arrest

arrest — verb

1. When officers arrest a person, they take that person into custody so they can be

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

When officers arrest a person, they take that person into custody so they can be questioned, charged, or tried in court for a possible crime.

例句

Officers arrested Daniel outside the bank shortly after the alarm went off.

arrest + person, location/time adverbial

The protesters were arrested for blocking the main road during rush hour.

passive: be arrested for + -ing

同義詞
  • detain

    more formal; often used for shorter holds, including before a formal arrest

  • apprehend

    formal, often in news or police reports

  • nick

    British informal slang for arrest

反義詞
  • release

    let someone go from police custody

  • free

    general opposite of holding someone

文法句型

arrest + somebody

arrest somebody for + noun/-ing

用法筆記

Subject is almost always a police officer or other legal authority; ordinary citizens do not 'arrest' people in everyday English. Frequently used in the passive: 'be arrested for [crime/action]'.

常見錯誤

❌The shop owner arrested the thief himself.
✅The shop owner caught the thief and called the police.
💡only police or legal authorities can 'arrest' someone.

2. To make a process, change, or movement slow down or fail to continue, especially

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

To make a process, change, or movement slow down or fail to continue, especially something that has been growing or developing for some time.

例句

The new medicine helped arrest the spread of the disease across the village.

arrest + the spread of (typical object)

Heavy rain arrested the forest fire just before it reached the school.

同義詞
  • halt

    close in meaning, slightly less formal

  • check

    formal; suggests slowing rather than fully stopping

  • stem

    common with 'tide', 'flow', 'spread'

反義詞

文法句型

arrest + the development/growth/spread of something

用法筆記

Object is usually a process noun such as 'spread', 'decline', 'growth', or 'development'. Typical in formal writing, news reports, and medical or scientific contexts; rare in casual conversation.

常見錯誤

❌I arrested my car at the red light.
✅I stopped my car at the red light.
💡'arrest' is not used for stopping vehicles or everyday actions; use 'stop' instead.

3. To suddenly make someone look at or think carefully about something because it i

3.動詞及物C2
釋義

To suddenly make someone look at or think carefully about something because it is interesting, strange, or surprising.

例句

A bright red painting on the back wall arrested Sophie's attention as she entered the gallery.

arrest + somebody's attention (typical object)

The sudden silence in the kitchen arrested my eye more than any loud noise could.

arrest + somebody's eye

同義詞
  • captivate

    to hold attention through charm or interest

  • grip

    informal; suggests strong, lasting hold on attention

  • rivet

    to hold someone completely still through interest

反義詞
  • bore

    fail to hold someone's interest

文法句型

arrest + somebody's attention/eye/gaze

用法筆記

Object is usually 'attention', 'eye', 'gaze', or a person being captivated. Mainly literary or formal; in everyday speech, native speakers say 'catch someone's eye' or 'grab someone's attention'.

常見錯誤

❌The teacher arrested the noisy students.
✅The teacher got the noisy students' attention.
💡without an attention-related object, 'arrest' suggests police arrest, which changes the meaning.

arrest — noun