1. the amount by which something, especially money, is too small or less than needed
（尤指金錢的）不足額，赤字
The government is trying to reduce the budget deficit.
政府正試圖減少預算赤字。
The company reported a significant deficit this quarter.
該公司報告本季度出現巨額赤字。
Deficit Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
deficit
noun
快速理解
What does "Deficit" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Deficit"?
指數量不足或金錢短缺的狀態。
- 1
財務缺口
EN: the amount by which money spent is more than money received
翻譯: 指支出超過收入的差額。
- 2
貿易逆差
EN: a situation in which a country imports more than it exports
翻譯: 指一個國家的進口額大於出口額的狀況。
- 3
不足、缺乏
EN: a lack or shortage of something
翻譯: 指某事物的數量不足或欠缺。
- 4
身心缺陷
EN: a physical or mental disability, or a lack of a particular ability
翻譯: 指身體或心智上的缺陷，或缺乏某種能力。
小提醒：在經濟與商業領域中，'deficit' 幾乎總是指『赤字』，如 'budget deficit'（預算赤字）。但在其他語境，如 'attention deficit'，則是指『注意力不足』。
發音（How to Pronounce "Deficit" in English）
How to pronounce "Deficit" in English?"Deficit" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Deficit" from YouTube Videos
Jonas Gahr Støre: In defense of dialogue
TED
“Amongst all the troubling deficits we struggle with today -- we think of financial and economic primarily -- the ones that concern me most is the deficit of political dialogue -- our ability to address modern conflicts as they are, to go to the source of what they're all about and to understand the key players and to deal with them.”
(1 out of 14)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Deficit"?How does "Deficit" change by context?
2. a disadvantage or lack that makes someone or something less effective
缺陷，劣勢
His main deficit as a leader is his lack of communication skills.
他作為領導者的主要缺陷是缺乏溝通技巧。
The team's energy deficit was obvious in the second half of the game.
該隊在比賽下半場明顯體力不支。
3. a situation where a country imports more goods than it exports
（貿易）逆差
The trade deficit widened last month due to increased imports.
由於進口增加，上個月的貿易逆差擴大了。
Policymakers are concerned about the growing trade deficit.
政策制定者對日益擴大的貿易逆差感到擔憂。
4. a lack or impairment in a mental or physical function
（心智或身體功能的）缺損，障礙
The patient has a memory deficit following the accident.
事故後，病人出現了記憶缺損。
Attention deficit disorder can affect a child's performance in school.
注意力缺陷障礙可能影響孩子在學校的表現。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Deficit"?How to make natural sentences with "Deficit"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| deficit + in + noun | 在…方面的不足 | The report highlights a deficit in public infrastructure. (報告強調了公共基礎設施方面的不足。) |
| deficit + of + noun | …的赤字/短缺 | The country is facing a deficit of skilled workers. (該國正面臨技術工人的短缺。) |
| run a deficit | 出現赤字 | The government is expected to run a deficit this fiscal year. (政府預計本財政年度將出現赤字。) |
| trade deficit | 貿易逆差 | The widening trade deficit is a concern for economists. (不斷擴大的貿易逆差令經濟學家擔憂。) |
| budget deficit | 預算赤字 | Reducing the budget deficit is the minister's top priority. (減少預算赤字是部長的首要任務。) |
| attention deficit | 注意力不足 | He was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder as a child. (他小時候被診斷出有注意力不足過動症。) |
用法說明
How is "Deficit" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Deficit"?
deficit in vs deficit of
- deficit in 通常用於描述在某個特定領域、方面或項目的不足或短缺，焦點在於不足的「範圍」或「類別」。
- deficit of 則更常與具體的數量、金額或程度連用，強調不足的「量」或「額度」。
- 在描述預算、貿易或財務上的短缺金額時，deficit of 是更標準的用法。
- 然而，在實際使用中，兩者的界線有時模糊，特別是在非正式語境下，deficit in 的使用範圍可能更廣。 EN: The country has a significant deficit in its educational funding. 翻譯: 該國在教育經費方面有顯著的短缺。
EN:The government reported a budget deficit of ten billion dollars.
翻譯:政府報告了100億美元的預算赤字。
EN:There is a deficit in public trust following the scandal.
