minus
gb/mˈaɪnəs/ us/mˈaɪnəs/
A1
English
~ 8000
mínusz, nélkül, hátrány, mínuszjel
A1
1
mínusz
A2
Usage pattern:
[amount] minus [amount]
In this problem you need to calculate nine minus four.
Ebben a feladatban azt kell kiszámolnod, hogy mennyi kilenc mínusz négy.
Ten minus two equals eight.
Tíz mínusz kettő egyenlő nyolccal.
There were twelve people originally, minus three who left early.
Your final score is fifty minus five penalty points.
The full price minus the discount comes to thirty dollars.
Learner examples
Two minus one is one.
Kettő mínusz egy az egy.
Five minus three is two.
Öt mínusz három az kettő.
We were six people, minus my sister who stayed home.
The bill is twenty dollars minus the coupon.
Eight minus four equals four.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *'two take away one equals one'* in formal writing instead of using 'minus'. 'Take away' is fine in very simple speech, but 'minus' is the standard word in math and most written English.
Meaning
indicating subtraction or less
Collocations
five minus three
|ten minus two is eight
|minus two points
|the total minus tax
|all of us minus John
Synonyms
less (Often used in math like 'ten less two'; slightly less common than 'minus' in this exact numeric pattern.)
Antonyms
plus (Shows addition rather than subtraction between amounts.)
Themes
math
|education
|daily_life
|science
Definition
Used between two numbers or things to show that you take the second one away from the first one.
Used to show that one number, amount, or thing is being taken away from another.
A2
2
mínusz
A2
Usage pattern:
minus [number]
Tonight the temperature could drop to minus ten degrees.
Ma éjjel a hőmérséklet mínusz tíz fokra is leeshet.
The company reported minus three percent growth last year.
A vállalat tavaly mínusz háromszázalékos növekedésről számolt be.
Water freezes at zero; anything below that is minus.
My bank account is at minus fifty dollars right now.
The experiment only worked at minus twenty Celsius.
Learner examples
It was minus five degrees this morning.
Ma reggel mínusz öt fok volt.
The temperature is minus two outside.
Odakint mínusz két fok van.
My score is minus three because I made mistakes.
The balance is minus ten dollars in my account.
In winter it can get to minus twenty here.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *'under zero'* or *'below zero five degrees'* instead of 'minus five degrees'. Use 'minus' directly before the number to show it is less than zero.
Meaning
negative number or value
Collocations
minus ten degrees
|minus five Celsius
|minus three percent
|minus balance
|a minus figure
|minus growth
Synonyms
negative (More general scientific and mathematical term; used in many of the same contexts.)
Antonyms
positive (Describes numbers or values greater than zero.)
Themes
math
|science
|weather
|finance
|education
Definition
Below zero in number or temperature.
Less than zero in number, temperature, or other measured value.
B1
INFORMAL
3
nélkül
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] [be/come] minus [something]
He came home from the party minus his jacket.
A partiról a kabátja nélkül jött haza.
The dish was good, but it arrived minus the salad we ordered.
Az étel jó volt, de az általunk rendelt saláta nélkül érkezett.
She walked out of the meeting minus any clear answers.
The second edition of the book is the same, minus a few chapters.
He’s been going to work minus his usual enthusiasm.
Learner examples
He returned minus his phone.
A telefonja nélkül tért vissza.
The pizza came minus the cheese.
A pizza sajt nélkül érkezett.
She left the office minus her bag.
The new version is the same minus two songs.
I went to school minus my homework today.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse this informal pattern in very formal writing. In formal contexts, it is usually better to say 'without' or 'lacking' instead of 'minus'.
Meaning
lacking or without something
Collocations
came back minus [something]
|returned minus his wallet
|arrived minus her luggage
|minus the ending
|minus his usual energy
Synonyms
without (More general and neutral; 'minus' sounds a bit more informal or playful in this sense.)
Antonyms
with (Indicates that something is present instead of missing.)
Themes
daily_life
|informal
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Without something that you had before or usually have.
Without a particular thing, especially something that is normally present or was there before.
NOUN
B2
4
hátrány
B1
Usage pattern:
the minus of [something]
Working from home has its pluses and minuses.
Az otthoni munkának is megvannak az előnyei és a hátrányai.
One big minus of this plan is the cost.
Ennek a tervnek az egyik nagy hátránya a költség.
The only real minus is that the office is very far away.
The long hours are a serious minus for many employees.
From a privacy point of view, that feature is a definite minus.
Learner examples
Every job has pluses and minuses.
Minden munkának vannak előnyei és hátrányai.
A minus of this phone is the weak battery.
Ennek a telefonnak az egyik hátránya a gyenge akkumulátor.
