deficit

deficit — 名詞

1. the situation in which the money spent by a government, company, or organization

1.名詞B2
釋義

赤字；虧損

支出超過收入的差額

the situation in which the money spent by a government, company, or organization is more than the money it receives over a set period of time

例句

Sofia noted that the government announced a budget deficit of fifty billion dollars this year.

Sofia 指出政府今年宣布了五百億美元的預算赤字。

collocation: budget deficit

Sahil's small business ran a deficit for six months before turning a profit.

Sahil 的小公司連續六個月出現虧損，之後才開始獲利。

collocation: run a deficit

同義詞
  • shortfall

    broader; applies to any resource gap, not just money

  • loss

    describes money already gone rather than a calculated gap

  • debt

    the total amount owed, not the annual shortfall

反義詞
  • surplus

    the amount by which income exceeds spending

文法句型

deficit + of + amount

run a deficit

in deficit

用法筆記

Often used with the verb 'run' ('run a deficit') and the preposition 'in' ('in deficit'). Frequently modified by adjectives such as 'budget,' 'trade,' or 'fiscal.'

常見錯誤

❌The national debt this year is two hundred billion' (when meaning the annual shortfall).
✅The national deficit this year is two hundred billion.
💡Deficit is the annual difference; debt is the total accumulated amount owed over time.

2. the number of points or goals that a player or team trails an opponent by during

2.名詞B2
釋義

落後分數

比賽中落後的差距

the number of points or goals that a player or team trails an opponent by during a match or sporting contest

例句

Kwame watched the basketball team overcome a twelve-point deficit in the final quarter.

Kwame 看著籃球隊在最後一節克服了十二分的落後差距。

collocation: overcome a deficit

After the first half, the visiting team faced a three-goal deficit they could not close.

上半場結束後，客隊面臨三球的落後，未能追上。

同義詞
  • disadvantage

    more general; not tied to sports scoring

  • gap

    informal; describes the difference but not the trailing position specifically

反義詞
  • lead

    the amount by which a team or player is ahead

文法句型

deficit + of + number

overcome a deficit

make up a deficit

用法筆記

Common collocations include 'overcome a deficit,' 'make up a deficit,' and 'come back from a deficit.' Usually appears with a number (e.g., 'a 5-point deficit'). The opposite concept is a 'lead.'

常見錯誤

❌Our team had a three-point debt going into the final quarter.
✅Our team had a three-point deficit going into the final quarter.
💡Use 'deficit,' not 'debt,' for being behind in a game.

3. a weakness or lack in a physical or mental function that prevents normal operati

3.名詞C1
釋義

功能缺陷

身體或心智功能的欠缺

a weakness or lack in a physical or mental function that prevents normal operation, often resulting from injury or a medical condition

例句

After the stroke, Adina had a speech deficit that required months of therapy.

中風之後，Adina 出現了言語障礙，需要數月的治療。

collocation: speech deficit

Hui learned that children with an attention deficit often struggle to focus in noisy classrooms.

Hui 了解到有注意力缺陷的兒童在吵鬧的教室裡常常難以專心。

同義詞
  • impairment

    more formal and clinical; suggests a more serious or permanent condition

  • disorder

    implies a diagnosed medical condition rather than a measured gap in ability

  • deficiency

    often used for lacking a substance or quality rather than a functional ability

文法句型

attention deficit

speech deficit

memory deficit

用法筆記

Most common in medical and psychological contexts. Frequently appears as part of compound terms naming the affected ability: 'attention deficit,' 'speech deficit,' 'cognitive deficit.' The term 'deficit' in this sense is more clinical than 'problem' or 'issue.'

常見錯誤

❌He has a speaking debt after the surgery.
✅He has a speech deficit after the surgery.
💡For ability problems, use 'deficit,' not 'debt.'