answers
answers — noun
- answerssingular
- answersesplural
1. Something that you say, write, or do when someone asks you a question or sends y
Something that you say, write, or do when someone asks you a question or sends you a message, giving them the information they want.
Bao gave a thoughtful answer to the teacher's question about the solar system.
answer + to + noun phrase
After three weeks, Reema finally received an answer to her internship application.
receive an answer to [something]
The child's answer surprised the whole class because it showed such careful thinking.
Sivan sent a short answer by text message before the train arrived at the station.
When reporters asked about the new law, the minister refused to give a clear answer.
- question
The thing that prompts an answer
文法句型
answer + to + noun phrase
answer + that-clause
用法筆記
Unlike 'reply', 'answer' can refer to a nonverbal reaction (a nod, a smile). The preposition 'to' is common: 'an answer to a question/letter/request'.
常見錯誤
2. A way of dealing with a difficult situation or a correct response to a puzzle, t
A way of dealing with a difficult situation or a correct response to a puzzle, test question, or problem that requires thinking.
Leo spent the whole evening searching for the answer to the crossword puzzle.
answer to + puzzle/problem
The city council believes that better public transport is the answer to traffic jams.
the answer to + [problem]
Hari checked his answer three times before handing in the math exam paper.
For many young families, sharing childcare duties is the answer to their busy schedules.
- problem
The thing that needs an answer
文法句型
answer + to + noun phrase
用法筆記
When 'answer' means 'solution', it typically appears with 'to' ('the answer to the problem'). Do not use 'of' in this sense.
常見錯誤
answers — verb
- answerspresent simple I / you / we / they
- answerses3rd person singular
- answersing-ing form
- answersedpast simple
1. To give a spoken or written reply when someone asks you a question or addresses
To give a spoken or written reply when someone asks you a question or addresses you, providing the information they want.
Tomás answered the journalist's question with patience and honesty.
answer + direct object (question)
Heather answered her boss's email within twenty minutes of receiving it.
When the tourist asked for directions to the museum, Mira answered politely in English.
The students answered the quiz questions one by one without looking at their notes.
Tariq answered that he would arrive at the airport by eight o'clock in the evening.
- reply
Slightly more formal; usually intransitive (reply to someone)
- respond
More formal; often used in official or written contexts
- write back
Informal phrasal verb; specifically for written communication
- ask
To pose a question rather than give a reply
文法句型
answer + noun phrase
answer + that-clause
answer + prepositional phrase
用法筆記
This is the most common sense. The object can be a person ('answer me'), a thing ('answer the question'), or omitted ('I haven't answered yet'). A that-clause reports the content of the reply.
常見錯誤
2. To have a particular name or to be known by a certain name, especially when talk
To have a particular name or to be known by a certain name, especially when talking about pets, ships, or places that react or are referred to by that name.
The orange cat answers to the name Mikan, though she rarely comes when called.
answer to the name [name]
A small island off the coast of Ireland answers to the name Inishmore.
The brown puppy answers to the name Coco, after the chef who feeds him treats.
Their new cafe in Osaka answers to the simple but charming name 'The Morning Table'.
文法句型
answer + to + name
用法筆記
This sense is almost always used in the pattern 'answer to the name of X' or 'answer to X'. It is most common with pets, vehicles, ships, and occasionally people in informal or literary contexts.
3. To go to the door when someone knocks or rings, or to pick up the telephone when
To go to the door when someone knocks or rings, or to pick up the telephone when it rings, in order to speak to the person on the other side.
Nkechi put down her book and got up from the sofa to answer the door.
answer the door
Camila was showering when her sister called, so she did not answer the phone.
answer the phone
The delivery driver knocked three times, but nobody came to answer the door.
Mei-Lin was washing dishes when her phone rang, but she dried her hands to answer it.
- ignore
To deliberately not answer a door or phone
文法句型
answer + the door
answer + the phone
answer + the bell
用法筆記
The object is always a specific noun: 'the door', 'the phone', 'the bell', 'the doorbell'. You cannot say 'answer someone at the door' — use 'open the door to someone' instead.
常見錯誤
4. To be good enough or suitable for what someone needs or wants, or to serve a par
To be good enough or suitable for what someone needs or wants, or to serve a particular purpose effectively.
This simple toolkit answers all of our basic household repair needs.
answer + need(s)
The hotel's breakfast buffet answered everyone's appetite, from young children to grandparents.
A fan in the corner answered the need for fresh air in the crowded room.
Hui hoped the new software would answer the team's requirement for faster data analysis.
- fail
To not meet a requirement or need
文法句型
answer + noun phrase (purpose/need/requirement)
用法筆記
This sense is somewhat formal and is typically used with abstract nouns like 'purpose', 'need', 'requirement', or 'description'. It appears more in written English than in casual conversation.
常見錯誤
5. To fit the details that someone has provided, so that others can recognise who o
To fit the details that someone has provided, so that others can recognise who or what is being talked about.
The man the police stopped answers to the description given by the witness.
answer to + description
Minho was happy that the apartment answers the description in the rental ad.
A hiker who answers to the missing camper's description was seen near the river.
The novel's main character answers to the description of a brave but lonely teenager.
- match
More common in everyday speech; 'match a description'
- fit
Slightly informal; 'fit a description'
- correspond to
More formal and precise
- contradict
To be opposite to a description
文法句型
answer + to + noun phrase
用法筆記
Common in crime reports and searches ('answers to the description'). The verb is typically used without a direct object; the preposition 'to' introduces the description.
常見錯誤
6. To work out the correct response to a question, puzzle, or mathematical problem,
To work out the correct response to a question, puzzle, or mathematical problem, especially in a test or game.
Quan answered the riddle correctly on his first try and won a prize.
answer + riddle/question/puzzle
The student answered every question on the chemistry test before the bell rang.
Nia answered the puzzle by looking at the clues from a completely different angle.
Asher enjoys spending his Saturday mornings answering difficult logic problems for fun.
文法句型
answer + noun phrase (question/problem/puzzle)
用法筆記
Use this sense when the context involves a test, exam, puzzle, or riddle where a correct solution is expected. Unlike verb/1 (GIVE REPLY), which is about general conversational back-and-forth, this sense is tied to formal problem-solving situations such as classroom exams, quizzes, crossword puzzles, and logic problems.
常見錯誤
7. To be responsible for something, especially something bad that has happened, or
To be responsible for something, especially something bad that has happened, or to explain your actions to someone in authority.
The project manager had to answer to the board of directors for the budget problems.
answer to [authority] for [issue]
Marta knew she must answer for the mistake she made during the quarterly audit.
answer for + mistake/failure/error
The captain of the ship must answer for the safety of everyone on board.
Ravindra will have to answer to the principal if he breaks the school rules again.
- account for
More formal; 'account for one's actions'
- take responsibility for
Clearer and more common in everyday speech
- avoid responsibility
The opposite of answering for something
文法句型
answer + for + noun phrase
answer + to + noun phrase
用法筆記
Two constructions: 'answer for (something)' means accepting blame or responsibility for an action or outcome; 'answer to (someone)' means reporting to a person with authority over you.