cave
/keɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /keɪv/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkāv/ (ame, mw)
cave — noun
1. a natural hollow space found in rock, such as inside a mountain or cliff, or any
a natural hollow space found in rock, such as inside a mountain or cliff, or any similar space located below the ground
The children found a shallow cave behind the waterfall.
noun with location preposition: cave behind + noun
Scientists discovered a huge cave beneath the desert floor.
collocation: discover a cave
The old cave was once used as a shelter by local villagers.
A cold stream flows out of the cave and down the hillside.
Tourists are not allowed to enter the cave without a guide.
常見錯誤
cave — verb
1. to finally agree to a demand or request after refusing at first, usually because
to finally agree to a demand or request after refusing at first, usually because someone has put pressure on you or convinced you over time
The company caved in to the workers' demands for better safety equipment.
cave in to + noun phrase
Leila refused at first but finally caved and let her son go to the concert.
cave (without in) as standalone verb
After weeks of complaints from parents, the school board caved in.
The mayor refused to cave in to pressure from property developers.
Theo caved in and bought his daughter the expensive toy she wanted.
- resist
to continue refusing in spite of pressure
- stand firm
to keep your position without giving way
文法句型
cave in + to + noun
用法筆記
Can be used with or without the particle 'in' in this sense, though 'cave in' (with object introduced by 'to') is the most common pattern. The bare form 'cave' is more informal and appears mainly in conversation.
常見錯誤
2. to stop putting effort into a contest and simply accept that the other side has
to stop putting effort into a contest and simply accept that the other side has won, especially in sports or games
The home team caved in after conceding two quick goals in the second half.
sports context with time reference
Ravi played well for three sets but caved when his opponent raised the pace.
The defending champion refused to cave and fought back from two goals down.
Young players sometimes cave under the pressure of a final match.
- persevere
to keep trying despite difficulty
- hold one's nerve
to stay calm and confident under pressure
文法句型
cave in
cave (sports context)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (GIVE IN): this sense is specifically about competitive situations where someone stops trying to win, not about agreeing to someone else's demand. The particle 'in' is optional; 'cave under pressure' is a common pattern in sports reporting.