about :常可分almost和nearly换用,但about用于表示时间、数量的"大约"时,实际数量可能多也可能少。
approximately :多用于书面语,指精确度接近某个标准以致误差可忽略不计。
around :多用于非正式场合,常见于美国英语。
roughly :指按精略估计,常代替about。
英语四级真题
In the approximately 20 deep-sea crashes over the past 30 years, only one plane's black boxes were never recovered.
出自-2010年6月阅读原文
英语六级真题
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Biomedical Research Workforce Working Group recommended that the NIH require IDPs for the approximately 32,000 postdoctoral researchers they support.
出自-2013年12月阅读原文
柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典释义
ADJ-GRADED
大约的;大概的
An approximate number, time, or position is close to the correct number, time, or position, but is not exact.
例句
The approximate cost varies from around £150 to £250...费用大概介于150至250英镑之间。The times are approximate only.这些只是大致的时间。
ADJ-GRADED
近似的;粗略的
An idea or description that is approximate is not intended to be precise or accurate, but to give some indication of what something is like.
例句
They did not have even an approximate idea what the Germans really wanted.他们完全不清楚德国人真正想要什么。
VERB
近似于
If something approximates to something else, it is similar to it but is not exactly the same.
例句
Something approximating to a fair outcome will be ensured...保证会有大致公正的结果。By about 6 weeks of age, most babies begin to show something approximating a day/night sleeping pattern.到6个星期大时,大多数婴儿开始表现出近似于日夜分明的睡觉模式。
英英词典释义
Adverb
1. (of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct;
"lasted approximately an hour""in just about a minute""he's about 30 years old""I've had about all I can stand""we meet about once a month""some forty people came""weighs around a hundred pounds""roughly $3,000""holds 3 gallons, more or less""20 or so people were at the party"