highway

highway — noun

1. a wide road built for cars and trucks to travel quickly between towns and cities

1.名詞A2
釋義

a wide road built for cars and trucks to travel quickly between towns and cities over long distances

例句

Priya drove on Highway 5 from Tijuana to Ensenada to see the ocean views.

highway + number for named routes

A truck broke down on the highway near Kofi's farm, blocking traffic for hours.

collocation: highway traffic

同義詞
  • motorway

    British English term for the same concept; 'motorway' implies restricted access and higher speed limits.

  • freeway

    American term for a highway with no tolls and controlled access via on-ramps and off-ramps.

  • expressway

    A divided highway designed for fast traffic, often with partial access control.

  • thoroughfare

    A more formal, general term for any main public road that carries through traffic.

反義詞
  • side street

    A small local road branching off a main road, carrying only light traffic.

  • back road

    A minor country road rarely used by through traffic.

文法句型

highway + [number] for named routes

用法筆記

In British English, the more common term for a high-speed long-distance road is 'motorway'. 'Highway' is standard in American and Canadian English for all types of public roads, including rural routes.

常見錯誤

❌I drove on the highway from London to Manchester.
✅I drove on the motorway from London to Manchester.
💡In the UK, 'motorway' is the usual word for this type of road; 'highway' sounds American to British readers.
❌There was a highway in the middle of our neighbourhood.
✅There was a main road in the middle of our neighbourhood.
💡'Highway' suggests a road between cities, not a local street within a town.

2. any path, road, or stretch of water such as a river or canal that the public has

2.名詞B2
釋義

any path, road, or stretch of water such as a river or canal that the public has a legal right to use for travel

例句

The footpath behind Leila's cottage is a public highway that anyone may walk on.

legal sense: public highway

Under English law, certain rivers are classified as public highways for boat navigation.

formal register: classified as a highway

同義詞
  • public right-of-way

    The precise legal term for a route the public can legally use; 'highway' is an older legal synonym in UK law.

  • public way

    A simpler legal term; broader in scope but less common in modern statutes.

反義詞
  • private road

    A road owned by an individual or organisation that the public does not have the right to use.

  • restricted area

    Any land or waterway where public access is prohibited by law.

文法句型

classified as a public highway

public highway

用法筆記

This sense appears almost exclusively in legal and formal writing, especially in UK property law. Unlike sense 1, it covers not only roads but also footpaths, bridleways, and waterways. Frequently found in the phrase 'public highway'.

常見錯誤

❌I walked on a public highway near the beach.' (vague)
✅The coastal path was designated a public highway under the Rights of Way Act.
💡When using this legal sense, specify the legal or official context rather than using it as a synonym for 'road'.