dwell on

dwell on — phrasal verb

  • dwell onbase form
  • dwells on3rd person singular
  • dwelling on-ing form
  • dwelt onpast simple

1. to let your mind stay on a sad or unpleasant subject for too long, finding it ha

1.片語動詞及物B2
釋義

to let your mind stay on a sad or unpleasant subject for too long, finding it hard to stop thinking about it and move on

例句

After losing the match, Mei-Lin did not dwell on her mistake but began training again.

dwell on + noun phrase (mistake)

Kwame urged his brother to stop dwelling on the past and focus on the future.

stop + dwelling on + noun phrase

同義詞
  • brood over

    Focuses on the mood of sadness or resentment; slightly more emotional and literary

  • fixate on

    Emphasises the inability to stop thinking; can be used for neutral or positive topics too

  • linger on

    Suggests staying with a topic longer than necessary, but is less negative

  • ruminate on

    More formal; suggests deep, repetitive thought rather than casual worry

反義詞
  • let go of

    Suggests releasing a concern mentally and emotionally

  • move on from

    Neutral and forward-looking; focuses on the action of continuing

文法句型

dwell on + noun phrase

dwell on + wh-clause

用法筆記

Commonly used in negative constructions and advice contexts such as 'don't dwell on' or 'stop dwelling on'. The object is usually a past event, mistake, or negative topic rather than a positive memory.

常見錯誤

❌I dwell on the beautiful sunset I saw yesterday.
✅I dwell on the mistake I made during the meeting.
💡'dwell on' is used for unpleasant or negative topics, not for happy memories.
❌He dwells on about his problems.
✅He dwells on his problems.
💡'dwell on' takes a direct object without a preposition like 'about'.