off-road
off-road — adjective
1. designed or intended for driving or riding on unpaved ground such as dirt tracks
designed or intended for driving or riding on unpaved ground such as dirt tracks, sand, mud, or rocky paths, rather than only on smooth tarmac roads
The Watanabe family bought a sturdy off-road vehicle for their desert camping trips.
attributive: off-road + vehicle
Hoa rides an off-road bicycle with wide tires that grip loose gravel easily.
attributive: off-road + bicycle
Off-road motorcycles have long suspension systems to absorb bumps on rocky trails.
João put four off-road tyres on his truck before the rainy season began.
Cyrus drove his off-road jeep along a steep dirt trail in the Andes mountains last winter.
- all-terrain
broader term that also covers snow, water, and swamp conditions; less specific than 'off-road'
- 4x4
refers specifically to four-wheel-drive vehicles; used as both an adjective and a noun
- rough-terrain
less common; emphasises the uneven surface rather than the absence of roads
- on-road
designed for ordinary paved roads only
文法句型
off-road + noun (vehicle, bicycle, motorcycle, tyre, driving)
用法筆記
Always hyphenated when used as an adjective before a noun. The one-word form 'offroad' is occasionally seen but is not standard in most dictionaries.
常見錯誤
off-road — adverb
1. on unpaved natural ground or terrain rather than on a surfaced public road, usua
on unpaved natural ground or terrain rather than on a surfaced public road, usually involving a vehicle or bicycle travelling away from where roads exist
Gabriel enjoys driving off-road through the sandy dunes near the coast.
verb of motion + off-road: driving off-road
The rescue team drove off-road to reach the injured hikers before nightfall.
Léa prefers to ride her mountain bike off-road rather than on busy city streets.
The soldiers trained to navigate off-road at night using only GPS coordinates.
- cross-country
implies travelling over open land rather than on any path; less tied to vehicle use
- overland
a more formal term, often used for long-distance journeys across multiple terrains
文法句型
go / drive / ride / take [something] off-road
用法筆記
When 'off-road' is an adverb, it always follows the verb. Do not place it before the verb. The adverbial use does not take a hyphen when written as separate words ('off road'), but the hyphenated form is more common.