fumes
fumes — noun
1. gas or smoky air with a sharp smell that can make breathing unsafe
gas or smoky air with a sharp smell that can make breathing unsafe
Exhaust fumes drifted into the bus when the driver opened the rear door.
exhaust fumes drift into [place]
Elena felt sick after breathing paint fumes in the small bedroom.
paint fumes after indoor work
Kitchen fumes set off the alarm while Yael fried fish for dinner.
The workers wore masks because the cleaning fumes stung their eyes.
文法句型
exhaust fumes
paint fumes
breathe in fumes
用法筆記
Usually plural in this meaning. It often refers to exhaust, paint, or chemical air that people may breathe in by accident.
常見錯誤
fumes — verb
1. to send bad-smelling gas or smoky air into the surrounding space
to send bad-smelling gas or smoky air into the surrounding space
The old heater fumes badly whenever Christopher forgets to clean the filter.
machine fumes when not maintained
That cheap glue still fumes after hours in the warm classroom.
material fumes after being opened
The truck fumes heavily as it climbs the hill behind the school.
The cracked battery fumes inside the torch after the rain gets in.
文法句型
[machine] fumes
[substance] fumes in the heat
用法筆記
Usually has a machine, liquid, or chemical as the subject. In everyday English, many speakers prefer 'give off fumes', so the single-word verb often sounds technical.
常見錯誤
2. to place something in smoke or gas so it is changed, protected, or cleaned
to place something in smoke or gas so it is changed, protected, or cleaned
The museum fumes old books each spring to kill hidden insects.
fume [object] to kill insects
A greenhouse worker fumes the soil before planting winter tomatoes.
fume the soil before planting
The lab fumes wooden boxes so mold will not spread inside.
The grain company fumes stored rice after rats enter the warehouse.
文法句型
fume the soil
fume stored grain
fume books against insects
用法筆記
The object is the thing being treated, such as soil, books, grain, or a room. This sense is technical and usually appears in agriculture, storage, or conservation work.
常見錯誤
3. to feel very angry and show that anger without calming down quickly
to feel very angry and show that anger without calming down quickly
Rania fumes for hours after the airline loses her suitcase.
fume after something unfair happens
The coach fumes on the bench after the referee ignores the foul.
fume after a decision
Ife quietly fumes when strangers cut in front of the line.
Nellie fumes over the rent increase but signs the paper anyway.
- calm
become less angry or stay in control
文法句型
fume over [something]
fume at [someone]
quietly fume
用法筆記
Often followed by over or at the cause of the anger. It suggests visible, ongoing anger, not a brief flash or a calm complaint.