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Taking a lot of time to do. It describes the task, not the person: a form, a job, a process can be time-consuming.
Taking a lot of time to do要花很多時間才能做完。It describes the task, not the person它形容的是那件事，不是那個人：a form, a job, a process can be time-consuming一份表格、一份工作、一個流程都可能是time-consuming的。
There is usually a small complaint inside it — you say a thing is time-consuming when the time it eats feels like more than it should be, or more than you can spare. 'The paperwork is time-consuming' says the paperwork is a drain, not that it is hard or that it is bad.
There is usually a small complaint inside it這個字裡通常帶著一點小抱怨：you say a thing is time-consuming你會說一件事是time-consuming when the time it eats feels like more than it should be是當它吃掉的時間感覺比應該的還多， or more than you can spare或超過你能撥出來的時間。'The paperwork is time-consuming' 'The paperwork is time-consuming'（這些文書工作很花時間） says the paperwork is a drain說的是這些文書工作很耗費心力， not that it is hard or that it is bad而不是說它很難，或它很糟。
That is the useful thing about it: time-consuming and difficult are separate. Washing a hundred cups is time-consuming but easy; a chess problem is difficult but may take one minute.
That is the useful thing about it這就是這個字有用的地方：time-consuming and difficult are separate time-consuming跟difficult是分開的兩件事。Washing a hundred cups is time-consuming but easy洗一百個杯子很花時間，但不難；a chess problem is difficult but may take one minute一道西洋棋的難題很難，卻可能只要一分鐘。
Common in work and study talk, neutral in tone, safe in writing. Usually written with the , though you will see 'time consuming' without one.
Common in work and study talk在工作和讀書的談話裡很常見， neutral in tone語氣中性， safe in writing用在寫作裡也很安全。Usually written with the hyphen通常會加連字號寫， though you will see 'time consuming' without one不過你也會看到不加連字號的'time consuming'。
組成time + consuming, from consume, meaning to use something up completely. The task consumes your time the way a fire consumes wood.
同家族的字
- consumethe verb inside it: to use something up
- consumersame consume: the person who uses up what is made
- labour-intensivethe same shape of idea: named for the one resource the task eats — there, work instead of time
原始詞典資料1 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
time-consumingadj
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Using significant amounts of time, especially in an unwanted and sometimes unwarranted manner.
- However, given current sensibilities about individual privacy and data protection, the recording of oral data is becoming increasingly onerous for researchers who are obliged to navigate an often time-consuming and complex series of administrative requirements and corollary review processes in order to be granted ethics clearance.
- The de minimis exemption, as it’s known, allowed shipments of goods worth $800 or less to come into the United States duty-free, often more or less skipping time-consuming inspections and paperwork.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。