breeds

IPA/briːd/
KK[brˈidz]IPA/briːd/

breeds — verb

  • breedspresent simple I / you / we / they
  • breedses3rd person singular
  • breedsing-ing form
  • breedsedpast simple

1. to raise and care for animals or plants so that they produce babies or new growt

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

to raise and care for animals or plants so that they produce babies or new growth, usually under human control and often aiming to improve certain features such as size, colour, or behaviour

例句

The Liu family breeds prize-winning chickens on their farm in the hills.

breed + noun phrase describing output

My neighbour breeds golden retrievers and sells the puppies to families across the county.

breed + breed name as object

同義詞
  • raise

    broader — can mean growing crops or caring for young without a focus on controlled reproduction

  • rear

    more common in British English; often used for young animals rather than plants

  • cultivate

    used primarily for plants and crops, not animals

文法句型

breed + noun phrase (type of animal/plant)

用法筆記

This sense is always transitive when referring to human-directed breeding with a specific goal. The object names the animal or plant being developed.

2. when animals breed, they mate and give birth to babies of their own kind through

2.動詞不及物B1
釋義

when animals breed, they mate and give birth to babies of their own kind through natural sexual reproduction

例句

These rare birds only breed once a year, in the early spring months.

breed + time adverbial (once a year, in spring)

Salmon swim hundreds of miles upstream to breed in the same river where they hatched.

同義詞
  • mate

    focuses on the act of pairing for sex; does not necessarily imply producing offspring

  • reproduce

    more formal and general; used for all living things including single-celled organisms

  • spawn

    specific to fish, frogs, and other aquatic animals that lay eggs

文法句型

breed (no object)

breed + in/during/during [season/conditions]

用法筆記

Intransitive only — no direct object. The subject is the animal species. Used especially in biology, wildlife conservation, and farming contexts.

常見錯誤

❌The rabbits breeded in spring.
✅The rabbits bred in spring.
💡'breed' is an irregular verb: breed → bred → bred.

3. to create or lead to a particular condition or feeling, especially something unp

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

to create or lead to a particular condition or feeling, especially something unpleasant, by providing the right conditions for it to develop — for example, when unfair rules breed anger, or dirty rooms breed disease

例句

A workplace where nobody listens to staff concerns can breed resentment and low morale.

[environment] + breeds + [negative feeling]

Poverty and lack of education often breed crime in struggling communities.

同義詞
  • cause

    neutral and more general; does not imply that conditions gradually create the result

  • generate

    slightly more formal; can be used for both positive and negative situations

  • foster

    usually positive or neutral; 'foster growth' vs 'breed resentment'

  • engender

    formal and literary; less common in everyday English

反義詞
  • prevent

    stop something from happening rather than helping it grow

  • suppress

    actively hold back something that might otherwise develop

文法句型

[situation] + breeds + [unpleasant result]

用法筆記

Subject is typically an abstract situation, environment, or condition — not a person acting deliberately. The result is almost always negative or undesirable. Common in formal writing, news reports, and social commentary.

常見錯誤

❌The manager bred good teamwork.
✅The manager encouraged good teamwork.
💡'breed' in this sense is almost always used for negative outcomes, not positive ones.

breeds — noun