construe
/kənˈstruː/ (bre, ipa) · /kənˈstruː/ (ame, ipa) · /kən-ˈstrü/ (ame, mw)
construe — verb
- construepresent simple I / you / we / they
- construeshe / she / it
- construedpast simple
- construing-ing form
1. to decide what someone's words or actions are supposed to mean, often when the m
to decide what someone's words or actions are supposed to mean, often when the meaning is not clear or could be taken several ways.
Mira's silence at the meeting was construed as quiet disagreement by her team.
passive: be construed as + noun phrase
Reporters construed the minister's smile as a sign that talks were going well.
construe + object + as + noun phrase
A polite refusal can easily be construed as a personal insult in some cultures.
The judge warned the jury not to construe the witness's nervous laughter as a sign of guilt.
Camila's email was short and direct, and her boss construed it as a complaint.
- misconstrue
to construe in the wrong way; an actual error in interpretation
文法句型
construe + noun + as + noun/adjective
be construed as + noun phrase
用法筆記
Object must be something open to interpretation, such as words, looks, gestures, silence, or behaviour. Frequently passive ('was construed as'). Almost always followed by 'as' plus the chosen reading.
常見錯誤
construe — noun
1. in old-style language teaching, a translation of a Latin or Greek text done one
in old-style language teaching, a translation of a Latin or Greek text done one phrase at a time, used to show the grammar.
Professor Chiara handed each student a careful construe of the Latin poem.
noun: a construe of + a classical text
The textbook printed a literal construe beside the Greek verse to help beginners.
describes a word-by-word teaching translation
Élise compared two old construes of Homer to see how the grammar had been taught.
Most modern editions skip the construe and offer a smoother English version instead.
- literal translation
the everyday term for a word-by-word translation; far more common
- gloss
a short explanation or translation written beside a word or phrase
文法句型
a construe of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Restricted to discussion of classical-language teaching and old textbooks. Modern readers will more naturally say 'a literal translation' or 'a word-by-word translation'.