
vt.逐漸削弱;暗中損害;在...下挖;從根基處損害
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是及物動詞,接名詞或代詞作賓語,可用于被動結(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.
vt.逐漸削弱;暗中損害;在...下挖;從根基處損害