suburban
suburban — adjective
1. located in or relating to the areas of houses, shops, and schools that lie on th
located in or relating to the areas of houses, shops, and schools that lie on the edge of a city, where many people who work in the city live.
The suburban train arrives at Central Station every fifteen minutes during rush hour.
collocation: suburban train
Noor's family moved to a quiet suburban street so the children could play outside safely.
usually before noun + concrete noun
Suburban shopping centres in the area stay open until ten o'clock at night.
The city council plans to build more suburban parks near the new housing estates.
Many suburban homes in the neighbourhood have driveways and small front gardens.
- outlying
more neutral, focuses on distance from centre rather than character
- residential
broader — can describe any housing area, even inside a city
- commuter-belt
British English, specifically about areas whose residents travel to the city for work
- urban
relating to the city centre or dense city areas
- inner-city
the most central, often older parts of a city
文法句型
suburban + noun (area, street, train, home)
用法筆記
Subject is usually a noun for a place, building, service, or feature — such as 'area', 'street', 'train', 'shopping centre', 'park', or 'home'.
常見錯誤
2. used disapprovingly to describe a way of life that seems uninteresting, too ordi
used disapprovingly to describe a way of life that seems uninteresting, too ordinary, and lacking in variety or excitement.
After ten years in the same suburban town, Amani longed for something new and exciting.
disapproving use with 'longed for something new'
The lifestyle in their district felt too suburban and predictable for the young artist.
Meera described the quiet neighbourhood as 'hopelessly suburban' in her travel blog.
The Okonkwo family moved from their suburban home to a lively city apartment.
- provincial
suggests narrow-mindedness, not just lack of excitement
- unexciting
softer and more neutral
- humdrum
informal, emphasises dull routine
- cosmopolitan
having a wide cultural outlook, the opposite of narrow and ordinary
- vibrant
full of energy and life
文法句型
suburban + noun (life, existence, town, routine)
用法筆記
This sense carries a negative judgement. The speaker or writer implies that suburban life lacks cultural variety and is centred too narrowly on family and home routines. Distinguish from sense 1 (CITY OUTSKIRTS), which is neutral.
常見錯誤
suburban — noun
1. a person who lives in a suburb, especially someone who travels to the city for w
a person who lives in a suburb, especially someone who travels to the city for work each day.
Talia, a suburban who works in the city, leaves home before six every morning.
countable noun: a suburban who...
The local newspaper interviewed several suburbans about the new shopping mall plans.
Heloísa, a long-time suburban, moved from the suburbs to a downtown flat last year.
Apinya asked her neighbour, another suburban, to water the plants during her holiday trip.
- suburbanite
the standard, more natural-sounding term for this meaning
- city-dweller
a person who lives in the city centre rather than the suburbs
文法句型
a suburban + verb
用法筆記
The more common word for this meaning is 'suburbanite'. 'Suburban' as a countable noun is rarer and may sound slightly formal or journalistic.
2. a car with a long body, a rear door that opens upward, and foldable back seats,
a car with a long body, a rear door that opens upward, and foldable back seats, designed for carrying both passengers and large items.
Nora packed the suitcases into the back of the family suburban before the road trip.
US term: family suburban = station wagon
The used car lot had a white suburban from the 1990s at a fair price.
Élise borrowed her uncle's suburban to move the furniture to her new apartment.
Kasia bought a used suburban because she needed space for her dog and camping gear.
- station wagon
the full term; 'suburban' is a shortening used mainly in the US
文法句型
drive / load / park + a suburban
用法筆記
Chiefly American English. In British English the usual term is 'estate car', and in Taiwan the more common term is '旅行車'.