tailed-off / tailed off:逐渐变弱、减少或停止(常指声音、谈话、兴趣、数量/水平等“慢慢淡下去”)。也可指文字或线条“渐渐收尾、变细”。
/ˌteɪld ˈɔːf/(英) , /ˌteɪld ˈɔːf/(美)
His voice tailed off at the end of the sentence.
他的声音在句末渐渐弱了下去。
After a strong start, the company’s sales tailed off as competition increased and consumer demand cooled.
开局强劲之后,随着竞争加剧、消费者需求降温,这家公司的销售额逐渐回落。
来自动词短语 tail off:tail 原指“尾巴”,引申为“像尾巴那样逐渐变细、变弱、拖尾”,再加上 off 表示“离开、减退”,合起来就有“逐渐减弱/减少/收尾”的意思。tailed-off 常作形容词(如 a tailed-off sound),而 tailed off 更常作动词过去式/过去分词(如 His voice tailed off)。
(多用于对话与叙述,描写声音/话语“越说越小、越说越少”)