surplus
/ˈsɜːpləs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsɜːrplʌs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsər-(ˌ)pləs/ (ame, mw)
surplus — 名詞
- surplussingular
- surplusesplural
1. something that remains unused when people have taken or used what they need
過剩；剩餘
超出需求或使用量的部分
something that remains unused when people have taken or used what they need
Devika donated her farm's grain surplus to local food banks after the harvest.
Devika 將農場收成後多餘的穀物捐給了當地的食物銀行。
collocation: grain surplus
The bakery had a surplus of bread at closing time, so the owner let staff take loaves home.
那家麵包店打烊時有過剩的麵包，老闆便讓員工把麵包帶回家。
pattern: a surplus of [something]
Because of a surplus of winter coats, the charity sent boxes to shelters in three cities.
因為冬衣有剩餘，慈善機構把好幾箱衣物送往三個城市的收容所。
The school library offered its surplus textbooks to students for free.
學校圖書館把多餘的教科書免費提供給學生。
An unexpected surplus of eggs meant the family could sell them at the weekly market.
雞蛋意外地有剩餘，這家人便拿到每週一次的市集上去賣。
- excess
more general; 'excess' often suggests a negative or unwanted amount, while 'surplus' is more neutral or positive
- extra
informal; used for things added to a normal or expected amount, without the idea of a large quantity
- oversupply
focuses on market or economic situations where more is available than people want to buy
文法句型
a surplus of [something]
surplus + noun (attributive)
用法筆記
Can be countable ('a surplus of oil') or uncountable ('food surplus'). The countable form with 'a … of …' is the most common pattern in everyday English.
常見錯誤
2. money that is left over after all expenses have been paid, earned when income ex
盈餘；順差
收入大於支出後的餘額
money that is left over after all expenses have been paid, earned when income exceeds spending
The government announced a budget surplus of five billion dollars this year.
政府今年宣布了五十億美元的預算盈餘。
collocation: budget surplus
After paying all her bills, Sari had a small surplus in her checking account.
Sari 付清所有帳單後，活期存款帳戶裡還有一點盈餘。
The company reported a surplus for the third quarter, thanks to higher sales.
由於銷售額提高，該公司第三季申報了盈餘。
A trade surplus happens when a country sells more goods abroad than it buys.
貿易順差發生在一個國家外銷的商品多於進口時。
The city used its budget surplus to repair roads and build a new park.
該市利用預算盈餘來修路和蓋新公園。
文法句型
budget / trade / cash surplus
a surplus of [amount of money]
用法筆記
Usually singular and countable. Common in news reports about government budgets, company earnings, and international trade. The opposite term is 'deficit'.
常見錯誤
surplus — 形容詞
- surpluspositive
- more surpluscomparative
- most surplussuperlative
1. describes items or materials that are currently unused because the amount availa
多餘的
超過需要而未使用的
describes items or materials that are currently unused because the amount available goes beyond what people can use or sell
The army sold its surplus equipment to local police departments.
軍隊把多餘的裝備賣給了當地的警察局。
attributive: surplus + equipment
Surplus food from the wedding was packed into boxes for the guests to take home.
婚禮上多餘的食物被打包成盒，讓賓客帶回家。
attributive: surplus + food
The store offered a discount on surplus stock at the end of the season.
季末時，這家商店對多餘的庫存提供折扣。
After the merger, the company had several surplus offices that it tried to rent out.
合併之後，該公司有好幾間多餘的辦公室想出租。
Sivan's school collected surplus furniture from local businesses for classrooms that needed desks and chairs.
Sivan 的學校從當地商家收集了多餘的家具，提供給需要課桌椅的教室。
- extra
informal and more common in everyday speech; can be used both before and after the noun ('an extra shirt', 'something extra')
- leftover
less formal and typically used for food or small physical items that remain after use
- redundant
British English; describes items or roles that are no longer needed, often in workplace contexts
- insufficient
not enough for a particular purpose
- scarce
difficult to find or obtain because there is not enough available
文法句型
surplus + noun
用法筆記
Used only before a noun (attributive position). 'Surplus' in this role describes physical items such as equipment, food, stock, or furniture, not abstract ideas.