condensed
condensed — adjective
1. describes a liquid food, usually milk or soup, that has had most of its water ta
describes a liquid food, usually milk or soup, that has had most of its water taken out so it becomes thick and sweet or strongly flavoured.
Talia stirred two spoonfuls of condensed milk into her morning coffee.
collocation: condensed milk
The recipe asks for one tin of condensed tomato soup and a cup of cream.
collocation: condensed soup
In Vietnam, iced coffee is usually served with sweet condensed milk at the bottom of the glass.
Lara warned the children that condensed milk is much sweeter than ordinary milk.
Pour the condensed broth into the pan and add three cups of water.
- evaporated
evaporated milk has water removed but no added sugar; condensed milk is usually sweetened
- concentrated
broader term for any liquid with water removed, including juice and cleaners
- thickened
describes the texture but doesn't imply water was specifically removed
文法句型
condensed + noun (food/liquid)
用法筆記
Almost always sits directly before a food noun (milk, soup, broth, cream). Rarely used as a predicative adjective on its own; cooks say 'the milk is condensed' only when contrasting with fresh milk.
常見錯誤
2. if a text, story, or piece of information is condensed, it has been cut down so
if a text, story, or piece of information is condensed, it has been cut down so the same main ideas are presented in far fewer words.
Mayumi gave the board a condensed version of the report that fit on one page.
collocation: condensed version
The library only had a condensed edition of War and Peace, missing about half the original chapters.
collocation: condensed edition
Ada's lecture notes were so condensed that two hours of class fit on a single sheet.
The journalist offered a condensed account of the trial for readers who had missed the earlier coverage.
Tendai prepared a condensed summary of the meeting for colleagues who could not attend.
- abridged
specifically used for books or recordings cut down for length
- shortened
general everyday word for any reduction in length
- summarised
implies the main points have been picked out and rewritten, not just trimmed
- unabridged
the full original text with nothing cut
- expanded
extra material has been added rather than removed
文法句型
condensed + noun (version/edition/account)
be condensed (into / from)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense always describes information or writing, never a liquid. The most frequent partner nouns are 'version', 'edition', 'summary', 'account', and 'history'.
常見錯誤
3. if a gas or vapour is condensed, it has cooled and changed into liquid form (or
if a gas or vapour is condensed, it has cooled and changed into liquid form (or sometimes solid), the way steam turns to water on a cold window.
By morning the warm bathroom air had cooled, and condensed water was running down the mirror.
collocation: condensed water
Joon watched as steam from the kettle was condensed into droplets on the cold metal lid.
passive: be condensed into [liquid]
Inside the engine, fuel vapour is condensed back into liquid before it leaves the system.
Christopher showed his class how condensed steam forms tiny beads on the underside of a cool plate.
The clouds we see in the sky are made of water that has condensed from invisible vapour.
- liquefied
stronger and more technical; emphasises the change of state into liquid form
- precipitated
in chemistry, when a substance separates out from a solution or vapour
- evaporated
the opposite change: liquid turning into gas
- vaporised
more technical antonym, often used for fuels or chemicals
文法句型
be condensed (into / on)
condensed + noun (vapour/water)
用法筆記
Most common in science writing and technical descriptions. Often appears in passive constructions ('is condensed into', 'has condensed from'); the agent is usually a temperature drop or a cold surface, not a person.