cancel
cancel — 動詞
1. to decide that a planned activity, meeting, or gathering should not go ahead; or
取消；中止
取消計劃或訂單
to decide that a planned activity, meeting, or gathering should not go ahead; or to tell a business you wish to stop receiving a service or a product you previously asked for.
The outdoor concert was cancelled because of the thunderstorm.
那場戶外演唱會因為雷雨而取消了。
passive: was cancelled + reason clause
Leila cancelled her flight to Tokyo and asked for a refund.
Leila 取消了她的東京航班並要求退款。
cancel + direct object (booking/flight)
If you are feeling unwell, it is fine to cancel and stay home.
如果你覺得不舒服，取消行程待在家裡也沒關係。
Ravi cancelled his gym membership after moving to a new neighbourhood.
Ravi 搬家後取消了他在健身房的會員資格。
The school cancelled all sports events for the rest of the term.
學校取消了本學期剩下的所有體育活動。
- confirm
to say that a planned event will definitely happen
- go ahead with
to proceed as planned
文法句型
cancel + noun phrase (event, order, appointment)
cancel + (no object)
用法筆記
Commonly used in both transitive (cancel + something) and intransitive (just 'cancel') patterns. The passive form — 'something is cancelled' — is very frequent in announcements.
常見錯誤
2. to stop producing or broadcasting a television programme, usually because of low
停播；腰斬
停止製作電視節目
to stop producing or broadcasting a television programme, usually because of low viewer numbers or budget problems.
The network cancelled the drama after only six episodes.
電視台只播了六集就腰斬了那部連續劇。
cancel + TV show + time reference
Fans started an online petition when their favourite series was cancelled.
粉絲們在他們最喜歡的影集被腰斬後發起了連署請願。
passive: series was cancelled
Hana was disappointed to learn that the streaming service had cancelled the show she loved.
Hana 得知串流平台取消了她喜愛的節目後，感到非常失望。
The channel cancelled the late-night programme to make room for a news segment.
電視台停播了深夜節目，以便騰出時段播新聞。
- axe
informal British term for cancelling a show or project
- discontinue
more formal, broader use beyond television
- renew
to order more episodes of a TV show
文法句型
cancel + noun phrase (TV show, series, programme)
用法筆記
Subject is usually a TV network, streaming platform, or production company. The passive ('the show was cancelled') is very common in entertainment news.
3. to officially remove the legal or official force of a document, agreement, or ri
註銷；廢止
使文件或合約失效
to officially remove the legal or official force of a document, agreement, or right, so that it is no longer valid.
The court cancelled the contract because one party had broken the terms.
法院以其中一方違約為由，宣告該合約無效。
legal context: court cancels a contract
Tomás had to cancel his passport after it was stolen during the trip.
Tomás 的護照在旅途中被偷，他不得不註銷那本護照。
cancel + official document (passport)
The company cancelled the debt of all families affected by the flood.
公司註銷了所有受洪水影響家庭的債務。
A judge can cancel a marriage certificate if the marriage was not legal.
如果婚姻不合法，法官可以宣告結婚證書無效。
- validate
to confirm that something is legally effective
文法句型
cancel + noun phrase (document, contract, agreement)
用法筆記
Used in formal, legal, or administrative contexts. The object is typically a legal instrument such as a contract, licence, passport, debt, or marriage. Do not confuse with sense 1 (cancelling a planned event) — this sense removes formal validity rather than stopping an activity.
4. to print or press an official mark onto a postage stamp or ticket, proving it wa
蓋銷；註銷
蓋章標記郵票已使用
to print or press an official mark onto a postage stamp or ticket, proving it was already used and preventing it from being spent on postage a second time.
The postal worker cancelled the stamp with a special machine.
郵務人員用一台專用機器在郵票上蓋了銷印。
agent + cancel stamp + instrument
Collectors often prefer stamps that have not been cancelled.
收藏家通常偏好未蓋銷過的郵票。
cancelled (participial adjective) — stamp condition
Each letter received a postmark that cancelled the stamp attached to it.
