drill
/drɪl/ (bre, ipa) · /drɪl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdril/ (ame, mw)
drill — noun
- drillsingular
- drillsplural
1. a hand-held device that uses a rotating pointed metal end to create round openin
a hand-held device that uses a rotating pointed metal end to create round openings in hard materials such as wood, metal, or stone walls.
Tariq used an electric drill to put shelves up in the kitchen.
electric drill — common compound noun
The dentist's drill made a humming noise that made Anya feel nervous.
Mateo borrowed a heavy-duty drill from his neighbour to fix the fence.
A cordless drill is useful for quick repair jobs around the house.
文法句型
a + drill
drill + noun (as modifier)
用法筆記
Often modified by a type adjective such as electric, cordless, power, or hand. The compound drill bit refers to the interchangeable cutting part, not the whole tool.
常見錯誤
2. a structured exercise in which the same actions or steps are repeated many times
a structured exercise in which the same actions or steps are repeated many times to build a skill, improve coordination, or prepare for an emergency, used especially in military, sports, or safety training.
The school holds a fire drill every month so students know how to leave the building.
fire drill — common compound for emergency practice
New soldiers spent the whole morning on basic marching drills in the field.
Amira's basketball team does passing drills at the start of every practice.
The flight attendants went through an emergency evacuation drill before the first flight.
- practice
a broader term for any repeated activity to improve a skill; drill implies a more structured, often military-style routine
- exercise
focuses on the physical or mental activity itself, whereas drill emphasises repetition and discipline
- training
a longer-term programme of skill-building; a drill is one component of training
文法句型
a + drill (fire drill, emergency drill)
drill + noun (drill practice)
do + drill
用法筆記
Commonly appears in compounds such as fire drill, emergency drill, marching drill, and evacuation drill. In military contexts, drill as an uncountable noun refers to the overall training activity ('the soldiers spent hours on drill').
常見錯誤
3. a style of electronic trap music with fast, heavy beats and spoken lyrics, origi
a style of electronic trap music with fast, heavy beats and spoken lyrics, originally from Chicago and later popular in London, often describing a tough life in city neighbourhoods.
Dahlia listens to drill while she works out at the gym.
drill (uncountable) — no article for the genre
The concert featured three drill artists from South London.
Minho wrote a school report about how drill spread from Chicago to the UK.
Many young musicians use online platforms to share their drill tracks with fans.
文法句型
drill music
drill (as genre name)
用法筆記
Uncountable — you cannot say 'a drill' to mean this genre. Use 'a drill track' or 'drill music' for a countable reference. Distinguish from noun sense 1 (the tool), which is countable.
常見錯誤
drill — verb
- drillpresent simple I / you / we / they
- drills3rd person singular
- drilling-ing form
- drilledpast simple
1. to use a tool with a spinning pointed end to create a round opening in a hard su
to use a tool with a spinning pointed end to create a round opening in a hard surface, such as a wall, piece of wood, or sheet of metal.
Tuan drilled three holes in the wall before hanging the mirror.
drill + hole — direct object pattern
Workers are drilling into the street to fix a broken water pipe.
drill into [surface] — common intransitive pattern
Allison drilled a small hole in the wooden box so the cable could pass through.
The dentist drilled carefully into the tooth to remove the decay.
- bore
similar meaning but slightly more formal; 'bore' often suggests a larger or deeper hole, e.g. in mining or engineering
文法句型
drill + noun (hole, wall, wood)
drill + into + noun
drill + through + noun
用法筆記
Frequently used with an adverb of manner (carefully, slowly, gently) because drilling requires precision. The object is typically the surface being drilled or the hole itself — 'drill the wall' (surface) vs 'drill a hole' (result).
常見錯誤
2. to train a person or group by making them repeat the same movements or actions a
to train a person or group by making them repeat the same movements or actions again and again, especially in a military, sports, or safety-preparedness setting.
The sergeant drilled the new soldiers on the parade ground every morning.
drill + people [on something] — transitive pattern with topic
Shanti's choir drilled the same song until every voice sang in perfect harmony.
The office team drilled for earthquake safety procedures twice that month.
Police officers drill regularly so they stay ready for emergency situations.
- train
a broader, less intense term; training can involve explanation and theory, whereas drilling focuses on repeated physical or mental practice
- coach
more specific to sports or individual skill improvement; coaching includes guidance and feedback, not just repetition
- exercise
usually intransitive ('the soldiers exercised'); less authoritative than being drilled by someone else
文法句型
drill + noun (soldiers, team, students)
drill + for + noun (emergency, event)
drill (intransitive — soldiers drill)
用法筆記
When transitive, the object is the person or group being trained, not the skill itself. For the skill or action, use 'drill + someone + on/in something' ('The coach drilled the team on defensive moves').
常見錯誤
3. to make someone learn facts, rules, or habits by telling them the same thing rep
to make someone learn facts, rules, or habits by telling them the same thing repeatedly until it stays in their memory — for example, a coach drilling safety rules into players, or a parent drilling a phone number into a child.
The coach drilled the safety rules into the players before every match.
drill [fact] into [person] — fixed prepositional pattern
Eli's mother drilled the emergency phone number into him from a young age.
The teacher drilled the multiplication tables into the class until everyone could say them quickly.
Anong's father drilled good table manners into his children at every dinner.
- instil
more formal and softer in tone; 'instil' suggests gentle gradual influence rather than forceful repetition
- hammer into
more informal and forceful; 'hammer into' is a phrasal verb with a stronger sense of pressure
- drum into
very similar in meaning and tone; 'drum into' also emphasises repeated, rhythmic insistence
文法句型
drill + something + into + someone
drill + someone + on + something
用法筆記
Almost always used with the preposition 'into' followed by the person. The pattern is 'drill + [what is taught] + into + [who learns it]'. This sense carries a tone of firm, insistent teaching — it is not gentle or optional.