inroad
/'inroud/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- An invasion or hostile attack: A sudden and forceful entry into territory, often with hostile intent.
- An encroachment or intrusion: A gradual or initial advance into something, often at the expense of something else, such as a market, domain, or set of beliefs.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- The army's inroad into enemy territory was swift and decisive.
- The new policy is seen as an inroad on individual freedoms.
- The company hopes to make an inroad into the Asian market next year.
Advanced Usage
- "to make inroads into/on/in something": To start to have a significant, often gradual, effect or success in a new area or against something established.
- The new software is making significant inroads in the education sector.
- After years of campaigning, they finally made inroads on public opinion.
Variants and Related Words
- Inroads (n, plural form): This is the most common form, almost always used in the plural to describe cumulative advances or progress, especially in the phrase "make inroads."
- Their research has made considerable inroads into understanding the disease.
Synonyms
- Incursion: A sudden, brief invasion or attack.
- Encroachment: A gradual intrusion on a person's territory, rights, etc.
- Intrusion: The act of entering a place or situation without invitation or welcome.
Notes on Meaning
- While the original military sense (a hostile attack) is valid, the word is most frequently used in modern English in a figurative sense. It describes progress or advances, often competitive, into a new area (like a market, field of study, or social sphere). The connotation is often of a challenging or hard-won advance against existing competition or resistance.
Noun
- an invasion or hostile attack
- an encroachment or intrusion
- they made inroads in the United States market