nullify

/ˈnʌlɪfaɪ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈnʌlɪfaɪ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈnə-lə-ˌfī/ (ame, mw)

nullify — verb

  • nullifypresent simple I / you / we / they
  • nullifieshe / she / it
  • nullifiedpast simple
  • nullifying-ing form

1. to officially make a contract, ruling, election result, or other formal act stop

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to officially make a contract, ruling, election result, or other formal act stop counting in law, so it can no longer be used or enforced.

例句

The city's curfew order was nullified by a state judge after a late-night hearing.

common passive: be nullified by a judge or court

The court nullified Ada's contract because the seller had forged her signature.

同義詞
  • invalidate

    formal; stresses that something fails a rule or requirement

  • void

    legal and concise; often used for contracts, cheques, or warranties

  • overturn

    used especially when a higher court reverses an earlier decision

反義詞
  • uphold

    to keep a ruling, law, or decision in force

  • validate

    to confirm that something is legally or officially valid

文法句型

nullify + noun phrase (contract, order, vote, fine)

be nullified by + court / judge / official body

用法筆記

Usually used in legal, government, or other official settings. The object is normally a law, contract, ruling, vote, fine, or similar act that an authority can declare unenforceable.

常見錯誤

❌The restaurant nullified our reservation.
✅The restaurant cancelled our reservation.
💡Use 'cancel' for everyday arrangements; 'nullify' is much more official and legal.
❌The judge nullified the thief.
✅The judge nullified the search warrant.
💡The object is the document, ruling, or result, not the person.

2. to wipe out the result or advantage of something, leaving it unable to work as i

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to wipe out the result or advantage of something, leaving it unable to work as intended or no longer worth having.

例句

Blackout curtains nullified the morning light, so Evelyn slept until ten.

nullify + force or influence

A printing error nullified weeks of careful work before the flyers were mailed.

同義詞
  • cancel out

    more everyday; often used when one force balances another

  • offset

    suggests balancing a cost, loss, or weakness with something else

  • undo

    broader and more everyday; often means reversing a result

反義詞
  • strengthen

    to make an effect, advantage, or result stronger

  • preserve

    to keep an effect, gain, or benefit from being lost

文法句型

nullify + noun phrase (effect, benefit, effort, lead, gain)

be nullified by + problem / force / cost

用法筆記

The object is usually an effect, benefit, effort, lead, gain, or plan rather than a legal document. This sense often suggests that one force cancels another, or that a later problem makes earlier work useless.

常見錯誤

❌The school nullified tomorrow's picnic because of rain.
✅The school cancelled tomorrow's picnic because of rain.
💡Use 'cancel' for stopping an event before it happens.
❌The vitamin drink nullified my sleepiness.
✅The vitamin drink reduced my sleepiness.
💡'nullify' is a formal word for cancelling an effect or advantage, not ordinary body feelings.