all-purpose

all-purpose — adjective

1. designed to work well across a wide range of jobs, tasks, or situations rather t

1.形容詞B2
釋義

designed to work well across a wide range of jobs, tasks, or situations rather than being made for just one specific use.

例句

Viraj keeps an all-purpose cleaner under the kitchen sink for spills, counters, and the bathroom mirror.

attributive: all-purpose + noun (cleaner)

These all-purpose hiking boots work well on muddy trails, snowy slopes, and rocky beaches.

plural noun + all-purpose modifier across varied contexts

同義詞
  • multipurpose

    near-identical; slightly more technical, common in product descriptions and engineering contexts

  • versatile

    broader; describes people, tools, or skills that adapt to many situations, not only objects designed for many uses

  • general-purpose

    common in computing and machinery; emphasises 'not specialised' rather than 'covers many tasks'

  • all-round

    British; often used of skills or performers ('an all-round athlete') rather than physical products

反義詞
  • specialised

    made for one specific task or field

  • single-purpose

    literal opposite; designed for exactly one job

  • dedicated

    in tech contexts: reserved for one function, e.g. a dedicated server

文法句型

all-purpose + noun

用法筆記

Almost always used attributively (before a noun). Avoid 'the cloth is all-purpose' in formal writing; prefer 'an all-purpose cloth' or 'a cloth for all purposes'.

常見錯誤

❌This tool is all-purpose for fixing things.
✅This is an all-purpose tool for fixing things.
💡used before the noun, not as a stand-alone predicate.
❌an all-purposes knife
✅an all-purpose knife
💡the modifier stays singular, even though it covers many purposes.