economical

economical — 形容詞

1. using money, fuel, time, or other resources carefully so that very little is was

1.形容詞B1
釋義

節省

不浪費資源或金錢的

using money, fuel, time, or other resources carefully so that very little is wasted; providing good value relative to the cost.

例句

Hyun's new refrigerator is very economical, using a third less electricity than his old one.

玄的新冰箱非常省電，用電量比舊冰箱少了三分之一。

economical + electricity-saving appliance

The bus service between the villages proved more economical than running separate cars.

村莊間的巴士服務證明比分開開車更省錢。

comparative: more economical than

同義詞
  • thrifty

    describes a person's careful habits with money, not an object or method

  • frugal

    can be positive (simple and unwasteful) or negative (too cheap); often describes lifestyle choices

  • cost-effective

    formal; focuses on achieving good results for the money spent

  • efficient

    broader; describes achieving maximum output with minimum wasted input, not limited to money

反義詞
  • wasteful

    using more resources than needed, the direct opposite

  • extravagant

    spending much more than necessary, often on luxuries

  • inefficient

    failing to achieve good output for the resources used

文法句型

economical + noun

economical + with + noun

be + economical + to-infinitive

more/most + economical

用法筆記

Frequently followed by 'with' to specify the resource being saved ('economical with fuel') or 'to' to describe the action ('economical to run'). Unlike 'cheap,' which describes a low purchase price, 'economical' describes low ongoing cost or waste reduction.

常見錯誤

❌This car is very economical' (when meaning it costs little to buy).
✅This car is very economical to run.
💡'economical' refers to ongoing use of resources like fuel, not the initial purchase price.
❌She is a very economical person.
✅She is a very thrifty person.
💡'economical' typically describes actions, methods, or products, not a person's character; use 'thrifty' for people.

2. choosing not to disclose the full details of what truly happened in a given matt

2.形容詞C1
釋義

避重就輕

未說出全部事實的委婉說法

choosing not to disclose the full details of what truly happened in a given matter, while stopping short of telling an outright falsehood.

例句

The minister was accused of being economical with the truth during the television interview.

那位部長在電視訪問中被指控避重就輕，未說出全部實情。

passive: was accused of being economical with the truth

Imran admitted he had been economical with the truth about his previous work experience.

伊姆蘭承認他對自己過去的工作經歷有所保留。

economical with the truth + about + topic

同義詞
  • disingenuous

    not fully honest; more formal and serious than the idiom

  • evasive

    avoiding giving a direct answer, not necessarily hiding facts

  • misleading

    giving a false impression, whether by lies or omission

反義詞
  • forthright

    direct and honest in speech

  • candid

    telling the truth openly without hiding anything

文法句型

be + economical with the truth

用法筆記

This sense is almost always used in the fixed expression 'economical with the truth.' The phrase is a euphemism — it softens an accusation of dishonesty. It is most common in political, corporate, or public-figure contexts. Typically appears in past tense ('was economical with the truth') or perfect tense ('has been economical with the truth').

常見錯誤

❌He was economical about the truth.
✅He was economical with the truth.
💡The fixed phrase uses 'with,' not 'about.'
❌She is economical.' (meaning she hides facts).
✅She was economical with the truth.
💡Without 'with the truth', the word reverts to sense 1 (not wasteful).

3. producing enough money to cover costs and show a financial gain; financially wor

3.形容詞B2
釋義

有利可圖

能產生利潤的

producing enough money to cover costs and show a financial gain; financially worthwhile to operate or continue.

例句

Running a small farm is not economical unless you sell products directly to customers.

除非直接向顧客銷售產品，否則經營小型農場是不划算的。

negative construction: not economical unless

The factory became economical once the new machinery reduced production time by half.

新機械將生產時間縮短了一半之後，這家工廠就變得有利可圖了。

became economical + cause clause

同義詞
  • profitable

    more common and direct; clearly states that money is made

  • viable

    can succeed or survive financially; broader than just profit

  • cost-effective

    focuses on the ratio of benefit to cost rather than absolute profit

  • self-sustaining

    generates enough revenue to continue without outside support

反義詞

文法句型

be + economical

it + be + economical + to-infinitive

become + economical

用法筆記

This sense is most common in negative statements ('not economical') or conditional sentences ('would be economical if'). It describes whether a business, activity, or operation can sustain itself financially. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is about using fewer resources (an efficient car), while sense 3 is about generating profit (a viable business).

常見錯誤

❌The government introduced an economical policy to boost trade.
✅The government introduced an economic policy to boost trade.
💡For matters of the broad economy, use 'economic'; 'economical' in sense 3 means profitable for a specific enterprise.

4. relating to the system by which a country or region manages its money, trade, in

4.形容詞B2
釋義

經濟的

與經濟體系相關的

relating to the system by which a country or region manages its money, trade, industry, and production of goods.

例句

The government announced a new economical policy designed to control rising inflation.

政府宣布了一項新的經濟政策以控制日益攀升的通貨膨脹。

attributive: economical policy

Linh studies economical geography, focusing on trade patterns between Southeast Asian nations.

玲攻讀經濟地理學，專注於東南亞國家之間的貿易模式。

同義詞
  • economic

    the standard and far more common adjective for this meaning

  • financial

    focuses specifically on money and monetary systems, broader than the economy

  • commercial

    relating to business and trade, narrower than the full economy

文法句型

economical + noun (policy/growth/system)

用法筆記

⚠️ This sense overlaps heavily with the adjective 'economic,' which is the standard word for describing matters of the economy. In almost all contexts, use 'economic' instead of 'economical' — for example, 'economic policy,' 'economic growth,' 'economic development.' Using 'economical' in this sense is rare and may be considered nonstandard. Reserve 'economical' for senses 1–3 (not wasteful, avoiding the truth, profitable).

常見錯誤

❌The country faces serious economical problems.
✅The country faces serious economic problems.
💡Use 'economic' for broad economy-related matters; 'economical' in this sense is rarely used and may sound wrong to native speakers.