limits
limits — idiom
1. used in fixed expressions to talk about the greatest physical or mental ability
used in fixed expressions to talk about the greatest physical or mental ability someone has, the restrictions placed on behaviour or spending, or the furthest point of something such as the imagination
After knee surgery, Sofia knew her limits and stopped running marathons.
know one's limits — awareness of personal ability
The city council set strict limits on how much water each household could use during the drought.
set limits on — impose restrictions
Arjun's dedication to his students knows no limits; he spends every weekend preparing lessons.
The children were allowed to play outside within limits — no further than the park at the end of the street.
The IMAX film pushed the limits of what home theatre systems could deliver.
- boundaries
more concrete — 'set boundaries for children' emphasises rules, while 'set limits' focuses on amounts or degrees
- restrictions
more formal and rule-focused; 'limits' is broader
- parameters
more technical; used in formal or planning contexts
文法句型
know one's limits
know no limits
set limits (for/on)
within limits
without limits
to the limits
limits — noun
1. the biggest size, highest number, or greatest level that is allowed or can exist
the biggest size, highest number, or greatest level that is allowed or can exist
There are limits to how much information the human brain can absorb in one day.
limits to [noun phrase] — indicates restriction on capacity
The insurance company set annual limits on how much they would pay for dental work.
Emma pushed her savings beyond the limits of what she had planned for the trip.
The temperature in the desert often reaches the upper limits of what the human body can handle.
Wei's monthly phone plan has limits on both data usage and international calls.
- minimum
the smallest amount allowed or possible
文法句型
limits of [noun]
within the limits of
beyond the limits of
upper/lower limits
用法筆記
Often used in the plural to refer to the outer boundaries or maximum capacity of something. The singular 'limit' is used for a single specific cap — e.g. 'the speed limit is 50 km/h.'
常見錯誤
2. the official line that marks where a town, city, or other area ends and another
the official line that marks where a town, city, or other area ends and another begins
The new shopping centre will be built just outside the city limits.
city limits — official boundary of a municipal area
Drivers must slow down as soon as they pass the town limits, where the speed drops.
The national park lies within the limits of three different counties.
Kwame bought a farm just beyond the city limits because land was cheaper there.
文法句型
city limits
town limits
within the limits of
outside the limits of
用法筆記
Nearly always appears as 'limits' in the plural when referring to municipal boundaries. The singular 'limit' is unusual in this sense.
3. a rule or law that controls how much of something is allowed, or what people are
a rule or law that controls how much of something is allowed, or what people are allowed to do
The school board imposed strict limits on the amount of homework teachers could assign each night.
impose limits on — officially introduce restrictions
Oliver's parents placed reasonable limits on his screen time during the school week.
place limits on — set rules restricting something
New environmental laws put tighter limits on how much pollution factories could release into the river.
The restaurant had to work within the limits of its small kitchen, serving only thirty guests per evening.
Samira set firm limits with her neighbours about noise after ten o'clock at night.
- restrictions
more formal and authoritative; 'limits' is slightly softer and more conversational
- rules
broader — not all rules are quantitative limits
- constraints
more formal, often used in business or technical contexts
- freedom
the absence of restrictions
文法句型
limits on [noun]
set limits
impose limits
limits to
常見錯誤
4. the maximum number of fish or wild animals that a person is legally allowed to c
the maximum number of fish or wild animals that a person is legally allowed to catch or kill in a particular period
The fishing limits on this lake allow only three trout per person each day.
fishing limits — legal maximum catch
Diego checked the hunting limits before his trip to the forest to make sure he stayed within the law.
Wildlife officers patrol the coast to ensure that fishermen respect the daily catch limits for crabs.
The province lowered the deer hunting limits this season to help the animal population recover.
- bag limit
specific to hunting; 'limits' is more general
- catch limit
specific to fishing
文法句型
bag limit
catch limit
daily limit
用法筆記
Typically expressed as 'bag limit' (for hunting birds and small game) or 'catch limit' (for fishing). Authorities set these limits to prevent overfishing and protect wildlife populations.
