engender

/ɪnˈdʒendə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈdʒendər/ (ame, ipa) · /in-ˈjen-dər en-/ (ame, mw)

engender — verb

  • engenderpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • engendershe / she / it
  • engenderedpast simple
  • engendering-ing form

1. to cause a feeling, attitude, or situation to begin and grow

1.動詞及物C2
釋義

to cause a feeling, attitude, or situation to begin and grow

例句

The harsh cuts engendered fear among hospital staff before winter began.

engender + abstract noun for causing a result

Months of honest talks engendered trust between the village and police.

同義詞
  • cause

    the neutral everyday verb for making something happen

  • create

    broader and often used for bringing something into existence deliberately

  • provoke

    stronger and usually used for immediate negative reactions

  • foster

    often suggests helping a feeling or condition develop over time

文法句型

engender + feeling/result

engender + trust/fear/debate

用法筆記

Usually takes abstract objects such as trust, fear, debate, or resentment. It is common in formal, academic, and political writing, where everyday English often uses cause, create, or bring about instead.

常見錯誤

❌The oven engendered the bread in ten minutes.
✅The oven baked the bread in ten minutes.
💡'Engender' is used for feelings or situations, not ordinary physical making.
❌Her smile engendered me happy.
✅Her smile engendered happiness in me.
💡The verb takes the result as its object, not a person plus adjective.

2. for a man to have a child and become that child's father

2.動詞及物C2
釋義

for a man to have a child and become that child's father

例句

The duke engendered two sons before leaving for the border war.

engender + son/daughter/heir in historical or literary writing

Court records say the merchant engendered a daughter with his second wife.

同義詞
  • father

    the plain modern verb for being a child's male parent

  • beget

    a close formal synonym with a more biblical or literary tone

  • sire

    more literary or technical, especially in family lines or animal breeding

  • procreate

    more biological and less focused on the father's role

文法句型

engender + child/heir/offspring

be engendered by

用法筆記

This sense is archaic or literary and usually appears in history, genealogy, or old-style prose. The subject is typically the father, while the object is the child or heir.

常見錯誤

❌They engendered a baby together.
✅He engendered a child with her.
💡In this old formal sense, the father is usually the grammatical subject.
❌The family engendered him with love.
✅The family raised him with love.
💡This sense is about creating a child, not bringing one up.