colonize

/ˈkɒlənaɪz/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkɑːlənaɪz/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkä-lə-ˌnīz/ (ame, mw)

colonize — verb

  • colonizepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • colonizeshe / she / it
  • colonizedpast simple
  • colonizing-ing form

1. to make another land your own by moving settlers there and ruling the people who

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to make another land your own by moving settlers there and ruling the people who already live in it

例句

By 1900, the empire had colonized several islands and built ports there.

past perfect: had colonized + place

History class examined how Spain colonized the region and taxed local farmers.

同義詞
  • occupy

    can describe military control without the idea of moving settlers in

  • settle

    focuses on moving to live somewhere, often without political control

  • annex

    formal word for adding land to a state, often in law or politics

反義詞
  • decolonize

    to end colonial rule and remove that outside control

文法句型

colonize + place

用法筆記

Usually used about states or empires, with a country or region as the object. It suggests lasting settlement and control, not a short military attack.

2. if plants, animals, or bacteria colonize a place, they begin living there and in

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

if plants, animals, or bacteria colonize a place, they begin living there and increase in number

例句

Small crabs quickly colonized the new mangrove roots after the storm.

animals colonize a habitat

Within a year, moss had colonized the damp bricks behind the school.

同義詞
  • spread

    broader and less technical; it does not always suggest settling in a new habitat

  • establish

    can mean to become firmly present, but it is less specific about biological growth

反義詞
  • die out

    means the living thing disappears instead of becoming established

文法句型

colonize + habitat

colonize + surface

用法筆記

Most often used in science for species, plants, or bacteria. The subject is the living thing that spreads, not the place being spread into.

3. to spread through a place or line of work so strongly that you crowd others out

3.動詞及物C2
釋義

to spread through a place or line of work so strongly that you crowd others out or shape how it operates

例句

Cheap souvenir shops have colonized the old station road in recent years.

shops colonize a place

One video app has colonized teenage life so completely that teachers mention it in class.

colonize + area of activity

同義詞
  • dominate

    focuses on control, without the image of spreading into every part of a space

  • take over

    more general and more informal; it may describe a single sudden change

反義詞

文法句型

colonize + place

colonize + field of activity

用法筆記

Common in critical writing about business, media, or culture. It often suggests unwelcome control or crowding rather than neutral growth.