leap
leap — verb
1. to use your legs to push your body off the ground and travel through the air, of
to use your legs to push your body off the ground and travel through the air, often to clear a gap or reach a different spot.
The dog leaped over the low fence and ran into the park.
leap + over [obstacle]
Takeshi leaped across the narrow stream to reach the other side.
leap + across [space]
From the top of the wall, Adisa leaped down onto the soft sand below.
The athlete leaped into the pool from the high diving board without a splash.
- land
the end point of a leap — the act of coming back down to the ground
文法句型
leap + over/into/across/from
用法筆記
Often used with a preposition indicating direction or destination (over, across, into, from, down). The past form can be either leaped (especially American) or leapt (especially British).
常見錯誤
2. to offer help, support, or defence immediately and eagerly when someone is in tr
to offer help, support, or defence immediately and eagerly when someone is in trouble or needs assistance.
When the old man collapsed on the street, a stranger leaped to his aid.
leap to someone's aid / defence
Soraya leaped to her colleague's defence during the heated meeting.
The firefighter leaped into action the moment the alarm sounded.
Zuri leaped to the toddler's rescue when the child wandered toward a busy road.
文法句型
leap + to + [noun]
用法筆記
Common in fixed phrases: leap to someone's defence, leap to someone's aid, leap into action. The 'leaping' is figurative — the person moves or responds with speed and urgency, not necessarily a physical jump.
常見錯誤
3. to move suddenly from a low or ordinary position to a much higher one in fame, p
to move suddenly from a low or ordinary position to a much higher one in fame, power, or status — for example, an unknown performer who becomes a star overnight.
The young singer leaped to fame after a video of her performance went viral online.
leap to fame / stardom
Eleni leaped from an assistant's desk to the head of marketing in just three years.
leap from [low role] to [high role]
A small local brand leaped into the international spotlight after winning a major design award.
Cyrus leaped from being a junior writer to editor of the entire magazine section.
文法句型
leap + to/from/into + [noun]
用法筆記
Almost always followed by a prepositional phrase naming the target status (to fame, to prominence, from obscurity). The sense is emphatic and suggests a dramatic, newsworthy change rather than gradual progress.
常見錯誤
4. to become much larger, higher, or more advanced in a very short period of time,
to become much larger, higher, or more advanced in a very short period of time, often used for numbers, prices, or levels of development.
The company's profits leaped by nearly fifty percent in a single quarter.
leap + by + [percentage]
Home prices in the area have leaped to levels most families cannot afford.
leap + to + [new level]
Christopher's reading ability leaped after he started getting extra help at school.
Online orders leaped by over three hundred percent during the holiday season.
文法句型
leap + by/in + [amount/noun]
leap + to + [new level]
用法筆記
Frequently used with statistics (prices, numbers, percentages, rates). Unlike sense 1 (JUMP), this sense is purely figurative — no physical movement is involved.
常見錯誤
leap — noun
1. a sudden and significant change from one state to another — for example, a big i
a sudden and significant change from one state to another — for example, a big increase in price, a jump in quality, or a quick move from one level to a much higher one.
The country made a huge leap from poverty to prosperity in one generation.
a leap from [X] to [Y]
There was a dramatic leap in the number of students enrolling in computer science courses.
a leap in [statistic]
Adopting solar power was a great leap forward for the small farming community.
The new software represents a significant leap in how doctors diagnose rare diseases.
- jump
more neutral; leap suggests a larger or more dramatic shift
- surge
implies a powerful, often uncontrolled increase, especially in numbers
- quantum leap
emphasises that the change is so large it feels like entering a whole new category
文法句型
a leap + in + [noun]
a leap + from + [X] + to + [Y]
用法筆記
Often paired with adjectives like huge, dramatic, giant, great, or sudden. The preposition 'in' introduces the thing that changed; 'from…to…' shows the starting and ending points.
常見錯誤
2. the act of pushing your body off the ground and moving through the air, especial
the act of pushing your body off the ground and moving through the air, especially a long or energetic one.
With one great leap, the deer cleared the fence and disappeared into the forest.
adjective + leap + cleared [obstacle]
Matthew took a running leap and landed safely on the other side of the stream.
a running leap
The cat made a sudden leap from the windowsill onto the kitchen counter.
Hoa's leap across the muddy ditch impressed everyone in the hiking group.
文法句型
a leap + over/across/from/into
用法筆記
Common in physical descriptions and sports (long jump, high jump). Unlike sense 1 (BIG CHANGE), this sense always refers to an actual physical movement.
常見錯誤
3. the measurement of how far someone or something travels when jumping from one po
the measurement of how far someone or something travels when jumping from one point to another.
The kangaroo can cover a leap of over nine metres in a single bound.
a leap of + [distance measurement]
Ilhan measured his best leap at just under three metres during practice.
A frog's leap may be twenty times the length of its own body.
Her best leap of the competition measured exactly four metres and ten centimetres.
文法句型
a leap of + [distance]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (PHYSICAL JUMP): this sense is about the measurement, not the action itself. Used especially in sports (long jump, triple jump) and animal descriptions.