modulate

/ˈmɒdjəleɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmɑːdʒəleɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmä-jə-ˌlāt/ (ame, mw)

modulate — verb

  • modulatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • modulateshe / she / it
  • modulatedpast simple
  • modulating-ing form

1. to deliberately vary how loud, high, or sharp your voice sounds, so that it carr

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to deliberately vary how loud, high, or sharp your voice sounds, so that it carries a chosen feeling — for example, dropping into a soft register to calm someone, or sharpening into a brisk tone to take charge.

例句

Jabari modulated his voice to a near-whisper as the toddler began to fall asleep.

modulate + voice (volume control)

Newsreaders are trained to modulate their tone so the bad news does not sound cheerful.

passive-style training context: trained to modulate

同義詞
  • inflect

    narrower — refers to pitch movement within a phrase, often grammatical.

  • soften

    covers only the quieter direction, not stronger or sharper changes.

文法句型

modulate + noun (voice/tone/pitch)

用法筆記

Subject is almost always a person; object is usually 'voice', 'tone', 'pitch', or 'delivery'. Implies deliberate, skilful control — not random change.

常見錯誤

❌The radio modulated my voice during the call.
✅The radio carried my voice during the call.
💡modulate in this sense needs a conscious human controller, not a device acting on you.

2. to make small, careful adjustments to an activity, plan, or biological process s

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to make small, careful adjustments to an activity, plan, or biological process so that it fits the situation better — for example, slowing a treatment, dialling down a policy's strictness, or steadying a body system.

例句

The doctor modulated Christopher's medication after the first week of side effects.

modulate + medication (clinical regulation)

Good teachers modulate the difficulty of homework according to how a class is coping.

modulate + difficulty (responsive adjustment)

同義詞
  • regulate

    broader and more neutral; modulate implies fine, sensitive tuning.

  • calibrate

    stronger emphasis on measurement and precision against a standard.

  • adjust

    everyday word; modulate suggests ongoing rather than one-off change.

文法句型

modulate + noun (process/response/dose)

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (voice): here the object is a process, dosage, policy, or biological response, never a vocal feature. Subject is often an institution, system, or skilled person.

常見錯誤

❌The new law modulated completely.
✅The new law modulated the rules.
💡needs a direct object naming what is being adjusted.

3. to combine a signal carrying sound or pictures with a stronger radio wave so the

3.動詞及物C2
釋義

to combine a signal carrying sound or pictures with a stronger radio wave so the information can travel through the air — the way a microphone's signal is added to a transmitter's carrier wave for FM radio.

例句

FM stations modulate the frequency of the carrier wave to transmit music with clean sound.

modulate + frequency (FM definition)

Engineers in the studio modulate the audio signal before it leaves the antenna.

broadcast workflow: modulate before transmission

同義詞
  • encode

    broader — covers any signal-to-format mapping, not only the carrier-wave technique.

反義詞
  • demodulate

    the reverse operation — recovering the original signal from the carrier.

文法句型

modulate + noun (signal/wave/carrier)

用法筆記

Technical engineering use — assumes a 'carrier' that gets altered (amplitude-, frequency-, or phase-). Often appears in passive voice and in noun forms 'modulation' or 'modulator'.

常見錯誤

❌The DJ modulated the song loudly in the booth.
✅The DJ played the song loudly in the booth.
💡playing a track is not modulating; modulation alters a carrier signal.

4. in a piece of music, to move smoothly from one key to a different key by passing

4.動詞及物 / 不及物C2
釋義

in a piece of music, to move smoothly from one key to a different key by passing through chords or notes that belong to both — for example, shifting from C major to G major in the middle of a song.

例句

The choir modulated from C major to D major between the second and third verses.

modulate from X to Y (key change)

Pop songs often modulate up a semitone in the final chorus for extra lift.

intransitive: modulate up a semitone

同義詞
  • transpose

    shifts an entire piece to a new key, rather than changing key mid-piece.

文法句型

modulate from X to Y

modulate into [key]

用法筆記

Used both intransitively ('the piece modulates to F minor') and transitively ('modulate the chorus a tone higher'). Almost always followed by a preposition naming the destination key: 'to', 'into', 'up', 'down'.

常見錯誤

❌The singer modulated the lyrics loudly.
✅The singer sang the lyrics loudly.
💡this sense is about key change, not loudness.