adapting
adapting — verb
- adaptingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- adaptings3rd person singular
- adaptinging-ing form
- adaptingedpast simple
1. to change something so that it works or fits better in a different situation or
to change something so that it works or fits better in a different situation or for a new purpose — for example, modifying a car engine to run on a different fuel, or rewriting a story so a younger audience can enjoy it.
Samir adapted his bicycle by adding a small motor for the steep hills.
adapt + noun + by + -ing
The film director adapted the novel so teenagers could enjoy it too.
Lotte adapted her garden plans to fit the narrow space behind the house.
Teachers often adapt their lessons when students struggle with the material.
Heloísa adapted the old car engine to run on cooking oil instead of petrol.
- preserve
to keep unchanged instead of modifying
文法句型
adapt + noun + to + noun
adapt + noun + for + noun
adapt + noun + to-infinitive
adapt + noun + by + -ing
用法筆記
Frequently passive: 'The software was adapted for use on tablets.' The direct object is the thing being changed, not the situation.
常見錯誤
2. to change your own behaviour, ideas, or habits so that you fit in or cope well w
to change your own behaviour, ideas, or habits so that you fit in or cope well with a new situation — for instance, learning local customs after moving to a foreign country, or getting used to a different working style in a new job.
When Ari moved to Brazil, he adapted quickly to the warmer weather and later meals.
adapt + to + noun phrase — the new situation
Femi found it hard to adapt to a slower life after leaving the army.
Sayaka adapted to the new school's schedule within the first two weeks.
The team adapted to the sudden change of plans without complaining.
Eitan had to adapt to working alone after years in a busy office.
- adjust
smaller, more practical changes rather than deep shifts in behaviour
- accommodate
more formal; often implies making room for others' needs or circumstances
- get used to
informal; describes the gradual process of becoming comfortable with something new
- resist
to refuse or struggle against change
- refuse to adjust
deliberate unwillingness to change
文法句型
adapt + to + noun
adapt + to + -ing
struggle/find it hard + to adapt
用法筆記
This sense is almost always followed by 'to' introducing the new situation. It is never used with a direct object — 'adapt to [situation]', not 'adapt [situation]'.
常見錯誤
3. When a living thing changes gradually in its physical features or behaviour over
When a living thing changes gradually in its physical features or behaviour over many generations, becoming better able to survive and reproduce in the particular place where it lives — for example, how cacti developed thick stems to store water in dry deserts.
Desert plants have adapted to store water in their thick leaves and stems.
adapt + to-infinitive — purpose of adaptation
Over millions of years, cave fish adapted by losing their colour and eyesight.
adapt + by + -ing — biological mechanism
Some bacteria adapt quickly to new medicines, making treatment harder.
Polar bears adapted white fur over thousands of years to blend in with the snow.
Birds on remote islands adapted different beak shapes to eat local food.
- evolve
broader term covering all inherited changes over generations, not only those for survival
- develop
less specific; can describe change within a lifetime or across generations
- become suited
describes the result rather than the process of adaptation
文法句型
adapt + to + noun
adapt + by + -ing
adapt + noun + to + noun
用法筆記
Biological adaptation occurs over many generations, not within a single lifetime. For short-term individual change (e.g. a person getting used to the cold), use 'adjust' or 'get used to' instead.