illustrate

/ˈɪləstreɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɪləstreɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈi-lə-ˌstrāt also i-ˈlə-/ (ame, mw)

illustrate — verb

  • illustratepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • illustrateshe / she / it
  • illustratedpast simple
  • illustrating-ing form

1. to add drawings, paintings, diagrams, or other pictures to publications such as

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to add drawings, paintings, diagrams, or other pictures to publications such as books and magazines, making the text more attractive or easier to follow.

例句

Rodrigo spent the summer illustrating a children's book about rainforest animals.

collocation: illustrate + a book / magazine / article

The textbook publisher hired Hyun to illustrate the science chapters with clear diagrams.

passive pattern: be illustrated by/with

同義詞
  • draw

    broader in meaning — drawing can be done for any purpose, not specifically for a publication

  • depict

    focuses on representing something realistically rather than adding decorative visuals

  • picture

    informal synonym; can also mean to form a mental image

文法句型

illustrate + noun (book, magazine, article, story)

be illustrated by/with + noun

用法筆記

Commonly used in the passive form (be illustrated by/with) when the focus is on the publication itself rather than the artist. The subject is typically a book, magazine, article, or other printed work.

常見錯誤

❌The story illustrates beautiful pictures.
✅The story contains beautiful illustrations.' or 'The story is illustrated with beautiful pictures.
💡'illustrate' means to add pictures to something; the pictures themselves are not the object of the verb.

2. to help explain something or prove it is true by offering examples, telling stor

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to help explain something or prove it is true by offering examples, telling stories, or presenting relevant facts.

例句

Brooke's sudden fall illustrated how dangerous the icy path truly was.

illustrate + how clause

The biology teacher illustrated the cell structure by showing a large model to the class.

collocation: illustrate + noun + by + gerund

同義詞
  • demonstrate

    implies showing by action or evidence, often more practically than 'illustrate'

  • clarify

    focuses on removing confusion, not necessarily by giving examples

  • explain

    broader — can use any method, not specifically examples

  • show

    more general and informal; can mean to make evident without deliberate explanation

反義詞
  • obscure

    to make something unclear or hard to understand

  • confuse

    to make something more difficult to grasp

文法句型

illustrate + noun (point, problem, need, concept)

illustrate + how/what/why clause

illustrate something by doing something

用法筆記

Frequently used in academic, business, and formal contexts. Can be followed by a question word (how, what, why) or a that-clause. The subject is often a fact, event, statistic, or example — not typically a person.

常見錯誤

❌Let me illustrate you the problem.
✅Let me illustrate the problem for you.
💡'illustrate' takes a direct object (what you explain), not an indirect object. Use 'for' to introduce the person you are explaining to.
❌I illustrated the meaning by I gave examples.
✅I illustrated the meaning by giving examples.
💡After 'by', use the gerund (-ing form), not a clause.