axing
axing — verb
- axingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- axings3rd person singular
- axinging-ing form
- axingedpast simple
1. to suddenly stop spending money on something or to remove a large number of jobs
to suddenly stop spending money on something or to remove a large number of jobs, services, or programmes, usually as a way of cutting costs.
The company axed 150 jobs in its European sales division last quarter.
axe + number of jobs — direct object is positions cut
Rachid worried that his team would be axed when the merger went through.
passive: be axed — people removed from jobs
Rohan heard that the entire marketing department was going to be axed next month.
Tariq's research grant was axed halfway through the two-year project.
文法句型
axe + [something]
用法筆記
Common in business-news contexts. The subject is usually a company, government, or institution. Frequently used in passive voice ('jobs were axed').
常見錯誤
2. to cut, split, or break something by hitting it with an axe.
to cut, split, or break something by hitting it with an axe.
Isabela axed the dead tree into logs small enough to carry.
The firefighter axed through the wooden door to rescue the family.
axe through + [object] — cutting a passage
Andrei spent the morning axing branches from the fallen oak tree.
Aaron spent the afternoon axing the thick logs into kindling for the stove.
文法句型
axe + [something] + into/through
用法筆記
Less common in everyday speech than 'chop' or 'cut'. Often used when the action is forceful and the tool (an axe) is specifically named.
axing — noun
1. a cutting instrument made of a steel blade fixed to a long handle, used for chop
a cutting instrument made of a steel blade fixed to a long handle, used for chopping wood and felling trees.
Lan used a sharp axe to split the firewood into small pieces.
sharp axe — physical tool with a blade on a handle
An old axe hung on the wall of the mountain cabin.
collocation: an axe hangs / is kept somewhere
Rania gripped the axe with both hands and swung hard at the stump.
Andrew sharpened the blade of his axe before heading into the forest.
用法筆記
The noun form is 'axe' (the base noun), while 'axing' is the present participle or gerund of the verb. The noun senses listed here describe the base noun 'axe' and its idiomatic uses (e.g. 'get the axe', 'face the axe').
2. the act of removing someone from their job; dismissal.
the act of removing someone from their job; dismissal.
Over forty workers got the axe when the factory relocated overseas.
idiom: get the axe = be dismissed
Niran feared the axe would fall on his department after the budget cuts.
idiom: the axe falls on [someone/department]
Ilan's colleague got the axe after the quarterly performance review.
The newspaper reported that five senior editors would face the axe next month.
- hiring
the opposite of dismissal
用法筆記
Almost always used in the fixed phrase 'get the axe' or 'the axe falls on [someone]'. Rarely appears as a standalone countable noun ('an axe' = a dismissal). Informal tone.
常見錯誤
3. a situation in which a service, plan, or project is suddenly stopped or heavily
a situation in which a service, plan, or project is suddenly stopped or heavily cut back.
The school's art programme got the axe after the funding review.
idiom: [programme] gets the axe = is eliminated
Beatrix knew her research project faced the axe when the grant was denied.
idiom: face the axe = be at risk of elimination
The free bus service for seniors got the axe after the council vote.
Several after-school clubs faced the axe when the school board reviewed its budget.
- cancellation
neutral; does not carry the abruptness implied by 'axe'
- termination
more formal
- scrapping
similar register and tone to 'axe'
- introduction
starting a new service or plan
- approval
when a budget or plan is accepted
用法筆記
Distinguish from the DISMISSAL sense (sense 2): this sense is used for services, plans, and programmes, NOT for people. The same fixed idioms 'get the axe' and 'face the axe' are used.