expanding

/ɪkˈspænd/ (bre, ipa) · [ɪkspˈændɪŋ] /ɪkˈspænd/ (ame, ipa) · [ɪkspˈændɪŋ] /ik-ˈspand/ (ame, mw)

expanding — verb

  • expandingpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • expandings3rd person singular
  • expandinging-ing form
  • expandingedpast simple

1. to take up more space, cover a wider area, or have a greater impact — seen when

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

to take up more space, cover a wider area, or have a greater impact — seen when businesses add locations, towns build outward, or people develop their abilities.

例句

The Watanabe family expanded their restaurant by adding a second floor for private dining.

transitive: expand + [direct object]

Dewi's vocabulary expanded quickly after she moved to London for her studies.

intransitive: subject expands (no object)

同義詞
  • grow

    more natural for living things or organic processes; 'expand' is slightly more formal

  • enlarge

    more specific to physical size; less common for abstract concepts like business

  • increase

    focuses on numbers or amounts rather than physical space

反義詞
  • shrink

    suggests becoming smaller in size or amount

  • contract

    more formal, often used for materials or businesses cutting back

文法句型

expand + [noun phrase]

expand + adverb/preposition

expand into + [noun phrase]

用法筆記

This sense is often used with prepositions like into (new territory), from/to (size change), and by (manner of increase). The transitive and intransitive forms are both common; the transitive form needs a direct object (someone expands something), while the intransitive form does not (something expands).

常見錯誤

❌The company expanded their business in China.' (when meaning 'started' rather than 'grew an existing presence').
✅The company expanded their business in China.
💡this is correct if they already had operations there and grew them; use 'establish' or 'set up' if starting from nothing.

2. to discuss a topic at greater length by adding extra information and explanation

2.動詞不及物B2
釋義

to discuss a topic at greater length by adding extra information and explanation to what was first mentioned briefly — for example, a lecturer giving more detail about a point touched on earlier in a talk.

例句

The professor paused to expand on the economic theory she had introduced earlier.

expand on + [topic]

Nikhil refused to expand upon his earlier comment, which left the team confused.

expand upon + [comment/statement]

同義詞
  • elaborate on

    more common in everyday formal writing; 'expand on' is slightly shorter

  • develop

    suggests building out an idea step by step, often in writing

  • expound on/upon

    more formal and scholarly; suggests a systematic explanation

反義詞
  • summarise

    to give only the main points without detail

  • condense

    to make shorter while keeping essential meaning

文法句型

expand on/upon + [topic]

用法筆記

Nearly always used intransitively with the preposition 'on' or 'upon'. The object of discussion follows the preposition — 'expand on a topic', 'expand upon an idea'. This sense does not take a direct object (do not say 'expand something' to mean elaborate). Distinguish from sense 1 where 'expand' can take a direct object ('expand the business').

常見錯誤

❌The speaker expanded his earlier remarks.' (direct object with this sense).
✅The speaker expanded on his earlier remarks.
💡use 'on/upon' after 'expand' when you mean 'elaborate'.