surplus

surplus — 名詞

1. something that remains unused when people have taken or used what they need

1.名詞B2
釋義

過剩;剩餘

超出需求或使用量的部分

something that remains unused when people have taken or used what they need

例句

Devika donated her farm's grain surplus to local food banks after the harvest.

Devika 將農場收成後多餘的穀物捐給了當地的食物銀行。

collocation: grain surplus

The bakery had a surplus of bread at closing time, so the owner let staff take loaves home.

那家麵包店打烊時有過剩的麵包,老闆便讓員工把麵包帶回家。

pattern: a surplus of [something]

同義詞
  • excess

    more general; 'excess' often suggests a negative or unwanted amount, while 'surplus' is more neutral or positive

  • extra

    informal; used for things added to a normal or expected amount, without the idea of a large quantity

  • oversupply

    focuses on market or economic situations where more is available than people want to buy

反義詞
  • shortage

    a situation where there is not enough of something

  • lack

    a state of not having enough of something needed

文法句型

a surplus of [something]

surplus + noun (attributive)

用法筆記

Can be countable ('a surplus of oil') or uncountable ('food surplus'). The countable form with 'a … of …' is the most common pattern in everyday English.

常見錯誤

There are surplus of apples.
There is a surplus of apples.
💡Surplus in this sense is singular even when followed by a plural noun describing the extra items.

2. money that is left over after all expenses have been paid, earned when income ex

2.名詞B2
釋義

盈餘;順差

收入大於支出後的餘額

money that is left over after all expenses have been paid, earned when income exceeds spending

例句

The government announced a budget surplus of five billion dollars this year.

政府今年宣布了五十億美元的預算盈餘。

collocation: budget surplus

After paying all her bills, Sari had a small surplus in her checking account.

Sari 付清所有帳單後,活期存款帳戶裡還有一點盈餘。

同義詞
  • profit

    focuses on financial gain rather than leftover money; 'profit' is used for businesses, not governments

  • gain

    broader and less precise; can refer to any increase in money or advantage

反義詞
  • deficit

    the amount by which spending exceeds income — the direct opposite in budgets and trade

  • loss

    when a company spends more than it earns from sales

  • shortfall

    a situation where the amount received is less than expected or needed

文法句型

budget / trade / cash surplus

a surplus of [amount of money]

用法筆記

Usually singular and countable. Common in news reports about government budgets, company earnings, and international trade. The opposite term is 'deficit'.

常見錯誤

The country has a trade excess.
The country has a trade surplus.
💡'Excess' is not the correct term for financial and trade contexts; 'surplus' is the standard word.

surplus — 形容詞