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earlier

★★★★

🇺🇸 /ˈɚliɚ/ 🇬🇧 /ˈɜː.lɪə/

adj 编号: E00373 BNC #1022

earlier 表示“更早的、先前的”或“更早地、此前”，是 early 的比较级形式。

💡 记忆钩子

把时间想成一条线：earlier 指线上的位置比另一个时间点更靠前；放在名词前就是“更早的”，单独使用就是“更早地、先前”。

📝 学习建议

earlier 是比较级，通常暗含一个参照时间，不一定表示“很早”或“最早”。
注意不要把 earlier 误解成“以前很久”；它常常只表示比当前或另一个时间点早。

📖 中文释义

adj

core 更早的

📖 这是 early 的比较级，表示某事发生的时间比另一个时间点更靠前。

💡 常放在名词前，如 earlier train、earlier meeting；也可用在 the earlier of the two 这类结构中。它表达“两者相比更早”，不是“最早”。

comparative form-of

I took an earlier train to avoid the crowds.

我乘坐了更早的一班火车，以避开人群。
core 先前的

📖 指在当前谈论的时间之前已经发生或存在的事，重点是“先前”这个时间位置。

💡 常见结构是 earlier + 名词，如 earlier attempts 或 earlier version。它通常与当前情况形成对照；不要仅凭 earlier 就理解为距离现在很久以前。

The earlier train was cancelled, so we waited for the next one.

更早的那班火车取消了，所以我们等下一班。

adv

core 更早地

📖 这是 early 的副词比较级，表示某个动作发生得比另一个动作或时间点更早。

💡 常用结构是 do something earlier (than expected) 或 earlier than + 时间。需要比较时要说清参照对象；单独使用时参照点通常由上下文提供。

comparative form-of

Could you come a little earlier tomorrow?

你明天能稍微早点来吗？
core 此前；先前

📖 表示事情在现在或谈话中的另一个时间之前发生，常可译为“刚才、之前、先前”。

💡 常见位置是句末，如 I called earlier，也可放在句首或时间短语前，如 earlier this morning。根据上下文，它可以指当天较早时候，也可以指谈话中已经提到的更早时间。

I saw your message earlier, but I was in a meeting.

我之前看到你的消息了，但当时我在开会。

📘 英文释义 (WordNet) 共 4 组

earlier in time; previously; ; ; ;

同义词集: earlier before

I had known her before

as I said before

he called me the day before but your call had come even earlier

her parents had died four years earlier

I mentioned that problem earlier

before now

同义词集: in the first place earlier in the beginning to begin with originally

why didn't you tell me in the first place?

comparatives of `soon' or `early';

同义词集: sooner earlier

Come a little sooner, if you can

came earlier than I expected

(comparative and superlative of `early') more early than; most early; ;

同义词集: earlier earliest

a fashion popular in earlier times

his earlier work reflects the influence of his teacher

Verdi's earliest and most raucous opera

近似: early

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