circling

/ˈsɜː.kəl/ (bre, ipa) · [sˈɚkəlɪŋ] /ˈsɝː.kəl/ (ame, ipa)

circling — verb

  • circlingpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • circlings3rd person singular
  • circlinging-ing form
  • circlingedpast simple

1. moving along a curved path that returns to the starting point, often repeatedly

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

moving along a curved path that returns to the starting point, often repeatedly above, around, or near a person, place, or thing.

例句

Two hawks were circling slowly above the dry field, watching for movement in the grass.

typical context: birds of prey circling overhead

The taxi kept circling the block while Camille looked for the right house number.

collocation: circling the block

同義詞
  • hovering

    staying in roughly the same spot in the air, usually without much sideways movement; 'circling' implies a curved path

  • orbiting

    stronger sense of repeated, regular curved motion around a fixed centre; more technical, common with planets and satellites

  • looping

    going round in a closed shape; often used of a single full circuit rather than repeated rounds

反義詞
  • approaching

    moving directly towards a point rather than going around it

文法句型

[subject] is circling

[subject] is circling [object]

用法筆記

Often used in continuous tenses ('was circling', 'are circling'). The subject is typically something that can move in a curved path — birds, aircraft, vehicles, or people on foot. With a direct object the meaning is 'going round it'; without one the meaning is 'going round in a curved path'.

常見錯誤

❌The plane was circling around the airport for an hour.
✅The plane was circling the airport for an hour.
💡'circle' already means 'go around', so adding 'around' is redundant in formal writing, though common in speech.
❌Birds are circling in the sky.' (when you mean a specific target)
✅Birds are circling above the lake.
💡use a place or object after 'circling' when you want to show what they are going around.

2. drawing a ring with a pen, pencil, or finger around a word, number, or item, usu

2.動詞及物B1
釋義

drawing a ring with a pen, pencil, or finger around a word, number, or item, usually to mark it as important or selected.

例句

Ziad was circling the wrong answers on his son's homework with a red pen.

typical context: marking errors on paper

Paloma sat at the kitchen table, circling job ads in the Sunday newspaper.

collocation: circling ads / listings in a paper

同義詞
  • marking

    broader; can mean any kind of mark (tick, cross, underline), while 'circling' is specifically drawing a ring

  • highlighting

    usually with a bright marker pen over the text; 'circling' draws a ring around it instead

  • ringing

    rare in this sense in modern English; sometimes used in British schools but less common than 'circling'

反義詞
  • crossing out

    drawing a line through something to cancel it, the opposite intention of selecting

文法句型

[subject] is circling [item on a page]

用法筆記

Subject is a person; the object is a written or printed item the person wants to highlight (a word, name, number, date, answer, ad). Distinguish from sense 1 — this is a small marking action on a flat surface, not movement through space.

常見錯誤

❌She was circling the answer with her pen on the screen.' (if it is a touchscreen click)
✅She was tapping the answer on the screen.
💡'circling' specifically means drawing a ring, not selecting digitally.
❌Underline and circling the key words.
✅Underline and circle the key words.
💡keep both verbs in the same form in instructions.

3. putting things or people into a ring-shaped arrangement so that they face each o

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

putting things or people into a ring-shaped arrangement so that they face each other or surround a central point.

例句

Mira was circling the chairs in the classroom so the students could see each other during the discussion.

typical context: classroom or therapy setup

The scouts started circling their tents around the campfire before nightfall.

pattern: circling [items] around [centre]

同義詞
  • arranging in a circle

    longer but clearer; the everyday way to express this meaning in spoken English

  • encircling

    stronger; suggests completely surrounding, often with the centre trapped or enclosed

反義詞
  • lining up

    putting things in a straight line rather than a ring

文法句型

[subject] is circling [objects, usually plural]

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (movement around) and sense 2 (drawing a ring on paper). Here the object is a set of physical things that the subject physically places into a ring shape. Less frequent than the first two senses; learners can usually rely on phrases like 'arrange in a circle' instead.

常見錯誤

❌He was circling the chair around the fire.' (single chair)
✅He was placing the chair beside the fire.
💡circling in this sense needs multiple items to form the ring.
❌They circling the wagons last night.
✅They were circling the wagons last night.
💡'-ing' forms need a form of 'be' in continuous tenses.