threshold

threshold — 名詞

1. a horizontal piece at the bottom of a doorway, made of wood, stone, or metal, th

1.名詞B1
釋義

門檻

建築物入口處地板上的橫條

a horizontal piece at the bottom of a doorway, made of wood, stone, or metal, that people step over when moving from one room or building to another.

例句

Aarav lifted his sandals over the stone threshold as he entered the incense-filled temple.

Aarav 提起涼鞋跨過石門檻，走進了香氣瀰漫的寺廟。

step over + threshold — physical crossing

Three generations of footsteps had worn the oak farmhouse threshold into a shallow dip.

三代人的腳步把農舍那道橡木門檻踩出了一個淺淺的凹陷。

passive: threshold worn smooth by [agent]

同義詞
  • doorstep

    refers to the step or slab leading up to the door, not the bottom piece of the doorframe itself

  • doorsill

    technical term for the bottom part of a doorframe; less common in everyday speech

  • doorway

    refers to the entire entrance opening, not just the floor part

文法句型

[verb] + over/across/on + the threshold

用法筆記

Often appears with prepositions indicating physical position or movement: over, across, on, at (e.g., step over the threshold, stand on the threshold).

常見錯誤

❌He stepped over the threshold of a new career.
✅He stood on the threshold of a new career.
💡The physical verb step over pairs with the literal doorway sense, not the figurative verge sense.

2. the exact value, number, or degree at which a particular change, reaction, or ru

2.名詞B2
釋義

閾值

引發某種效果的臨界數值或標準

the exact value, number, or degree at which a particular change, reaction, or rule begins to happen — for example, the amount of pain a person can bear before feeling discomfort, or the annual income that makes someone pay a higher rate of tax.

例句

At 120 decibels, Lin reached her pain threshold, though her partner could tolerate 140.

在 120 分貝時 Lin 就達到了疼痛閾值，而她伴侶卻能忍受 140 分貝。

collocation: pain threshold

Scientists measured the hearing threshold of each participant in the study.

科學家們測量了研究中每位參與者的聽力閾值。

collocation: hearing threshold

同義詞
  • limit

    broader term; can mean the furthest extent allowed (speed limit) or the point where something stops, whereas threshold is where something starts

  • cutoff

    emphasizes an administrative or numerical stopping point rather than a starting point

  • critical point

    more technical and dramatic; suggests a moment of major change rather than a routine boundary

文法句型

threshold + for + noun

threshold + of + noun

[adjective] + threshold

[verb] + a threshold

用法筆記

Frequently appears in scientific, medical, and financial writing. Common collocations include pain threshold, tax threshold, hearing threshold, and threshold of pain. Often followed by for (threshold for action) or of (threshold of hearing).

常見錯誤

❌I've reached my threshold of patience with this noise.
✅I've reached the limit of my patience with this noise.
💡threshold usually refers to a measurable or defined boundary (e.g., pain threshold), not a personal emotional breaking point.

3. the point in time just before an important new situation, stage of life, or majo

3.名詞C1
釋義

前夕；開端

正要進入新階段或新經歷的時刻

the point in time just before an important new situation, stage of life, or major change begins — the moment when something new is about to start.

例句

The company stood on the threshold of a major breakthrough in battery technology.

那家公司正處於電池技術重大突破的前夕。

on the threshold of [milestone] — key phrase

Feng felt he stood on the threshold of a new chapter after graduation.

Feng 覺得畢業後自己正站在人生新篇章的起點。

同義詞
  • verge

    very similar, often in 'on the verge of'; suggests being extremely close to something happening

  • brink

    similar but often carries a sense of danger or crisis (on the brink of war)

  • outset

    refers to the beginning itself, not the moment just before

文法句型

on the threshold of + noun phrase

at the threshold of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Nearly always appears in the construction on the threshold of + noun. Preferred in formal or literary writing rather than casual conversation.

常見錯誤

❌She is on the threshold of 25 years old.
✅She is on the threshold of a new decade in her life.
💡The phrase requires an abstract milestone or situation as its object, not a specific age or number.

4. a line, edge, or region that marks where one area ends and another begins, espec

4.名詞C1
釋義

界限

標示空間邊界或邊緣的區域

a line, edge, or region that marks where one area ends and another begins, especially in terms of physical space, geography, or territory.

例句

The old stone bridge marked the park threshold, where the paved road turned to gravel.

那座老石橋標示了國家公園的界限，柏油路過了橋就變成碎石路。

marked the threshold of — verb + object pattern

The creek formed a natural threshold between the pasture and the woodland beyond.

那條小溪成了牧場與後面林地之間一道天然的界限。

同義詞
  • boundary

    more general term for any dividing line; threshold for this sense implies a zone or region rather than a sharp line

  • frontier

    suggests a boundary between settled and unsettled areas; more dramatic and exploratory

  • edge

    more concrete and everyday; the outer limit of a physical object or area

文法句型

the threshold between + noun and + noun

at the threshold of + place

用法筆記

Less common than the other noun senses. Typically describes a natural or historical dividing line rather than a political border. Often interchangeable with boundary or frontier in literary contexts.