counterbalance
counterbalance — verb
- counterbalancepresent simple I / you / we / they
- counterbalanceshe / she / it
- counterbalancedpast simple
- counterbalancing-ing form
1. to reduce the effect of something by having an equally strong opposite force or
to reduce the effect of something by having an equally strong opposite force or influence — for example, a strict teacher's approach being counterbalanced by a more lenient colleague's style, or the calories in a meal being counterbalanced by exercise.
Adina's calm, patient manner helped counterbalance her coworker's quick temper during team meetings.
counterbalance + noun phrase: manner counterbalances temper
Eating a large dessert can counterbalance the health benefits of an otherwise light salad.
The company's strong sales in Asia counterbalanced weak performance in its European markets.
A fair tax system uses higher rates on the wealthy to counterbalance the burden on poorer families.
Quan hoped that his volunteer work would counterbalance the environmental damage caused by his daily commute.
- offset
more common in everyday use; 'offset' often refers to financial or numerical balance
- balance out
informal phrasal verb; suggests a natural evening of effects rather than deliberate action
- neutralise
stronger; implies completely cancelling the effect rather than just reducing it
文法句型
counterbalance + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently used with abstract nouns as the subject and object — forces, effects, influences, trends — rather than with physical objects.
常見錯誤
counterbalance — noun
- counterbalancesingular
- counterbalancesplural
1. a person, thing, or force that has an equally strong opposite influence, keeping
a person, thing, or force that has an equally strong opposite influence, keeping a system, relationship, or situation from becoming too extreme or one-sided.
A free press acts as a vital counterbalance to the power of the government.
act as a counterbalance to + noun phrase
Piotr keeps a savings account as a counterbalance to the riskier investments in his portfolio.
The older, more conservative members of the committee provided a useful counterbalance to the younger reformers.
International law can serve as a counterbalance when a powerful nation acts unfairly toward a smaller one.
A short walk after sitting at a desk all day can be an effective counterbalance to a sedentary routine.
- offset
can be used as a noun too, but 'counterbalance' emphasises the idea of preventing extremes
- check
formal; suggests a limitation or restraint rather than an equal opposing force
- equilibrium
describes the resulting state of balance, not the balancing agent itself
- imbalance
a lack of balance or symmetry
- tipping factor
something that pushes a system toward one extreme
文法句型
a counterbalance to + noun phrase
act as a counterbalance
用法筆記
Almost always followed by 'to' when specifying what is being balanced. Can be used with concrete nouns (a physical weight) but is far more common with abstract nouns (power, influence, risk).