cure
cure — noun
- curesingular
- curesplural
1. a treatment or medicine that brings a person's health back after they have been
a treatment or medicine that brings a person's health back after they have been ill
Linh's doctor said there is no simple cure for the virus, but rest can help.
collocation: no cure for [illness]
Hugo was glad that researchers are testing a new cure for his family's lung disease.
collocation: a cure for [disease]
Defne went to a special clinic hoping to find a cure for her skin condition.
Aunt Rosa's old cure — drinking hot tea with honey — helped my sore throat.
Scientists believe that in twenty years they may find a cure for most cancers.
- remedy
softer, more natural term for home or herbal treatments
- treatment
broader — includes care over time, not just a single cure
- medication
specific to drugs rather than any healing method
- cause
the thing that makes someone sick
文法句型
cure + for + disease
用法筆記
Often followed by 'for' ('a cure for diabetes'). 'Find a cure' and 'there is no cure' are common fixed expressions used in both medical and metaphorical contexts.
常見錯誤
2. a way of fixing a difficulty or unwanted situation so that it stops being a prob
a way of fixing a difficulty or unwanted situation so that it stops being a problem
Ilan believes that better education is the only cure for the problem of online scams.
collocation: cure for [problem]
Daichi said that there is no quick cure for the city's traffic problems — it takes time.
Megan thinks that more green spaces in the city would be a cure for stress.
The city is looking for a cure for the housing shortage that no policy can fix alone.
文法句型
cure + for + problem
用法筆記
Common in the structure 'cure for [problem]' — e.g. 'a cure for unemployment'. Often appears in negative constructions ('no easy cure', 'no quick cure').
cure — verb
- curepresent simple I / you / we / they
- cureshe / she / it
- curedpast simple
- curing-ing form
1. to bring a person who is sick back to full health by removing their illness or d
to bring a person who is sick back to full health by removing their illness or disease
Élise took the antibiotics for two weeks, and they cured her chest infection completely.
Ritu's cat was cured of a serious illness after the vet's treatment.
passive: be cured of [illness]
The doctors cured Nkechi of the disease within a month using a new drug.
No medicine can cure a cold overnight, but rest helps your body fight it.
When six-year-old Minh caught pneumonia, the doctors at the clinic cured him with a strong course of antibiotics.
文法句型
cure + someone + of + illness
cure + illness
用法筆記
Common in passive constructions ('was cured of'). The pattern 'cure someone of [illness]' is more frequent in formal and medical writing than 'cure someone's illness' alone.
常見錯誤
2. to help a person stop a harmful habit or give up something they should not do
to help a person stop a harmful habit or give up something they should not do
Gabriela joined a support group to help cure herself of the habit of biting her nails when she is nervous.
pattern: cure oneself of [habit]
Lukas's parents hope the summer camp will cure him of his laziness.
Putri tried everything to cure her addiction to sugary drinks, but it took her a year.
The therapy sessions helped cure Benjamin of his fear of speaking in public.
文法句型
cure + someone + of + habit/fear/addiction
用法筆記
Almost always used in the pattern 'cure someone of [habit/fear]'. The 'of' preposition is essential — 'cure someone's addiction' is possible but 'cure someone of their addiction' is far more natural.
常見錯誤
3. to remove a difficulty or successfully deal with an unwanted situation so it no
to remove a difficulty or successfully deal with an unwanted situation so it no longer exists
Aaron believes that the best way to cure the bullying problem is a peer-support program.
collocation: cure a [problem]
The new policy helped cure many of the office's communication problems.
No single law can cure the deep social divisions that have built up over decades.
The school board hopes that better funding will cure the teacher shortage in rural areas.
文法句型
cure + problem/situation/difficulty
用法筆記
Often takes abstract objects such as 'problem', 'situation', 'difficulty', 'division', 'unemployment'. Less common with concrete objects.
常見錯誤
4. to preserve meat, fish, or other food by adding salt, smoke, or other substances
to preserve meat, fish, or other food by adding salt, smoke, or other substances that stop it from going bad
In the coastal village, the fishermen cure their catch with salt and hang it to dry.
The butcher showed us how to cure pork with salt, sugar, and spices before smoking it.
pattern: cure [meat] with [substance]
People have cured meat for thousands of years to keep it from spoiling.
Smoked salmon is made by curing fresh fish with salt and wood smoke.
文法句型
cure + meat/fish + with + salt/smoke
用法筆記
Typically used as a passive participle ('cured ham', 'cured salmon'). The object is almost always meat, fish, or pork products — not vegetables or fruit.