exponential

exponential — 形容詞

1. describing a process where the amount or speed of something grows faster and fas

1.形容詞B2
釋義

急遽的；暴增

成長或變化速度飛快且持續加速的

describing a process where the amount or speed of something grows faster and faster over time — like a technology that jumps from a hundred users to a million in a few months, or a cost that doubles each year.

例句

The company's revenue doubled every six months, showing exponential growth that outpaced all competitors.

這家公司的營收每六個月翻倍，呈現出超越所有競爭對手的暴增式成長。

exponential + growth — most common collocation

Aiko watched the exponential rise in her monthly podcast listeners.

Aiko 看著自己播客的每月聽眾人數急遽攀升。

同義詞
  • explosive

    suggests sudden, dramatic growth, often with destructive force; more dramatic than 'exponential'

  • meteoric

    emphasises very fast but possibly short-lived rise; less precise about steady acceleration

  • rapid

    general term for fast increase; does not imply that the speed is still accelerating

反義詞
  • gradual

    describes slow, steady change over time

  • linear

    describes growth at a constant rate, not an accelerating one

文法句型

exponential + noun (growth/rate/rise/pace)

be + exponential

用法筆記

Common in business, technology, and public-health writing. The adjective is used both before nouns ('exponential growth') and after linking verbs ('the increase was exponential'). The adverb form 'exponentially' ('to grow exponentially') is equally frequent.

常見錯誤

❌The company's costs grew exponential.
✅The company's costs grew exponentially.
💡'exponential' is an adjective; after a verb, use the adverb 'exponentially'.
❌There was a exponential rise in sales.
✅There was an exponential rise in sales.
💡'exponential' begins with a vowel sound, so the article must be 'an'.

2. relating to a mathematical operation in which a quantity is raised to a power —

2.形容詞C1
釋義

指數的

包含指數或涉及指數運算的

relating to a mathematical operation in which a quantity is raised to a power — for instance, the expression 2³ involves the base 2 and the exponent 3, making it an exponential statement.

例句

The students learned to solve exponential equations like 2ˣ = 32 in their Thursday algebra class.

學生們在星期四的代數課上學習解像 2ˣ = 32 這樣的指數方程式。

exponential + equation — common math term

Ravi drew an exponential curve whose y-values climbed from 1 to 32 in five steps.

Ravi 畫了一條指數曲線，其 y 值在五步內從 1 攀升到 32。

同義詞
  • logarithmic

    the inverse relationship; used for the opposite type of function

  • power-law

    describes relationships of the form y = xⁿ; similar but not identical to exponential

反義詞
  • linear

    describes a constant rate of change (y = mx + b), not a power-based relationship

文法句型

exponential + noun (function/equation/curve/expression)

用法筆記

Restricted to mathematics and related technical fields (physics, engineering, computer science). Typically appears attributively before nouns such as 'function', 'equation', or 'expression'. Learners below C1 level are unlikely to encounter this sense outside a formal math class.