attain

/əˈteɪn/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈteɪn/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈtān/ (ame, mw)

attain — verb

1. to manage to get something you have worked hard for over a long time, such as a

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to manage to get something you have worked hard for over a long time, such as a qualification, position, or important goal.

例句

After ten years of training, Mei finally attained the rank of black belt in karate.

attain + [rank/position] noun phrase

Few students attain such high marks in the national chemistry exam.

attain + [marks/score] noun

同義詞
  • achieve

    more neutral and far more common in everyday writing

  • accomplish

    stresses completing a difficult task rather than gaining a status

  • obtain

    focuses on getting something concrete; less about long effort

反義詞
  • fail

    to not reach the goal or standard one was aiming for

  • miss

    informal counterpart for falling short of a target

文法句型

attain + noun

用法筆記

Formal register; sounds stiff in everyday speech. Object is usually something seen as valuable or earned through effort: a goal, qualification, rank, standard, or recognition. Distinguish from sense 2, which simply marks reaching a point of age or level without the idea of struggle.

常見錯誤

❌I attained the bus just before it left.
✅I caught the bus just before it left.
💡'attain' is not used for physically reaching a vehicle or place; use 'catch' or 'reach'.
❌She attained to her dream of becoming a doctor.
✅She attained her dream of becoming a doctor.
💡in modern English 'attain' is transitive and takes a direct object, not 'attain to'.

2. to arrive at a certain point in age, speed, or condition over time, through grow

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to arrive at a certain point in age, speed, or condition over time, through growth or gradual development.

例句

Sea turtles can attain an age of more than eighty years in the wild.

attain + an age of [number]

On the test track, the new electric car attained a top speed of 250 kilometres per hour.

attain + a [top] speed of

同義詞
  • reach

    the everyday equivalent; works in spoken and written English

  • arrive at

    used for both points in time and stages of thinking

  • achieve

    fits with levels and standards, less natural with ages

文法句型

attain + [age/level/state] noun

用法筆記

Subject is typically a living thing, vehicle, or system that develops or moves toward a measurable point. Common in scientific, legal, and technical writing. Unlike sense 1, this sense does not imply struggle or worthy effort, only that a level or stage has been reached.

常見錯誤

❌The plane attained at the airport on time.
✅The plane arrived at the airport on time.
💡'attain' is not used for arriving at a place; use 'arrive' or 'reach'.
❌He attained twenty years old last week.
✅He turned twenty last week.' / 'He attained the age of twenty last week.
💡in everyday speech use 'turn'; 'attain' needs the formal pattern 'attain the age of X'.