dub

/dʌb/ (bre, ipa) · /dʌb/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdəb/ (ame, mw)

dub — verb

  • dubpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • dubshe / she / it
  • dubbedpast simple
  • dubbing-ing form

1. to give a person, thing, or place a descriptive or humorous name that reflects w

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to give a person, thing, or place a descriptive or humorous name that reflects what you think about them.

例句

Journalists dubbed the young athlete 'the rising star' after she won three gold medals.

dub + object + nickname in quotation marks

Local residents dubbed the old bridge 'the rattler' because it shakes when trucks cross it.

dub + place + nickname with reason clause

同義詞
  • call

    neutral and more common; 'dub' adds a sense of public or media labelling

  • label

    suggests a fixed or reductive category, often negative; 'dub' is less judgmental

  • nickname

    specifically for giving an informal name; 'dub' can be used for both people and things

文法句型

dub + object + noun phrase (the name/label)

用法筆記

Frequently used in journalism and informal speech. The nickname is usually placed in quotation marks or after 'a'/'an'. The object can be a person, a place, or a product.

常見錯誤

❌They dubbed their baby Emily.
✅They named their baby Emily.
💡'dub' gives a descriptive or humorous label, not an official name.
❌She dubbed him as the captain.
✅She dubbed him the captain.
💡no preposition 'as' is needed after 'dub' in this pattern.

2. to formally grant a man the title of knight in a ceremony where a monarch touche

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to formally grant a man the title of knight in a ceremony where a monarch touches both the man's shoulders using a sword while announcing his new rank.

例句

The queen dubbed the famous actor Sir Owen during a ceremony at Windsor Castle.

passive structure: monarch dubs + person + title

King Henry II dubbed several loyal soldiers after their victory in the battle of 1174.

historical context: monarch + dubs + multiple people

同義詞
  • knight

    used also as a verb but is much rarer; 'dub' is the traditional term

  • confer knighthood on

    more formal and descriptive, less common in everyday language

文法句型

dub + person + (a) knight

be dubbed (a) knight

用法筆記

Limited to the British honours system and historical contexts. The subject is usually a monarch or royal representative. The verb is most commonly used in the passive or in past-tense historical narrative.

常見錯誤

❌The president dubbed him a knight.
✅The queen dubbed him a knight.
💡knighthoods are conferred by the British monarch, not by political leaders.
❌She was dubbed a knight for her charity work.
✅She was made a dame for her charity work.
💡'dame' is the female equivalent; 'dub' is traditionally used for men.

3. to create a new audio track for a film or programme by recording over the existi

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

to create a new audio track for a film or programme by recording over the existing speech using a different language.

例句

The popular anime was dubbed into Spanish and became a hit across Latin America.

passive: be dubbed into [language]

The studio hired native speakers to dub the documentary into Mandarin and Cantonese.

active: hire + to dub + object + into + language

同義詞
  • translate

    broader — refers to written conversion, not replacing audio

  • re-voice

    more technical term for replacing audio in production; less common for learners

反義詞
  • subtitle

    adds text translation without replacing the original audio track

文法句型

dub + film/programme + into + language

dubbed + from + language + into + language

用法筆記

Distinguish from 'subtitle', which adds text without changing the audio. 'Dubbed into [language]' is the most common prepositional pattern. The past participle 'dubbed' is often used as an adjective before nouns like 'version', 'film', or 'series'.

常見錯誤

❌The movie was dubbed with Chinese subtitles.
✅The movie had Chinese subtitles.' or 'The movie was dubbed into Chinese.
💡dubbing replaces the audio; subtitles add on-screen text without changing the audio.

dub — noun