disposable

disposable — 形容詞

1. designed for short-term use and then discarded, rather than being washed or kept

1.形容詞B1
釋義

一次性的

設計為用完即丟的

designed for short-term use and then discarded, rather than being washed or kept for later

例句

Roya bought disposable cups for the picnic so no one had to wash dishes afterward.

Roya 為野餐買了一次性杯子，這樣大家餐後就不必洗碗了。

attributive use: disposable cups / disposable gloves

The hospital switched to disposable gloves to reduce the risk of infection between patients.

那家醫院改用一次性手套，以降低病人之間的感染風險。

同義詞
  • throwaway

    more informal, often with a dismissive tone (throwaway culture)

  • single-use

    emphasises the one-time nature; common in environmental discussions

  • non-reusable

    more technical; describes items that cannot be used again

反義詞
  • reusable

    designed to be used multiple times

  • durable

    built to last and withstand repeated use

文法句型

disposable + noun

be + disposable

用法筆記

Frequently used attributively before the noun it describes (disposable cup, disposable razor). Can also appear predicatively: These gloves are disposable.

常見錯誤

❌I bought a disposable water.
✅I bought a disposable water bottle.
💡disposable is an adjective and must modify a noun; it does not name the object itself.

2. treated as if not important enough to keep, protect, or think about for very lon

2.形容詞B2
釋義

可捨棄的

被認為不重要而隨意拋棄的

treated as if not important enough to keep, protect, or think about for very long

例句

In that company, workers were treated as disposable and laid off without warning.

在那家公司，員工被視為可捨棄的，裁員時連預告都沒有。

pattern: treat [someone/something] as disposable

Soraya felt her team treated her ideas as disposable, ignoring every suggestion she made.

Soraya 覺得團隊把她的點子當作可捨棄的，對她提出的每個建議都置之不理。

同義詞
  • expendable

    more formal; suggests something is worth sacrificing for a greater goal

  • replaceable

    focuses on being easy to substitute rather than on being undervalued

  • dispensable

    suggests something is not necessary and can be left out

反義詞

文法句型

treat + as + disposable

consider + noun + disposable

用法筆記

Often used in the construction treat/view/see [someone or something] as disposable. The subject is typically a person, group, or industry; the object is a person, idea, or role that is undervalued.

常見錯誤

❌He is a disposable employee.
✅He was treated as disposable by the company.
💡This sense describes how someone is regarded or dealt with, not a fixed quality of the person.

3. available to be spent or saved after essential costs such as rent and food have

3.形容詞B2
釋義

可支配的

扣除必要開銷後可自由運用的

available to be spent or saved after essential costs such as rent and food have been paid

例句

After paying rent and bills, Roya had very little disposable income left each month.

繳完房租和水電費後，Roya 每個月只剩下很少的可支配收入。

collocation: disposable income

The government raised taxes on luxury goods to target people with high disposable earnings.

政府針對高收入族群提高奢侈品稅，目標是擁有高可支配收入的人。

同義詞
  • spendable

    more general; not restricted to financial contexts

  • available

    broader meaning; does not imply after-cost availability specifically

  • net

    technical; specifically after deductions such as tax

反義詞
  • essential

    required for basic living needs (rent, food, utilities)

  • committed

    already allocated to fixed expenses

文法句型

disposable + financial noun

用法筆記

Used only before financial nouns such as income, earnings, cash, savings, and assets. Does not describe physical objects — a disposable razor is not 'spendable income.' Distinguish from sense 1 by the noun that follows.

常見錯誤

❌I had some disposable cash so I bought a new phone.
✅I had some extra cash, which came from my disposable income.
💡disposable cash refers to money from your disposable income; it is not simply 'cash in your pocket.'

disposable — 名詞