detain
/dɪˈteɪn/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈteɪn/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈtān dē-/ (ame, mw)
detain — verb
- detainpresent simple I / you / we / they
- detainshe / she / it
- detainedpast simple
- detaining-ing form
1. To keep a person in custody by official authority, not allowing them to leave fr
To keep a person in custody by official authority, not allowing them to leave freely — typically because the person is suspected of a crime or needs to answer investigators' questions.
Police detained Ziad for two hours after finding his car near the bank.
detain + for [time period]
Immigration officials detained Liang at the airport when his visa expired.
detained at [place] by [authority]
Mira was detained by security guards after she tried to enter without a pass.
The police detained the two men for questioning about the weekend robbery.
Officials can detain a traveller whose documents look incorrect or unusual.
- hold
more general and less formal; can refer to any situation where someone is kept somewhere
- take into custody
more formal and specific to police procedure; implies the person is under arrest
- confine
suggests restriction to a small space for a longer period
文法句型
detain + person
be detained + for + reason/time
be detained + at + place
用法筆記
Often used in the passive voice (be detained). The subject is a person under suspicion, not a convicted criminal. Distinguish from Sense 3, where the detention is ordered by a court rather than by police or officials.
常見錯誤
2. When something detains you, it causes you to arrive somewhere later than you pla
When something detains you, it causes you to arrive somewhere later than you planned or to spend more time in a place than you expected, usually for a short period.
A long phone call detained Jack at the office and made him late for dinner.
detained by [something] at [place]
Eve was detained by an urgent meeting that ran past six o'clock.
The teacher detained the class after the bell because nobody had finished the test.
Joaquín said, "Please do not let me detain you if you need to leave."
A heavy rainstorm detained the hikers on the mountain trail for an extra hour.
- speed up
to make something happen faster
- hurry along
to make someone move or act more quickly
文法句型
detain + person
be detained + by + thing/event
let me detain you (polite request)
用法筆記
Common in polite expressions such as 'I won't detain you any longer' or 'I don't want to detain you.' The cause of the delay can be a person, an event, or a thing. Unlike Sense 1, there is no suggestion of official authority or suspicion.
常見錯誤
3. When a court or judge detains someone, it orders the person to be kept in prison
When a court or judge detains someone, it orders the person to be kept in prison for a period of time decided by the legal system rather than for a fixed sentence — often while waiting for a trial or because the person is considered dangerous.
The judge ordered that the prisoner be detained until the start of the trial.
detained until [event] (court order)
Anthony was detained in prison while the court prepared his case.
Under the new law, suspects can be detained for up to a year without trial.
Iker was detained by court order because the judge considered him a danger to others.
The court detained the defendant to make sure he would appear at the trial.
- imprison
suggests a fixed sentence for a crime rather than pre-trial or indeterminate detention
- incarcerate
very formal and technical; used in legal and official contexts
- lock up
informal; can refer to any situation where someone is put in a locked space
文法句型
detain + person
be detained + in + prison/institution
be detained + until + event
court orders that + person + be detained
用法筆記
Used in formal legal contexts. This sense differs from Sense 1 in that the detention is ordered by a court or judge — not by police or officials acting independently. The period is typically longer than in Sense 1, and the person is usually kept in a prison rather than a police station.