident at the factory.
該公司懈怠的安全程序導致工廠發生了一起嚴重事故。
slack procedures / discipline / supervision
Vikram received a warning for slack behaviour during the training exercise.
Vikram 因在訓練演習中行為懈怠而收到警告。
A slack attitude to data protection can result in heavy fines.
對資料保護採取懈怠的態度可能會導致巨額罰款。
- diligent
showing careful effort and attention
文法句型
slack in + [gerund/noun]
用法筆記
Stronger than 'careless'; 'slack' in this sense implies a repeated or systematic failure to do what is required, rather than a one-time mistake.
常見錯誤
4. controlled or limited in degree, amount, or pace; deliberately kept to a moderat
適度的
控制在溫和程度的
controlled or limited in degree, amount, or pace; deliberately kept to a moderate, not-extreme level.
Fatima cooked the onions over a slack heat until they turned golden brown.
Fatima 用適度的火候把洋蔥炒到金黃色。
collocation: slack heat (moderate cooking temperature)
The rowers maintained a slack pace as they passed under the low bridge.
划船選手划過低矮的橋下時，保持著適度的速度。
collocation: slack pace (moderate speed)
Wei kept the campfire at a slack burn so the coals would last through the night.
Wei 讓營火保持適度的燃燒，讓木炭能燒到天亮。
The orchestra played the quiet section at a slack tempo, barely above a whisper.
樂團在寧靜的樂段中以幾乎低不可聞的適度速度演奏。
- intense
extreme or strong in degree
文法句型
slack + [noun of degree/intensity]
用法筆記
This sense describes a deliberately moderate degree or pace, not a failure of effort. It contrasts with the NEGLIGENT sense (adj/3), which implies carelessness or inadequate effort. A slack pace is a chosen moderate speed; slack procedures are negligent ones.
5. blowing or moving at a low speed; not strong or forceful (used of wind, water cu
微弱的
風速緩慢的
blowing or moving at a low speed; not strong or forceful (used of wind, water currents, or similar natural forces).
A slack breeze barely moved the flags on the flagpole.
一陣微弱的輕風幾乎吹不動旗桿上的旗幟。
The sailors waited for hours in the slack wind, unable to leave the harbour.
水手們在微弱的風中等了好幾個小時，無法離港。
collocation: slack wind / breeze / current
Chloe felt the slack current as she floated on her back in the calm bay.
Chloe 在平靜的海灣中仰漂，感受著微弱的海流。
Conditions were ideal for beginners because the air was slack and the water flat.
當時風力微弱、水面平靜，非常適合初學者下水。
- strong
blowing forcefully; the opposite of 'slack wind'
文法句型
slack + noun
用法筆記
A specialised use, primarily in nautical and meteorological descriptions of wind speed. Not common in general conversation; 'light' or 'gentle' are more frequent alternatives.