err

/ɜː(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /er/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈer ˈər/ (ame, mw)

err — verb

  • errpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • errshe / she / it
  • erredpast simple
  • erring-ing form

1. to do something that is wrong or incorrect, especially when you believe you are

1.動詞不及物B2
釋義

to do something that is wrong or incorrect, especially when you believe you are doing the right thing or when the correct choice is not obvious

例句

Mei-Lin realised she had erred when she checked the bank statement against her receipts.

err + past perfect: had erred + when-clause

The committee erred in rejecting the funding application before reading the full report.

err + in + verb-ing describing the mistaken action

同義詞
  • make a mistake

    neutral register; far more common in everyday speech

  • blunder

    stronger — implies a serious or careless mistake

  • miscalculate

    narrower — specifically about numbers or judgments

反義詞

文法句型

err + in + noun phrase

err + by + verb-ing

err as a standalone verb

用法筆記

Frequently occurs in formal or written contexts. The idiom 'to err is human' (from the proverb 'to err is human, to forgive divine') is the most well-known fixed use. In everyday speech, 'make a mistake' is far more common than 'err'.

常見錯誤

❌I erred the test questions.
✅I erred in answering the test questions.
💡'err' is intransitive and cannot take a direct object; you must use a preposition (in, by) or a clause.
❌He erred a mistake on the form.
✅He erred when he filled out the form.
💡'err' already means 'make a mistake', so 'err a mistake' is redundant.
❌The cashier erred at the total.
✅The cashier erred in calculating the total.
💡'err at' is not idiomatic; use 'err in' plus the action that was wrong.

2. to move away from the correct path, direction, or expected route, either physica

2.動詞不及物C1
釋義

to move away from the correct path, direction, or expected route, either physically or in a more abstract sense such as losing focus during a discussion or argument

例句

A hiker who errs from the trail may get lost in the woods for hours.

err + from + noun phrase indicating the correct path

The discussion began well, but it soon strayed into unrelated complaints about office policies.

stray + into + noun phrase for where the conversation drifts

同義詞
  • stray

    more common; works for both physical and figurative wandering

  • wander

    implies aimless movement rather than deviation from a known path

  • digress

    only figurative — specifically about speech or writing

反義詞

文法句型

err + from + noun phrase

err as a standalone verb

用法筆記

This is the earlier, more literal meaning of 'err' (from Latin 'errare' = to wander). It is now rare in modern English outside literary or historical texts. The physical sense (straying from a path) is less common than the figurative sense (straying from a topic or standard). Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is about factual correctness; sense 2 is about direction or focus.

常見錯誤

❌The car erred from the road.
✅The car strayed from the road.
💡'stray' or 'veer' is the natural word for physical vehicles; 'err' sounds archaic.
❌The children erred from the tour group.
✅The children wandered away from the tour group.
💡'err' is too formal for everyday situations involving people moving.