unequal
/ʌnˈiːkwəl/ (bre, ipa) · /ʌnˈiːkwəl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌən-ˈē-kwəl/ (ame, mw)
unequal — 形容詞
- unequalpositive
- more unequalcomparative
- most unequalsuperlative
1. describing a situation in which different people or groups are not treated the s
不公平的
差別待遇、不公正的
describing a situation in which different people or groups are not treated the same way, giving some an unfair advantage over others.
The company faced public criticism for its unequal pay policy between male and female employees.
該公司因其男女員工之間的同工不同酬政策而飽受公眾批評。
unequal + noun describing unfair policy
Many students believe the grading system is unequal because wealthier families can afford private tutoring.
許多學生認為評分制度不公平，因為較富裕的家庭有能力負擔私人補習。
Arjun argued that unequal access to healthcare is a major challenge in modern society.
Arjun 認為醫療資源取得不平等是現代社會的一大挑戰。
The new law aims to reduce unequal treatment of people from different ethnic backgrounds.
這項新法案旨在減少對不同族裔背景人士的不公平對待。
Diego felt the competition was unequal because only one team had professional coaches.
Diego 覺得這場比賽不公平，因為只有一隊有專業教練。
- unfair
more direct and common; focuses on the moral judgement rather than the comparison
- inequitable
formal term specifically for systems that are not fair or just
- biased
unfairly favoring one side over another, often due to personal preference
用法筆記
This is the most common sense of 'unequal'. It often appears before nouns like 'treatment', 'access', 'pay', and 'opportunities' in discussions about fairness and social justice.
常見錯誤
2. not the same in size, amount, level, or quality when compared with another perso
不均的；不等的
大小、數量或程度上不相同的
not the same in size, amount, level, or quality when compared with another person or thing.
The two slices of cake were unequal, so Mei-Lin took the smaller piece without complaining.
兩塊蛋糕大小不均，於是 Mei-Lin 不發一語地拿了較小的那一塊。
unequal in size — comparing two items directly
An unequal distribution of resources can cause tension between different communities.
資源分配不均可能引發不同社區之間的緊張關係。
The teams were unequal in height, giving Oliver's group a clear advantage in the game.
兩隊身高不均，這讓 Oliver 的隊伍在籃球比賽中佔有明顯優勢。
Elena noticed the unequal curtain lengths and asked her mother to even them out.
Elena 注意到窗簾長度不等，便請媽媽把它們拉齊。
- uneven
focuses on surface irregularity or lack of uniformity; more concrete than 'unequal'
- disproportionate
formal term for when something is too large or small relative to something else
- dissimilar
broader — describes things that are simply not alike in any way
常見錯誤
3. lacking the necessary ability, strength, or resources needed to deal with a part
不足以勝任
缺乏能力或資源應付特定情況
lacking the necessary ability, strength, or resources needed to deal with a particular situation or task.
Amara felt unequal to the task of managing twenty new employees on her first day.
Amara 覺得自己第一天上班就要管理二十位新員工，實在無法勝任這項任務。
be unequal to the task — fixed expression
The old wooden bridge proved unequal to modern traffic demands and had to be closed.
那座老舊木橋無法承受現代交通流量的需求，只好關閉。
prove unequal to [demands/requirements]
Kwame knew he was unequal to climbing the mountain without proper equipment.
Kwame 知道自己在沒有適當裝備的情況下根本無法爬山。
The charity's small budget was unequal to the area's rising need for food.
該慈善機構的微薄預算無法應付當地日益增加的糧食需求。
- inadequate
broader — not good enough in quality or quantity for a purpose
- insufficient
more common for resources and quantities rather than personal ability
- incapable
stronger — lacking the ability altogether
文法句型
be unequal to + noun/-ing
用法筆記
Always used in the pattern 'unequal to + noun/gerund', never before a noun. This is a formal, somewhat old-fashioned construction. In everyday English, speakers prefer 'not up to', 'not capable of', or 'not enough for'.
常見錯誤
unequal — 名詞
1. a person or group that is not as powerful, important, or advantaged as another p
不平等者
地位、權力或優勢不如他人者
a person or group that is not as powerful, important, or advantaged as another person or group.
In a democracy all citizens are treated as equals, not as unequals before the law.
在民主國家中，所有公民在法律面前都是平等的，而非不平等者。
treated as unequals — typically plural
The trade agreement was signed between unequals, with the larger economy setting the terms.
這項貿易協定是在實力不對等的雙方之間簽訂的，由較大的經濟體決定條款。
Nia refused to be treated as an unequal and demanded a role in company decisions.
Nia 拒絕被當作不平等者對待，並要求在公司的決策中擁有一席之地。
- inferior
stronger negative connotation; implies lower quality rather than simply different status
- subordinate
specifically about rank or position in a hierarchy
用法筆記
Almost always appears in formal or academic writing. The plural form 'unequals' is far more common than the singular 'unequal'.
unequal — 副詞
1. in a way that is not fair, even, or balanced between two or more people or thing
不公平地
以不公平或不平均的方式
in a way that is not fair, even, or balanced between two or more people or things.
The food was divided unequally, and the oldest got twice as much as the youngest.
食物分配不均，最大的孩子拿到的是最小的孩子的兩倍。
standard adverb form: unequally
Responsibilities were shared unequally, so Yuki ended up doing most of the paperwork.
職責分配不均，最後 Yuki 一個人做了大部分文書工作。
- unequally
the standard modern adverb — always preferred in current English
- unfairly
focuses on the injustice rather than the imbalance
- disproportionately
formal — in a way that is too large or too small when compared to other factors
用法筆記
This adverb form is archaic and rarely used in modern English. In contemporary speech and writing, the standard adverb is 'unequally'. This form appears mainly in older literary texts.