decide
/dɪˈsaɪd/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈsaɪd/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈsīd dē-/ (ame, mw)
decide — verb
- decidepresent simple I / you / we / they
- decideshe / she / it
- decidedpast simple
- deciding-ing form
1. to look at the different possibilities available and pick one as your plan or ac
to look at the different possibilities available and pick one as your plan or action after giving each some thought.
Min decided to study engineering after visiting a robotics lab.
decide + to-infinitive for choosing an action
The committee decided on a date for the school festival after a long meeting.
decide on + noun for selecting an option
"Have you decided where to go for your honeymoon?" Felipe asked his sister.
After trying on three different jackets, Élise finally decided on the black one.
Nkechi decided that she would apply to the nursing programme in Kumasi.
- hesitate
to delay or be uncertain before choosing
文法句型
decide + to-infinitive
decide + that-clause
decide + wh-clause
decide on/about + noun/gerund
decide + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently followed by a to-infinitive or a that-clause. The pattern 'decide on [noun/gerund]' emphasises the option selected rather than the act of choosing.
常見錯誤
❗ 'I decided joining the club.' ✅ 'I decided to join the club.' — Use a to-infinitive, not a gerund, after 'decide.'
❗ 'I decided going to the beach.' ✅ 'I decided on going to the beach.' — Use 'decide on' before a gerund.
2. to directly shape or control what ends up happening in a situation, so that a pa
to directly shape or control what ends up happening in a situation, so that a particular factor is the main reason for the final result.
The quality of the ingredients often decides how good a dish will taste.
decide + wh-clause for the factor that controls a result
One more goal from Ziad would decide the winner of the championship.
The weather usually decides whether the outdoor market opens or stays closed.
Benjamin's score on the final exam decided which university he could enter.
文法句型
decide + that-clause
be decided by + noun/noun phrase
用法筆記
Subject is usually a thing or a situation (a factor, event, or condition), not a person making a conscious choice. Frequently used with wh-clauses ('whether', 'how', 'which').
3. to give a binding and final judgement on a dispute, case, or question that has b
to give a binding and final judgement on a dispute, case, or question that has been brought before a court, judge, or official panel.
The Supreme Court decided the case in favour of the local community.
decide + case + in favour of — legal construction
A panel of three judges decided the custody dispute after hearing both sides.
The arbitration board decided that the company must pay back its workers.
It took the jury two days to decide whether the accused was guilty.
- adjudicate
strictly legal; more technical and narrower in scope
- rule
common in both legal and non-legal official settings
- resolve
broader; can be used in legal or non-legal contexts to mean 'bring to a close'
文法句型
decide + a case/dispute/matter
decide + that-clause
be decided in favour of + noun
用法筆記
Primarily used in legal and formal procedural contexts. The object is usually a case, dispute, appeal, or similar matter. Distinguish from sense 1: here, the result carries official authority.
常見錯誤
❗ 'The judge decided his son to study law.' ✅ 'The judge decided that the contract was valid.' — In legal sense 3, 'decide' takes a case or that-clause, not a person.
4. to be the final reason that makes someone choose a particular course of action a
to be the final reason that makes someone choose a particular course of action after a period of uncertainty.
The low price of the flat near the station finally decided Samir to make an offer.
decide + person + to-infinitive — causative pattern
What decided Mayumi in favour of the job offer was the flexible working hours.
what decided + person — fronted-clause pattern
Seeing the puppy's sad eyes decided the girl to adopt it from the shelter.
The teacher's encouraging words decided Erik to try out for the school play.
- persuade
more common and less formal; emphasises the act of convincing rather than the deciding factor
- prompt
suggests the reason triggered the decision without the element of finality
- tip the balance for
idiomatic; emphasises that the factor was the small but decisive one
文法句型
decide + person + to-infinitive
what decided + person + was/were + noun
be decided + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Frequently used in the structure 'what decided + person + was + reason.' The object is always a person or group capable of making a choice. This pattern is more common in written than spoken English.