verging on the• But he had a mild, good-humoured, articulate side, verging on theacademic, abjuring the sensational.• The Cabinet seemed to him to have a reputation of worthiness verging on thedull.• He was verging on thegrotesque.• After overheating in 1989, the market may be verging on the over-cautious today.• This has, in point of fact, always struck me as behaviourverging on thepathological.• The joke is that this louche, style-setting exuberance took place in a conservativetownverging on theprovincial.• Their desire to play an expansive game is often dangerous, verging on the suicidal.
(1300-1400)Old French“long pole”, from Latinvirga; from within the verge“within the area controlled by someone who carried a pole as a sign of authority”
1very close to an extreme state極限PHRASES➤be on the verge of sth接近於⋯◇She was on the verge of a nervous breakdown when she finally sought help.她最終求助時已經瀕臨精神崩潰的邊緣。◇He looked as if he was on the verge of tears.他看起來幾乎要流淚了。➤be poised on the verge of sth, stand on the verge of sth, teeter on the verge of sth瀕於⋯;處於⋯的邊緣◇The company is teetering on the verge of bankruptcy.公司瀕於破產。➤bring sb/sth to使⋯瀕臨⋯◇This action brought the country to the verge of economic collapse.此舉使國家瀕於經濟崩潰。verge
noun²
2 (BrE) piece of grass at side of a road, etc.(道路旁的)綠化帶ADJECTIVE | VERB + VERGEADJECTIVE➤grass長了草的路邊▸➤motorway, roadside高速公路的植草路邊;路邊綠地VERB + VERGE➤mount衝進路邊綠地◇The vehicle crossed white lines and mounted a verge before being stopped by police.汽車越過白線衝進路邊綠地,這才被警察攔住。➤hit撞上路邊綠地