unused

unused — adjective

1. describing something that is not currently being used, or has never been used at

1.形容詞B1
釋義

describing something that is not currently being used, or has never been used at all — for example, a ticket that was bought but never taken to the gate, or a room that has been empty for months.

例句

Tomás found three unused train tickets in his coat pocket.

attributive position: unused + noun

The spare bedroom has been unused since Ilan moved out.

predicative position: be + unused

同義詞
  • idle

    focuses on temporary inactivity, often of machines, factories, or resources

  • vacant

    emphasises that a space (room, seat, building) is empty and available

  • new

    for items that have never been opened or worn; overlaps with the 'never used' sub-meaning

  • unoccupied

    slightly more formal; used for buildings, seats, or land

反義詞
  • used

    the direct opposite: having been put to use

  • occupied

    opposite of vacant; someone or something is actively using the space

用法筆記

Can appear before a noun (an unused ticket) or after a linking verb (the ticket is unused).

常見錯誤

❌The hotel room is unused-to guests.
✅The hotel room is unused.
💡The 'unused to' pattern (sense 2) only applies to people who are not accustomed to something.

2. not comfortable with or experienced in a particular situation, activity, or cond

2.形容詞B2
釋義

not comfortable with or experienced in a particular situation, activity, or condition — for example, someone who has lived in a hot climate for years and is unused to snow.

例句

After years working indoors, Hiro was unused to standing for long hours.

pattern: unused to + gerund

Sirin was unused to the dry desert heat and drank water all day.

pattern: unused to + noun phrase

同義詞
  • unaccustomed

    slightly more formal; interchangeable in most contexts

  • not used to

    the common alternative in everyday speech; same meaning and grammar

  • unfamiliar with

    focuses on lack of knowledge rather than lack of comfort; can modify nouns

  • new to

    less formal; emphasises recent exposure (e.g., 'new to the job')

反義詞
  • accustomed to

    the direct opposite: comfortable with something through experience

  • used to

    the everyday opposite; familiar and comfortable with a situation

文法句型

unused + to + noun

unused + to + gerund

用法筆記

Used only predicatively (the person is unused to something), never before a noun. The 'to' is a preposition, so it can be followed by a noun or a gerund (unused to getting up early), never by a bare infinitive.

常見錯誤

❌She is unused to wake up early.
✅She is unused to waking up early.
💡After 'to' (preposition), use a gerund, not an infinitive.