compose

/kəmˈpəʊz/ (bre, ipa) · /kəmˈpəʊz/ (ame, ipa) · /kəm-ˈpōz/ (ame, mw)

compose — verb

  • composepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • composeshe / she / it
  • composedpast simple
  • composing-ing form

1. to write music, poetry, or other works that require careful thought and skill, s

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

to write music, poetry, or other works that require careful thought and skill, such as formal letters or essays

例句

Emre composed a short piece for piano to play at his best friend's wedding.

compose + piece of music

The poet composed a beautiful sonnet about the changing of the seasons.

compose + poetic work

同義詞
  • create

    more general, for any kind of making or producing

  • write

    broader, for any type of writing, not just formal

  • craft

    emphasizes skill and careful attention to detail

文法句型

compose + music/poem/letter

compose (intransitive, as a profession)

用法筆記

Unlike 'write', which works for any kind of writing, 'compose' suggests a careful, deliberate creative process. It is most common with music, poetry, and formal correspondence.

常見錯誤

❌I composed a quick note to my friend.
✅I wrote a quick note to my friend.
💡'Compose' sounds unnatural for casual or quick writing; it implies careful creation.

2. to be formed or made up of particular parts, elements, or people — used in the p

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to be formed or made up of particular parts, elements, or people — used in the passive form 'be composed of'

例句

The committee is composed of twelve members from different departments across the university.

be composed of + group members

Water is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.

be composed of + chemical elements

同義詞

文法句型

be composed of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Always used in the passive structure 'be composed of'. The active counterpart (sense 3) reverses the subject and object: the parts become the subject.

常見錯誤

❌The team is composed by five experts.
✅The team is composed of five experts.
💡Always use 'of', not 'by', after 'composed'.

3. to form a larger unit as the parts or elements that make it up — for instance, t

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

to form a larger unit as the parts or elements that make it up — for instance, the different age groups that compose a town's population

例句

Women compose more than half of the university's teaching staff this year.

parts + compose + whole group

Solar and wind power now compose nearly a third of the region's electricity supply during the summer months.

同義詞
  • constitute

    formal, interchangeable in most cases

  • form

    general, less formal

  • make up

    informal, common in spoken English

文法句型

noun (parts) + compose + noun (whole)

用法筆記

The active counterpart of 'be composed of' (sense 2). The parts form the subject of the sentence. Not used in the passive.

常見錯誤

❌Twelve chapters are composed of the book.' (same structure as sense 2)
✅Twelve chapters compose the book.
💡Sense 3 is active; the parts are the subject.

4. to calm your inner feelings of nervousness, anger, or worry so that you feel qui

4.動詞及物B2
釋義

to calm your inner feelings of nervousness, anger, or worry so that you feel quiet and in control again

例句

Lara took a deep breath and closed her eyes to compose herself before the interview.

compose + reflexive pronoun (oneself)

After the heated argument, Ilan sat down quietly and tried to compose his thoughts.

compose + thoughts / mind

同義詞
  • calm down

    phrasal verb, more informal and common in everyday speech

  • collect oneself

    idiomatically similar, focus on gathering one's thoughts

  • settle

    broader meaning, can apply to situations as well as people

反義詞
  • agitate

    to make someone feel worried or angry

文法句型

compose + reflexive pronoun

用法筆記

Used only reflexively with 'compose + oneself' or 'compose + one's thoughts/mind'. The focus is on the internal feeling of calm returning.

常見錯誤

❌The music composed the angry audience.
✅The audience composed themselves after the interruption.
💡This sense is always reflexive; you compose yourself, not someone else.

5. to arrange your face, voice, or body language so that you appear calm in front o

5.動詞及物C1
釋義

to arrange your face, voice, or body language so that you appear calm in front of others, even if you still feel upset inside

例句

Walid composed his face into a neutral expression before opening the meeting room door.

compose + face/expression

Apinya took a moment to compose herself after the difficult phone call before returning to the dinner table.

compose oneself + return after an upsetting event

同義詞
反義詞

文法句型

compose + reflexive pronoun/expression/features/voice

用法筆記

Also reflexive, but unlike sense 4, the focus is on controlling the OUTWARD appearance — your face, voice, or expression — rather than the internal feeling. The person may still feel upset inside.

6. to put text, pictures, and other elements into an ordered page layout for a prin

6.動詞及物C1
釋義

to put text, pictures, and other elements into an ordered page layout for a printed book, magazine, newspaper, or digital publication

例句

The designer composed the newspaper page using professional layout software on her computer.

compose + page / newspaper layout

Before printing the book, the editor composed each page with careful attention to spacing.

同義詞
  • lay out

    more common in modern English, especially in design contexts

  • arrange

    general, works for any type of organization

  • set

    traditional printing term, now rare

文法句型

compose + page/document/text/layout

用法筆記

A technical term from traditional printing and desktop publishing. In modern everyday conversation, 'lay out' or 'design' is more common than 'compose'.