vt.逐漸削弱；暗中損害；在...下挖；從根基處損害

They will do anything to undermine their adversary's reputation. 他們會(huì)不擇手段地去損害對(duì)手的名譽(yù)。

The President's enemies are spreading rumours to undermine his authority. 總統(tǒng)的敵人在散布謠言以逐漸破壞他的威信。

Badgers had undermined the foundations of the church. 獾在這座教堂的地基處打了洞。

A mole can undermine the strongest rampart. 一只田鼠能毀壞最堅(jiān)固的堡壘。

undermine的基本意思是“削弱…的基礎(chǔ)”,指逐漸地、常不被人察覺地破壞某一事物的根基,而使其遭到損壞,這種破壞可源于自然,也可源于人為破壞。

undermine是及物動(dòng)詞,接名詞或代詞作賓語,可用于被動(dòng)結(jié)構(gòu)。

undermine引申可作“損壞”解,這種損壞不是突然間的,而是有一個(gè)長期的過程,用作及物動(dòng)詞,接名詞或代詞作賓語。

undermine本身就含有“逐步”的概念,因此不能加gradually或suddenly來修飾。例如: 我的身體由于過去過分勞累而受到損傷。誤:My health was gradually undermined by overwork in the old days.正:My health was undermined by over- work in the old days.