Accumulative describes something that grows little by little as more is added over time — a pile that keeps getting higher. Harm from smoking can be accumulative; interest on a debt can be accumulative; a child’s English can be accumulative if they keep a little more each week.

accumulativeAccumulative describes something that grows little by little形容某個東西隨著時間一點一點增加 as more is added over time越疊越多——a pile that keeps getting higher像一堆越堆越高的東西。harm from smoking抽菸的傷害 can be accumulative可以是accumulative的；interest on a debt債務的利息 can be accumulative可以是accumulative的；a child's English小孩的英文 can be accumulative if they keep a little more each week如果每週多學一點，也可以說是accumulative的。

It is a formal, rather uncommon adjective. In everyday English, people much more often say cumulative for the same idea.

it is a formal這是個正式的字，rather uncommon adjective而且相當少見的形容詞。in everyday English在日常英文裡，people在大家 much more often say比較常用 cumulativecumulative for the same idea來講同樣的意思。

Though actually, some writers keep a small difference: cumulative for the total you get when you add things up, accumulative for the habit or process of gathering. Many careful speakers do not bother with that split, and cumulative still wins in ordinary talk.

though actually不過其實，some writers keep a small difference有些作者會保留一個小小的差別：cumulativecumulative for the total you get when you add things up指你把東西加總起來得到的總數，accumulativeaccumulative for the habit or process of gathering則指累積、收集的過程或習慣。many careful speakers do not bother with that split但很多用字講究的人不太理會這個區分，and cumulative still wins in ordinary talk在日常對話裡cumulative還是比較常勝出。