liberate

/ˈlɪbəreɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlɪbəreɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈli-bə-ˌrāt/ (ame, mw)

liberate — verb

  • liberatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • liberateshe / she / it
  • liberatedpast simple
  • liberating-ing form

1. to release a person, animal, or place from captivity, control, or a harmful situ

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to release a person, animal, or place from captivity, control, or a harmful situation, giving them back their freedom.

例句

Mei and the other aid workers helped liberate the village from the armed group that had controlled it for months.

liberate + noun + from + noun phrase

The firefighters broke down the door to liberate the family trapped inside the burning house.

同義詞
  • free

    more general and everyday; 'free' is used for smaller-scale or literal situations

  • release

    focuses on the act of letting go from physical restraint

  • emancipate

    more formal and legal, especially about slavery or systemic oppression

反義詞
  • imprison

    to put someone in prison or keep them captive

  • confine

    to keep someone within limits or in a restricted space

文法句型

liberate + noun + from + noun phrase

用法筆記

Often used in political or humanitarian contexts when discussing countries, prisoners, or oppressed groups. The passive form 'was liberated' is common in historical narratives.

常見錯誤

❌She liberated herself from the elevator.
✅She freed herself from the elevator.
💡'liberate' usually implies someone else doing the freeing, not an escape the trapped person achieves alone.
❌Please liberate me from this boring meeting.
✅Please get me out of this boring meeting.
💡'liberate' is too dramatic for informal everyday situations in English.

2. to take something without permission, especially in a playful or mildly dishones

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to take something without permission, especially in a playful or mildly dishonest way — for example, taking pens from an office or snacks from a shared kitchen.

例句

Wei liberated a handful of biscuits from the staff room while nobody was watching.

informal register: liberated for 'stole'

Someone has liberated my favourite mug from the office kitchen again.

同義詞
  • take

    neutral and straightforward

  • pinch

    British informal, very similar in tone to this sense of 'liberate'

  • swipe

    informal, slightly more forceful than 'liberate'

反義詞
  • return

    to give something back to its owner

  • give back

    informal phrasal verb meaning to return something

文法句型

liberate + noun

用法筆記

This is a jocular or euphemistic use — the speaker knows the action is technically stealing but presents it as harmless. It is common in British English but less so in American English, where 'liberate' in this sense may sound odd or forced.

常見錯誤

❌The thief liberated the jewellery from the safe.
✅The thief stole the jewellery from the safe.
💡'liberate' sounds too playful for a serious crime; use 'steal' for genuine theft.
❌I liberated her wallet when she was not looking.
✅I took her wallet when she was not looking.
💡Using 'liberate' for taking someone's personal belongings sounds rude rather than playful.