5. the largest amount of money that may be bet, raised, or paid out in a gambling g
the largest amount of money that may be bet, raised, or paid out in a gambling game
The poker room posted clear betting limits on each table — five hundred dollars maximum per hand.
betting limits — maximum stake allowed
Hana set personal spending limits at the casino and walked away as soon as she reached them.
spending limits — self-imposed cap on losses
High-roller tables have much higher betting limits, sometimes reaching tens of thousands of dollars per round.
The casino manager raised the table limits during the New Year weekend to attract big spenders.
- table limit
the specific maximum for a particular table in a casino
- stake limit
focuses on the amount risked per bet
文法句型
betting limits
table limits
spending limits
6. in mathematics, a value that a function or sequence gets closer and closer to as
in mathematics, a value that a function or sequence gets closer and closer to as the input gets nearer to a particular number
Students in calculus learn how to calculate the limit of a function as x approaches zero.
limit of a function — the core calculus concept
The limit of the sequence one-half, one-third, one-fourth is zero, because the numbers keep getting smaller.
Mei understood limits in her calculus class by visualising the curve getting closer to a line without touching it.
The professor explained that the limit of this equation equals four when n tends to infinity.
- limiting value
more explicit; 'limit' is the standard shorter term in math
- asymptote
a related concept but not identical — an asymptote is a line a curve approaches
文法句型
limit of a function
limit of a sequence
approach a limit
tends to a limit
用法筆記
In mathematical contexts, 'limit' is usually treated as a singular countable noun. The plural 'limits' refers to this concept in general discussions — e.g. 'We studied limits last semester.' Distinguish from noun sense 1 (MAXIMUM AMOUNT), which describes a real-world cap rather than an abstract mathematical convergence.
常見錯誤
7. a person or thing that tests your patience or is so annoying that you cannot acc
a person or thing that tests your patience or is so annoying that you cannot accept it any longer
After three hours of waiting in the rain, Clara said the delay was the absolute limits.
be the limits — informal expression of exasperation
The constant dog barking was the limits for Ananya, so she spoke to the landlord.
No coffee for the third week running was the limits for the whole team.
When the bus drove past her stop without stopping, Amara said that was the limits.
- the last straw
more common idiom for the final irritation; 'the limits' is less frequent but similar
- the end
common informal equivalent — 'That's the end! I've had enough.'
文法句型
be the limits
that's the limits
用法筆記
Used informally in the fixed expression 'that's/that was the limits', meaning 'that is the final thing I can tolerate.' This sense is always plural and always appears with a definite article. Strongly colloquial — avoid in formal writing or exams.
limits — verb
- limitspresent simple I / you / we / they
- limitses3rd person singular
- limitsing-ing form
- limitsedpast simple
1. to keep something within a particular size, amount, or area, usually to prevent
to keep something within a particular size, amount, or area, usually to prevent it from becoming too big or too much
The doctor told Ingrid to limit her coffee intake to one cup per day.
limit [noun] to [amount] — restrict to a specific quantity
The conference organisers limited each speaker to fifteen minutes on stage.
Jun decided to limit his search for an apartment to three neighbourhoods near the train station.
Parents are encouraged to limit the amount of sugar their young children eat each day.
After the flood, relief workers had to limit access to the affected area for safety reasons.
文法句型
limit [noun] to [amount]
limit [noun] to [something]
limit yourself to [something]
常見錯誤
2. to decide and state exactly what the maximum or minimum of something should be,
to decide and state exactly what the maximum or minimum of something should be, especially in an official or legal context
The government limited the price of basic medicines to keep them affordable for everyone.
limit the price of — officially set a maximum price
The new housing law limits the number of short-term rentals in residential buildings to thirty per cent.
Ruth's employment contract limited her working hours to forty per week, with overtime paid separately.
The board of directors has limited CEO bonuses to twice the average employee salary.
文法句型
limit [noun] to [amount]
be limited by
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (RESTRICT OR REDUCE): sense 1 focuses on keeping something within bounds that already exist; sense 2 focuses on officially fixing a specific boundary in rules or contracts.