每封信上都蓋了郵戳，將貼在上面的郵票銷印。
The old machine used a purple ink to cancel each stamp by hand.
那台舊機器用紫色墨水在每張郵票上手動蓋銷。
- frank
to mark mail with an official stamp or signature showing postage is paid, slightly different process
文法句型
cancel + noun phrase (stamp, ticket, postage)
用法筆記
This is a specialist sense used in postal services and stamp collecting. The object is nearly always a stamp or ticket. An uncancelled stamp has not been marked and can still be used for postage or is more valuable to collectors.
5. to remove or cross out a piece of text, a command, or a selection so that it is
刪除；取消
移除文字或命令
to remove or cross out a piece of text, a command, or a selection so that it is deleted or no longer appears.
You can cancel the selected text by pressing the Delete key.
你可以按 Delete 鍵來刪除選取的文字。
cancel + text + keyboard action
Yusuf cancelled the last sentence and rewrote it more clearly.
Yusuf 刪掉了最後一句話，重新寫得更清楚。
cancel + sentence in editing context
The editor cancelled several paragraphs to shorten the article.
編輯刪掉了好幾段，讓文章更簡短。
Press the Escape key to cancel the current operation.
按下 Escape 鍵可取消目前的操作。
- delete
more common in computing for permanently removing data
- cross out
used for marking text on paper with a line through it
- strike through
formal editing term for drawing a line through text
- keep
to retain text or content
文法句型
cancel + noun phrase (text, word, command, selection)
用法筆記
In computing, 'cancel' is often used interchangeably with 'delete' but usually refers to cancelling a command or action rather than permanently erasing data. The noun 'cancel' in this context is rare; use 'cancellation' instead.
6. to stop supporting or following a famous person, company, or brand as a form of
抵制；封殺
公開拒絕支持某人
to stop supporting or following a famous person, company, or brand as a form of public protest, usually after those people or groups made statements or took actions that others consider offensive.
Fans threatened to cancel the singer after his offensive remarks went viral.
粉絲揚言要抵制那位歌手，因為他的不當言論在網路上瘋傳。
cancel + public figure + reason clause
Some people say cancel culture makes it hard for anyone to learn from their mistakes.
有人認為取消文化讓人很難從錯誤中學習。
collocation: cancel culture
The influencer was cancelled by thousands of followers overnight.
那位網紅一夜之間被數千名粉絲封殺。
Aiko refused to cancel her friend over a small misunderstanding.
Aiko 不願意因為一個小誤會就跟朋友斷絕往來。
- support
to continue backing a person or brand
文法句型
cancel + noun phrase (person, celebrity, public figure)
用法筆記
This modern sense emerged from social-media activism. It often appears in the phrases 'cancel culture' and 'cancelled' (as a past-participle adjective, e.g. 'an actor who has been cancelled'). Use is informal and controversial; the term carries strong opinions on either side.
常見錯誤
cancel — 名詞
1. the act or instance of calling something off, stopping a service, or removing va
取消；退訂
取消行為或實例
the act or instance of calling something off, stopping a service, or removing validity — a shortened form of the word 'cancellation', used in informal or fast-paced contexts such as booking systems.
A last-minute cancel freed up a seat on the flight.
臨時有人取消，所以機位空出來了。
noun: a cancel = a cancellation slot
The hotel charges a fee for any cancel made less than 24 hours before check-in.
飯店對入住前 24 小時內的取消會收取手續費。
noun: cancel in booking context
There were too many cancels, so the restaurant stopped taking advance bookings.
太多人取消訂位，餐廳後來不再接受預約。
The receptionist noted the cancel in the system and processed the refund.
櫃檯人員在系統中註記了取消，並辦理退款。
- cancellation
the standard and more formal noun form
- confirmation
the act of confirming a booking or arrangement
用法筆記
This noun form is less formal than 'cancellation'. It is most common in travel, hospitality, and booking contexts ('a cancel', 'no-cancel policy'). In formal writing, prefer 'cancellation'.