full-time
full-time — noun
1. the moment when a sports match, especially in football, is officially stopped by
the moment when a sports match, especially in football, is officially stopped by the referee because the allocated playing time has run out.
The referee blew his whistle to signal full-time at the end of the match.
signal full-time — collocation for ending a match
With the score at 3–1, full-time brought an end to a thrilling cup final.
preposition: at full-time with score
Théo felt a wave of relief when the referee finally called full-time.
A long injury delay meant full-time came five minutes later than expected.
The home fans celebrated loudly as full-time approached with their team ahead.
- final whistle
informal, strongly associated with the referee's action rather than the moment itself
- end of play
more formal; used in written reports and rulebooks
- end of regulation
American English equivalent, used in basketball and American football
文法句型
at full-time
signal full-time
用法筆記
Commonly used in British sports commentary and reporting. In American English, the equivalent term is 'end of regulation' or simply 'the end of the game'.
常見錯誤
full-time — adjective
1. involving or done for the standard number of hours in a working week, usually be
involving or done for the standard number of hours in a working week, usually between 35 and 40 hours, rather than taking up fewer hours.
Nadia started a full-time job at a hospital near her home last month.
full-time job — most common collocation
After finishing high school, Emre became a full-time student at a university in Ankara.
full-time student — education collocation
The company is looking to hire three full-time staff members for its new office.
Xiu switched from full-time work to a part-time schedule to care for her mother.
A full-time employee at the factory earns about forty thousand dollars each year.
- nine-to-five
informal; specifically describes standard office hours with a fixed schedule
- part-time
involving fewer hours per week than the standard amount
文法句型
full-time + noun
full-time employee
full-time student
用法筆記
Used only before a noun. To describe the adverbial sense (e.g., 'She works full-time'), see the phrase entry.
常見錯誤
2. describing an unpaid activity that demands so much time and attention that it fe
describing an unpaid activity that demands so much time and attention that it feels like a paid occupation.
Taking care of six rescue dogs is practically a full-time job.
a full-time job — idiomatic figurative use
Felix says that organising the village festival became a full-time task for three months.
Aylin found that managing her online shop had turned into a full-time affair.
For Ryo, training for the Tokyo marathon felt like a full-time occupation.
Keeping the garden healthy during a heatwave is a full-time challenge.
- all-consuming
stronger and more dramatic; suggests the activity takes over one's whole life
- demanding
broader; can refer to mental, physical, or time demands, not just time
文法句型
a full-time + noun
a full-time job (figurative)
用法筆記
This sense does NOT refer to paid employment. It is a figurative extension used to emphasise how much time or energy an activity takes. Most often appears in the fixed phrase 'a full-time job'.
常見錯誤
full-time — phrase
1. for the standard number of hours that people normally spend working each week, r
for the standard number of hours that people normally spend working each week, rather than for a smaller number of hours.
After graduating, Asher started working full-time at a bank in Taipei.
working full-time — most common pattern
Valentina is studying full-time while also helping her family at weekends.
studying full-time — education pattern
Christopher went from working part-time to full-time after his first year with the company.
Many parents find it difficult to work full-time while raising young children.
The job pays well, but you must work full-time from Monday to Friday.
- on a full-time basis
more formal; used in contracts and official documents
- part-time
for fewer hours per week than full-time
文法句型
work + full-time
study + full-time
用法筆記
Use this phrase after verbs such as 'work', 'study', or 'train'. Do NOT use it before a noun — that is the job of the adjective full-time (see adjective entry).