The price is a big minus for me.
The noise is the main minus of this flat.
One minus is that the buses stop early.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *'the minus side'* when they mean *'the downside'*. 'Minus' can be used this way, but 'downside' or 'disadvantage' are more common as single words.
Meaning
disadvantage or bad point
Collocations
pluses and minuses
|a big minus
|the main minus
|on the minus side
|one minus is the cost
|major minus
Synonyms
drawback (Very common in formal and neutral English; slightly more formal than 'minus'.)
Antonyms
plus (Refers to a positive feature or advantage, often contrasted directly with 'minus'.)
Themes
opinions
|work
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A bad point or problem in a thing or situation.
A disadvantage, weakness, or negative feature of something.
NOUN
B1
TECHNICAL
5
mínuszjel
A2
Usage pattern:
a minus in front of [number]
Put a minus in front of the number to show it is negative.
Tegyél mínuszjelet a szám elé, hogy jelezd a negatív értéket.
The teacher drew a big minus on the board.
A tanár egy nagy mínuszjelet rajzolt a táblára.
Make sure you don’t confuse the minus and the dash on your keyboard.
Each incorrect answer gets a minus next to it.
He accidentally typed a plus instead of a minus in the formula.
Learner examples
Write a minus before five to make it negative.
Írj mínuszjelet az öt elé, hogy negatív legyen.
The minus means you take away.
A mínuszjel azt jelenti, hogy el kell venni.
I forgot the minus in the equation.
There is a minus in front of the temperature.
She drew a minus on the paper.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the typed minus with a hyphen or dash in formal math writing. In handwriting, they look the same, but in typed math, fonts may distinguish them.
Meaning
the minus sign symbol
Collocations
plus and minus
|the minus sign
|write a minus
|a minus in front
|with a minus before the number
Synonyms
minus sign (More specific phrase naming the symbol itself; identical meaning in math contexts.)
Antonyms
plus sign (The symbol (+) used for addition or positive numbers, opposite of the minus sign.)
Themes
math
|education
|science
Definition
The small line (−) that shows subtraction or a number below zero.
The sign (−) used in writing to show subtraction or that a number is negative.
B2
6
mínusz
B1
Usage pattern:
[grade/level] minus
She was disappointed with her B minus in chemistry.
Csalódott volt a kémiából kapott B mínusz miatt.
My average last semester was around C minus.
Az előző félévi átlagom nagyjából C mínusz volt.
The hotel only gets a three-minus rating in most reviews.
He improved from a D minus to a solid C.
In this course, anything below C minus is considered failing.
Learner examples
I got a B minus in English.
Angolból B mínuszt kaptam.
His grade went from C minus to B.
Az osztályzata C mínuszról B-re javult.
My first test was a D minus.
A C minus is still a pass in this school.
She is a C minus student in math.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes put 'minus' before the grade (*'minus B'*) instead of after it. In standard English, the plus or minus sign or word comes after the grade: 'B minus', 'C+'.
Meaning
slightly below a given grade
Collocations
a B minus
|C minus student
|D minus average
|got a minus on the test
|minus rating
Synonyms
below-average (Describes general performance, not specifically a letter grade; more evaluative and less exact.)
Antonyms
plus (In grading, shows that a mark is slightly above a basic level (e.g., 'B plus').)
Themes
education
|assessment
Definition
Used with a grade or level to show it is a little bit lower than that grade.
Used after a letter, number, or rating to show that it is slightly below that level.
Grammar
Dictionary form
minus
IPA
GB/mˈaɪnəs/
US/mˈaɪnəs/
Syllables & stress
minus (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (minus)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: minus
Noun
- Base: minus
- Plural: minuses
Word family
Expressions
on the minus side
1/ˈɔn ðə mˈaɪnəs sˈaɪd/
fixed phrase
talking about the bad points
Used before you say what is bad or not good about a situation.
Examples
- On the minus side, the apartment is very noisy at night.
- The job pays well, but on the minus side the hours are long.
- On the minus side, this phone has a weak battery.
plus or minus
1/plˈʌs ˈɔɹ mˈaɪnəs/
fixed phrase
approximately; give or take
About this number, but it can be a little higher or a little lower.
Examples
- The journey will take two hours, plus or minus ten minutes.
- The repair should cost $200, plus or minus a few dollars.
- The device can handle a voltage of 12 volts, plus or minus 5 percent.
plus or minus
2/plˈʌs ˈɔɹ mˈaɪnəs/
fixed phrase
technical
+/- indicating variation range
Shows that a number can be higher or lower by a small amount.
Examples
- The distance is 10 miles, plus or minus half a mile.
- Your score could change by plus or minus two points.