dispatched
dispatched — verb
- dispatchedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- dispatcheds3rd person singular
- dispatcheding-ing form
- dispatchededpast simple
1. to send a person, a vehicle, or goods away to a chosen place so that something g
to send a person, a vehicle, or goods away to a chosen place so that something gets done there.
The warehouse dispatched Anjali's birthday parcel to Taipei the same afternoon.
dispatch + object + to + place
Headquarters dispatched two ambulances to the scene of the bus crash.
subject is usually an organisation
The newspaper dispatched Rodrigo to Kyiv as a war correspondent for six months.
Three police officers were dispatched to the bank after the alarm went off.
Esme phoned the pharmacy and asked them to dispatch the prescription by courier.
文法句型
dispatch + object + to + place
dispatch + object + as + role
用法筆記
Subject is usually an organisation, agency, or person in authority — not a casual sender. Frequently passive ('was dispatched to').
常見錯誤
2. to kill a person or animal, usually swiftly and without struggle.
to kill a person or animal, usually swiftly and without struggle.
The vet quietly dispatched the injured deer behind the barn.
object is a suffering animal being put down humanely
In the novel, Eli dispatches the villain with a single blow to the head.
literary register: villain dispatched
The hunter dispatched the wounded boar before it could charge again.
Two of the kidnappers were dispatched by police snipers before dawn.
- spare
let live when killing was possible
文法句型
dispatch + object (the victim)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 — the object here is a living being, and the verb implies finality. Common in news reports, fiction, and hunting or veterinary contexts; avoid in everyday talk about death.
常見錯誤
3. to deal with a piece of work, business, or even food, getting it done or finishe
to deal with a piece of work, business, or even food, getting it done or finished off rapidly.
Dahlia dispatched the morning's email backlog in less than an hour.
object is a workload or task pile
The committee dispatched the agenda before lunch and went home early.
subject is a working group
Hungry after the hike, Liang dispatched a large bowl of noodles in five minutes.
The lawyer dispatched the routine paperwork so she could focus on the trial.
- handle
neutral; doesn't imply speed
- polish off
informal; works for both tasks and food, similar speed nuance
- complete
neutral; says nothing about how quickly
- postpone
push the task to a later time instead of finishing now
文法句型
dispatch + object (the task)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 — here nothing physical is being sent anywhere; the focus is on the speed and efficiency of completion. Object is typically a task, list, agenda, or meal.
常見錯誤
dispatched — noun
1. the action of sending people, vehicles, or goods to a chosen place.
the action of sending people, vehicles, or goods to a chosen place.
Zayd signed the form to authorise the dispatch of medical supplies to the camp.
the dispatch of [goods] to [place]
The dispatch of troops to the border surprised many local residents.
the dispatch of [personnel]
The factory keeps a log of every dispatch leaving its loading bay.
Bad weather delayed the dispatch of the relief flight by two days.
- receipt
the action of receiving what was sent
文法句型
the dispatch of + noun
用法筆記
Often paired with 'of' to name what is being sent. Subject of the action is usually an organisation rather than a private person.
2. a written report, news item, or military letter sent quickly from somewhere far
a written report, news item, or military letter sent quickly from somewhere far away, often a war zone or foreign capital.
Niran read the latest dispatch from the front line and frowned.
a dispatch from [war zone]
The reporter filed her dispatch from Cairo just before the curfew began.
file a dispatch (journalism collocation)
Old dispatches in the museum showed how the general begged for more soldiers.
Every morning the editor scans the overnight dispatches from foreign correspondents.
- report
neutral; 'dispatch' adds remoteness and urgency
- communiqué
official statement, usually government to public; 'dispatch' goes back up the chain of command
- bulletin
short official news update; less personal than a dispatch
文法句型
a dispatch from + place
用法筆記
Almost always written, never spoken communication. Sender is typically a journalist, a diplomat, or a military officer reporting upward.
常見錯誤
3. the official military reports in which a soldier's brave or notable actions are
the official military reports in which a soldier's brave or notable actions are formally named, used almost only in the fixed phrase 'mentioned in dispatches'.
Walid's grandfather was mentioned in dispatches twice during the desert campaign.
fixed phrase: be mentioned in dispatches
Being mentioned in dispatches counts as a formal recognition of bravery short of a medal.
fixed phrase, almost always plural
The young officer hoped to be mentioned in dispatches after the river crossing.
Three nurses were mentioned in dispatches for working under heavy shelling at the field hospital.
- commendation
broader; any official praise, not tied to military reports
文法句型
be mentioned in dispatches
用法筆記
Only sense that is locked to a fixed phrase. Distinguish from sense 2 — sense 2 is the message itself; sense 3 is the soldier's appearance inside such messages as a form of honour.
常見錯誤
4. putting an animal or human being to death, usually in one quick and final stroke
putting an animal or human being to death, usually in one quick and final stroke.
The film lingers on the slow dispatch of the wounded horse.
the dispatch of [animal]
Old battlefield accounts describe the brutal dispatch of prisoners after the siege.
the dispatch of [persons]
Iker turned away during the bullfight and did not watch the final dispatch.
The mystery novel ends with the quiet dispatch of the corrupt minister in his study.
文法句型
the dispatch of + victim
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 — sense 1 is about sending things to a place; this sense is about ending a life. Almost always preceded by 'the'.
5. the quality of finishing work quickly and without fuss, often used in the phrase
the quality of finishing work quickly and without fuss, often used in the phrase 'with dispatch'.
Justin handled the legal paperwork with such dispatch that the deal closed by Friday.
fixed phrase: with dispatch
The hotel manager dealt with the complaint with quiet dispatch.
with + adjective + dispatch
Meera praised the new clerk for her speed and dispatch in clearing the backlog.
The judge asked counsel to proceed with all due dispatch.
- promptness
more everyday; same core meaning
- efficiency
broader; about results without waste, not just speed
- celerity
very literary; pure speed without the efficiency overtone
- delay
the opposite quality
文法句型
with dispatch
act with dispatch
用法筆記
Often appears in fixed phrases ('with dispatch', 'with all due dispatch') rather than alone. Common in legal and business writing.