wastage

IPA/ˈweɪstɪdʒ/
IPA/ˈweɪstɪdʒ/

wastage — 名詞

1. how much of something is lost or thrown away instead of being put to use

1.名詞B2
釋義

浪費量

因未使用而損失的數量

how much of something is lost or thrown away instead of being put to use

例句

Mizuki checked the kitchen bin and was shocked by the food wastage from one weekend.

Mizuki 檢查廚房的垃圾桶，對一個週末產生的食物浪費量感到震驚。

collocation: food wastage

The factory reduced material wastage by fifteen percent after changing its cutting method.

工廠改變切割方式後，材料浪費量減少了百分之十五。

collocation: material wastage + percentage

同義詞
  • waste

    more general; can also be a verb or adjective

  • loss

    broader — covers things lost for any reason, not only through neglect

  • spoilage

    specifically of food or perishable goods that go bad

反義詞
  • conservation

    the act of keeping resources from being wasted

  • saving

    preventing loss, especially of money or energy

文法句型

wastage of + noun

用法筆記

Frequently followed by an of-phrase naming the resource that was lost. Common in business, manufacturing, and environmental writing.

常見錯誤

❌The project had a wastage of 200 euros.
✅The project had wastage of 200 euros.
💡wastage is uncountable; never use 'a wastage.'

2. the gradual shrinking of a workforce when employees leave or retire and new peop

2.名詞C1
釋義

自然減員

員工離職或退休後不補缺，英國用語

the gradual shrinking of a workforce when employees leave or retire and new people are not hired to replace them

例句

The council relied on natural wastage rather than making anyone redundant.

議會選擇以自然減員的方式縮編，而不是裁掉任何人。

phrase: natural wastage

Zola's department shrank through wastage after three senior staff retired and were not replaced.

Zola 的部門在三名資深員工退休且無人替補後，因自然減員而縮小了。

collocation: through wastage

同義詞
  • attrition

    the standard US equivalent; more widely understood internationally

  • turnover

    includes both departures and replacements; wastage refers only to departures not filled

反義詞
  • recruitment

    the active process of hiring new staff

  • expansion

    growing the workforce rather than letting it shrink

文法句型

natural wastage

用法筆記

Almost always used in the phrase 'natural wastage.' A UK term; in US English, 'attrition' is the more common equivalent.

常見錯誤

❌There was a wastage of five employees last month.
✅Five employees left through natural wastage last month.
💡wastage describes a process, not a countable number.

3. the number of students who leave a course or training programme before reaching

3.名詞C1
釋義

中途退學

課程未完成即離開的學員人數

the number of students who leave a course or training programme before reaching the end

例句

Samir worried about wastage in his evening class when four students never came back.

Samir 擔心他夜間課程的中途退學情況，因為有四名學生再也沒回來。

collocation: wastage in + course type

The nursing course had low wastage because the tutors gave strong support.

護理課程的中途退學率很低，因為導師提供了強大的支持。

collocation: low wastage

同義詞
  • dropout rate

    more informal and widely used; wastage is the formal term in institutional reports

  • attrition

    used in both education and employment; wastage in education is more UK-specific

  • non-completion

    a neutral administrative term; wastage carries a slightly negative tone

反義詞

文法句型

wastage rate

high/low + wastage

用法筆記

Common in UK educational and training settings. Often paired with 'rate' (wastage rate) or modified by 'high' and 'low.' Distinguish from sense 2: here people leave a course; in sense 2 they leave a job.

常見錯誤

❌The university had many wastages last semester.
✅The university had high wastage last semester.
💡wastage is uncountable; use 'high' or 'low' to describe the level.

4. the gradual process by which things are lost, destroyed, or used up through norm

4.名詞B2
釋義

損耗；流失

因使用、腐壞或疏忽而逐漸損失

the gradual process by which things are lost, destroyed, or used up through normal wear, decay, or careless handling

例句

Lakan noticed wastage of grain in the storehouse after rats chewed through the sacks.

Lakan 發現老鼠咬破麻袋後，倉庫裡的穀物出現了損耗。

grammar: wastage of + substance

Heat caused slow wastage of the medicine; the clinic moved it to cold storage.

高溫造成藥品緩慢流失；診所將其移到了冷藏室。

collocation: slow wastage

同義詞
  • deterioration

    focuses on decline in quality; wastage includes outright loss of the thing itself

  • erosion

    specifically of land, soil, or rock worn away by natural forces

  • depletion

    emphasises using up a finite supply; wastage stresses the careless or unavoidable side of the loss

反義詞
  • preservation

    keeping something intact and protected from loss or decay

  • conservation

    careful management to prevent wasteful loss

文法句型

wastage of + noun

用法筆記

Describes a gradual, ongoing process rather than a single event. The cause is typically a natural force (heat, rain, decay) or passive neglect rather than one deliberate act.