imprisoned

/ɪmˈprɪz.ən/ (bre, ipa) · [ˌɪmprˈɪzənd] /ɪmˈprɪz.ən/ (ame, ipa)

imprisoned — verb

  • imprisonedpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • imprisoneds3rd person singular
  • imprisoneding-ing form
  • imprisonededpast simple

1. to lock a person inside a prison so that they cannot leave, usually as a punishm

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to lock a person inside a prison so that they cannot leave, usually as a punishment after a court has found them guilty of a crime.

例句

The judge imprisoned Felipe for ten years after the bank robbery trial.

imprison + somebody + for + length of sentence

Padma was imprisoned for writing newspaper articles that criticised the new government.

passive: be imprisoned for + offence

同義詞
  • jail

    everyday word; often used in news writing and casual speech

  • incarcerate

    formal and legalistic; common in official or academic writing

  • lock up

    informal phrasal verb; everyday spoken style

  • detain

    implies holding without (or before) a formal sentence — police custody, immigration, wartime

反義詞
  • release

    let the person leave prison, usually after the sentence ends or is cancelled

  • free

    broader; can also mean setting hostages or captives loose, not only prisoners

  • acquit

    court finds the person not guilty, so no prison sentence happens at all

文法句型

imprison + somebody

be imprisoned for + offence

be imprisoned in + place

用法筆記

Frequently passive: the subject is usually the person locked up rather than the authority doing the locking. The active form often pairs with a court, government, or armed group as the subject.

常見錯誤

❌The thief was imprisoned to the city jail.
✅The thief was imprisoned in the city jail.
💡use 'in' (location), not 'to', after 'imprisoned'.
❌They imprisoned him in five years.
✅They imprisoned him for five years.
💡use 'for' with the length of the sentence.