distil

/dɪˈstɪl/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈstɪl/ (ame, ipa)

distil — verb

  • distilpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • distillpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • distilshe / she / it
  • distillshe / she / it
  • distilledpast simple
  • distilling-ing form
  • distills3rd person singular

1. to separate and collect a purer liquid, or make a strong drink, by heating a liq

1.動詞及物 / 不及物C1
釋義

to separate and collect a purer liquid, or make a strong drink, by heating a liquid into vapour and then collecting the drops that form as the vapour cools

例句

The small lab distilled seawater to make safe drinking water.

distil + liquid to make another liquid

Meera learned how rice wine is distilled in clay pots.

passive: be distilled

同義詞
  • purify

    Broader and less method-specific; it does not require heating and cooling

  • refine

    Can mean making a substance purer, but it is wider than the still-based process of distil

  • extract

    Focuses on taking something out, not necessarily by evaporation and condensation

反義詞
  • contaminate

    To make a liquid impure instead of separating it into a purer form

文法句型

distil + liquid/material

distil + noun + from + source

be distilled in/from + container or source

用法筆記

British spelling; American English usually writes distill. Common with water, alcohol, and plant oils, and often appears in passive descriptions of how a product is made.

常見錯誤

❌We distilled the cups before the guests arrived.
✅We washed the cups before the guests arrived.
💡distil is a heat-based process for liquids, not ordinary cleaning.

2. to take a large amount of information, experience, or argument and express only

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to take a large amount of information, experience, or argument and express only the part that matters most

例句

Olivia distilled three hours of debate into a one-page summary.

distil + into + short form

From ten customer emails, Wei distilled two main problems.

distil + lesson or point from source material

同義詞
  • condense

    Emphasizes making something shorter; distil more strongly suggests selecting the essence

  • summarize

    Neutral and broad; distil often sounds more selective and analytical

  • extract

    Focuses on pulling out one key thing, while distil can reshape the whole material into a clear form

反義詞
  • expand

    To add detail instead of reducing material to its key point

文法句型

distil + information/experience

distil + noun + into + shorter form

distil + lesson/idea + from + source

用法筆記

Common in formal writing, teaching, and presentations. Often followed by into plus a shorter form such as a summary, list, or set of choices, or by from plus the larger source.

常見錯誤

❌Please distil the report by deleting every detail.
✅Please distil the report into its three main points.
💡distil means pulling out the core ideas, not cutting text blindly.