directing

/daɪˈrekt/ (bre, ipa) · [dɚˈɛktɪŋ] /dɪˈrekt/ (ame, ipa) · [dɚˈɛktɪŋ] /də-ˈrekt How to pronounce direct (audio) dī-/ (ame, mw)

directing — verb

  • directingpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • directings3rd person singular
  • directinging-ing form
  • directingedpast simple

1. managing a project, group, or activity and deciding how the work should move for

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

managing a project, group, or activity and deciding how the work should move forward.

例句

Mert is directing the food drive while the principal is away.

be directing + event while holding responsibility

Amira spent the afternoon directing volunteers at the beach clean-up.

spend + time + directing + people

同義詞
  • managing

    broader because it also covers planning, budgets, and staffing beyond the live activity

  • supervising

    stresses watching work closely rather than shaping the whole course of it

  • coordinating

    focuses on making parts work together, sometimes with less authority than directing

反義詞
  • neglecting

    suggests failing to give the work the control or attention it needs

文法句型

be directing + project/team/event

spend + time + directing + work

directing + operation/activity + kept + someone + place/time

用法筆記

The object is usually a team, event, project, or operation already in progress. Distinguish from sense 6: this sense is about running work, not issuing a formal order for one action.

常見錯誤

❌Amira was directing for the volunteers all afternoon.
✅Amira was directing the volunteers all afternoon.
💡use a direct object for the people or work you are managing.

2. controlling where moving vehicles should go so they can pass a place safely or e

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

controlling where moving vehicles should go so they can pass a place safely or efficiently.

例句

Ramón is directing traffic around the flooded underpass near the station.

directing traffic around an obstacle

Two officers spent an hour directing cars away from the warehouse fire.

directing vehicles away from danger

同義詞
  • routing

    focuses on sending vehicles along a particular path rather than physically controlling the scene

  • guiding

    broader and less specific to road traffic

  • marshalling

    more formal; often used by event staff or transport workers organizing vehicle lines

文法句型

be directing + traffic/cars/buses

directing + vehicles + around/away from + problem

directing + drivers + through + roadworks

用法筆記

This sense usually appears with traffic, cars, buses, or drivers, plus route words such as around, away from, into, and through. It is narrower than sense 5, which is about showing an individual person the route to a destination.

常見錯誤

❌The officer was directing the cars to left.
✅The officer was directing the cars to the left.
💡use a full direction phrase after the vehicle.

3. leading a film, play, or musical performance and shaping how the performers do i

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

leading a film, play, or musical performance and shaping how the performers do it.

例句

Christopher is directing a school play about two brothers on an island.

be directing + play

Mira spent last winter directing a short film in a fishing village.

spend + time + directing + film

同義詞
  • staging

    used especially for theatre and focuses on putting the performance on stage

  • conducting

    used for orchestras or choirs rather than films or spoken drama

  • producing

    broader business role that may include money and logistics, not only artistic control

文法句型

be directing + play/film/show

directing + rehearsal/production + kept + someone + place/time

be directing + orchestra/ensemble

用法筆記

The object is the production or performing group. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is specifically about artistic performance and interpretive choices rather than general workplace management.

常見錯誤

❌Christopher is directing on a school play.
✅Christopher is directing a school play.
💡take the production directly, not with 'on'.

4. aiming light, air, water, a camera, or another object toward a chosen place or t

4.動詞及物B2
釋義

aiming light, air, water, a camera, or another object toward a chosen place or target.

例句

Pim is directing the torch toward the attic window so Emily can climb out.

directing light toward a target

Mert knelt by the path, directing the hose at the dusty flower beds.

directing water at a target area

同義詞
  • aiming

    the clearest everyday alternative when the target matters most

  • pointing

    works best when the object has a visible line or tip

  • channeling

    stresses sending a flow such as air, heat, or water through a route

文法句型

be directing + light/air/water + at/toward + target

directing + object + onto + surface

directing + camera + at + subject

用法筆記

The object is usually a beam, flow, tool, or device, followed by at, toward, or onto. Distinguish from sense 5: here the thing being aimed is the object itself, not a person receiving route instructions.

常見錯誤

❌Pim was directing the torch to the wall.
✅Pim was directing the torch at the wall.
💡use 'at' or 'toward' for the target you are aiming at.

5. telling someone which way to go so they can reach the place they need.

5.動詞及物B1
釋義

telling someone which way to go so they can reach the place they need.

例句

Amira is directing tourists to the night market from the station exit.

directing people to a destination

At the help desk, Yan spent all morning directing parents to the sports hall.

help-desk context: directing people to a place

同義詞
  • guiding

    broader because it can include walking with the person rather than just telling the route

  • pointing

    lighter and often just uses a gesture without fuller instructions

  • sending

    focuses on where the person goes next, not on the directions themselves

反義詞
  • misdirecting

    sending someone the wrong way by mistake or on purpose

文法句型

be directing + person + to + place

directing + visitors/patients + from + place + to + place

directing + driver + to + destination

用法筆記

The object is the person who needs the route, and the destination usually follows with to. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about helping someone get somewhere, not controlling the flow of road traffic.

常見錯誤

❌The volunteer directed the clinic to the lift.
✅The volunteer directed the patients to the lift.
💡the object should be the person receiving the directions, not the building.

6. giving an official instruction that someone must do a particular thing.

6.動詞及物C1
釋義

giving an official instruction that someone must do a particular thing.

例句

The judge is directing both lawyers to return after lunch.

formal pattern: direct + object + to-infinitive

A memo from headquarters is directing staff to change every password today.

written instruction directing staff to act

同義詞
  • ordering

    the most direct everyday equivalent, often less formal in tone

  • instructing

    can sound slightly softer and more procedural than directing

  • commanding

    stronger and often linked to military rank or unquestioned authority

反義詞
  • allowing

    permits a choice instead of giving a required action

文法句型

be directing + person/group + to + verb

memo/order/court + is directing + person/group + to + verb

directing + crew/staff + to + action

用法筆記

Common in legal, military, administrative, and other formal contexts. It usually takes a person or group plus a to-infinitive, and it is stronger and more authoritative than sense 1.

常見錯誤

❌The memo directed staff changing passwords.
✅The memo directed staff to change their passwords.
💡use object + to-infinitive after this formal sense.