ninety
ninety — noun
1. the number that comes after eighty-nine and before ninety-one, used when countin
the number that comes after eighty-nine and before ninety-one, used when counting or saying how many of something there are
Kevin saved ninety dollars from his summer job to buy a new bicycle.
quantity: ninety + countable noun (dollars)
The temperature outside reached ninety degrees by noon today.
measurement: ninety degrees (temperature)
Jiwoo answered ninety out of one hundred questions correctly on her exam.
My grandfather will turn ninety next month and still works in his garden every morning.
The library has about ninety books about Taiwan on its second-floor shelf.
文法句型
ninety + noun (plural)
ninety out of + number
用法筆記
When writing compound numbers from ninety-one to ninety-nine as words, use a hyphen between 'ninety' and the unit (e.g., ninety-seven, ninety-two).
常見錯誤
2. the written symbol or name '90' treated as a thing — for example, a mark on a pa
the written symbol or name '90' treated as a thing — for example, a mark on a page or the name of a number in a maths problem
The child drew a large ninety on the paper with a bright blue crayon.
countable: a ninety (physical symbol)
If you turn a ninety upside down, it looks a lot like the number six.
Obi wrote a clear ninety next to each correct answer on the test paper.
The bus driver pointed to the ninety painted on the side of the vehicle.
A small ninety was printed at the bottom of the receipt for the reference number.
文法句型
a ninety
the ninety
a + number + ninety
用法筆記
Unlike the cardinal sense (sense 1), this noun sense treats 'ninety' as a countable object — you can say 'a ninety' or 'the ninety'. It refers to the numeral as a physical or written thing rather than a quantity.
3. the set of whole numbers from ninety up to ninety-nine, used especially when des
the set of whole numbers from ninety up to ninety-nine, used especially when describing a person's age, the temperature, a score, or a period of ten years in a century
Ayesha's grandmother is in her nineties and still knits sweaters for the family every winter.
age range: in one's nineties
Temperatures in the nineties are common in Taipei during July and August.
temperature range: in the nineties
Students who scored in the nineties on the test received a certificate from the school.
Vivek checked the weather app and saw nineties all week.
Many people who exercise regularly stay healthy well into their nineties.
文法句型
in the nineties
in one's nineties
the nineties (as a decade)
用法筆記
This sense always uses the plural form 'nineties'. The meaning changes by context: 'in one's nineties' = age 90–99; 'in the nineties' = temperature 90–99°F or the 1990s decade.