翻譯:醜聞之後，公眾信任度出現不足。
EN:The project failed due to a deficit of $2 million in necessary investment.
翻譯:該項目因缺乏200萬美元的必要投資而失敗。
總結建議
在正式或財務語境中，表示具體短缺金額時使用 deficit of，而描述某個領域的不足時則可使用 deficit in。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Deficit" and similar words?How to choose "Deficit" vs alternatives?
deficit vs shortage
「deficit」通常指財務、預算或貿易上的正式赤字，強調數字上的不足；「shortage」則泛指各種資源、物品或人力的短缺，範圍更廣。
deficit vs debt
「deficit」是特定時期（如一年）的收支差額（支出大於收入）；「debt」則是累積的總負債，是過去所有赤字累加的結果。
deficit vs lack
「deficit」是較正式、量化的術語，多用於經濟或財政語境；「lack」是通用詞，指缺乏某種品質、事物或特徵，不強調具體數字。
口語用法
How is "Deficit" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Deficit"?
引述
在對話中，人們有時會引述或提及他人對「deficit」的看法，語氣較為隨意。 EN: He was like, "The budget deficit is just a number, don't worry about it." 翻譯: 他當時就說：「預算赤字不過是個數字，別太擔心。」
EN:Everyone kept talking about the trade deficit at the meeting, and I was just sitting there confused.
翻譯:會議上大家一直在講貿易逆差，我坐在那裡一頭霧水。
語氣強調
在非正式對話中，會加入一些詞語來強調對「deficit」的關注或擔憂。 EN: We have a serious deficit in our team's communication skills. 翻譯: 我們團隊的溝通技巧真的有很嚴重的不足。
EN:There's a huge deficit of trust between the two departments right now.
翻譯:現在兩個部門之間存在著巨大的信任赤字。
停頓填充
在組織思緒或尋找合適詞彙時，可能會用「deficit」作為一個暫時的停頓點。 EN: The main issue is... well, the deficit in our planning. 翻譯: 主要的問題是…嗯，我們規劃上的缺陷。
EN:So we're facing a kind of... attention deficit when it comes to detail.
翻譯:所以我們正面臨一種…對細節的注意力不足。
注意：以上用法常見於口語或非正式書寫（如即時通訊）。在正式報告、學術論文或商業文件中，應使用更標準、完整的句子結構來表達「deficit」，避免使用引述口語或填充停頓詞。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Deficit"?What fixed phrases with "Deficit" should I remember?
budget deficit
noun + noun
預算赤字
trade deficit
noun + noun
貿易逆差
attention deficit disorder
noun + noun + noun
注意力不足過動症
run a deficit
verb + a + noun
出現赤字
deficit spending
noun + noun
赤字開支
reduce the deficit
verb + the + noun
減少赤字
fiscal deficit
adjective + noun
財政赤字
deficit of trust
noun + of + noun
信任赤字
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Deficit"?Which "Deficit" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×The company has a deficit of employees.
✓The company has a shortage of employees.
「deficit」主要用於描述金錢、資源或數量的「不足」，特別是財務上的赤字或虧損。描述人員短缺時，應使用「shortage」或「lack」。
×He has a deficit in speaking English.
✓He has a deficiency in speaking English.
「deficit」通常指可量化的短缺（如金錢、時間），而描述技能、能力或品質上的「不足」或「缺陷」時，更常用「deficiency」或「weakness」。
×We are in deficit of time.
✓We are running out of time. / We have a time deficit.
「in deficit of」不是標準的英文搭配。描述時間不足時，常用「running out of time」或「have a shortage of time」。雖然「time deficit」在特定語境（如專案管理）可能出現，但較不口語。
×There is a big deficit.
✓There is a large deficit.
描述「deficit」的大小時，形容詞常用「large」、「small」、「significant」、「huge」，而「big」在正式或財經語境中較不常用。
×The deficit of the team is their defense.
✓The team's weakness is their defense. / The team has a deficit in defense.
直接將「deficit」等同於「弱點」或「缺點」並不準確。雖然「have a deficit in...」可用於抽象領域的不足，但更自然的說法是「weakness」或「shortcoming」。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Deficit"?What are tense/participle forms of "Deficit"?