insure
/ɪnˈʃʊə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈʃʊr/ (ame, ipa) · /in-ˈshu̇r -ˈshər-/ (ame, mw)
insure — verb
- insure,present simple I / you / we / they
- insurepresent simple I / you / we / they
- insures,he / she / it
- insureshe / she / it
- insured,past simple
- insuredpast simple
- insuring,-ing form
- insuring-ing form
1. to regularly pay a company so that, if your property is damaged, stolen, or you
to regularly pay a company so that, if your property is damaged, stolen, or you are hurt or die, the company gives you a sum of money
Daichi insured his new bicycle against theft before he even rode it home.
insure + [object] + against + [risk type]
The shopkeeper decided to insure the building for twice its market value.
insure + [object] + for + [amount]
Megan's parents insured her against accidents before she left for university.
Pim discovered that his luggage was not insured after it went missing at the airport.
Ayesha insured the car before driving off the lot and registered it locally.
- cover
more informal; used in everyday insurance talk ('Does this policy cover flood damage?')
- protect
broader meaning; not limited to financial insurance
- underwrite
formal and from the provider's side, not the customer's
文法句型
insure + noun phrase
insure + noun phrase + against + risk
insure + noun phrase + for + amount
be insured
用法筆記
The object is typically the person, property, or item being protected. The preposition 'against' introduces the risk or danger; 'for' introduces the sum of money the company will pay.
常見錯誤
2. to sell an insurance policy to someone, agreeing to pay them money if something
to sell an insurance policy to someone, agreeing to pay them money if something bad happens to their property, health, or life
The company refused to insure the old warehouse because of its faulty wiring.
refuse to insure — rejection of risk
Several firms compete to insure professional athletes against career-ending injuries.
insure + [someone] + against + [risk]
The broker offered to insure Joaquín's new restaurant for public liability claims.
That agency mainly insures cargo ships travelling between Asia and Europe.
Henry was insured by a small mutual company that specialised in farm equipment.
- underwrite
formal term used in the insurance industry for agreeing to accept the risk
- cover
informal; 'Does your policy cover storm damage?'
文法句型
insure + someone + against + risk
insure + something
be insured by + company
用法筆記
The subject of this sense is the insurance company or broker, not the customer. For the customer's perspective, use sense 1. The object is the person or thing being protected.
常見錯誤
3. to take steps ahead of time so that a particular outcome or situation definitely
to take steps ahead of time so that a particular outcome or situation definitely comes about
The team double-checked the safety ropes to insure that no climber would get hurt.
insure + that-clause for certainty
Ilan called the airline twice to insure his seat on the morning flight.
insure + noun phrase (direct object)
The mayor ordered extra street cleaning to insure the parade route looked its best.
Zayd installed a backup generator to insure the bakery could stay open during power cuts.
- risk
to put something in a position where failure is possible
- jeopardize
to put something in danger of failing or being lost
文法句型
insure + that-clause
insure + noun phrase
用法筆記
This sense overlaps with 'ensure' (meaning 'make certain'). In American English, 'insure' is sometimes used this way in formal writing, though 'ensure' is far more common. In British English, 'insure' is almost never used for this meaning — use 'ensure' instead. Stick to 'ensure' in everyday writing to avoid confusion.