perpetuate

IPA/pəˈpetʃueɪt/
KK[pɚpˈɛtʃəwˌet]IPA/pərˈpetʃueɪt/

perpetuate — verb

  • perpetuatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • perpetuateshe / she / it
  • perpetuatedpast simple
  • perpetuating-ing form

1. to help a situation, belief, or way of doing things stay in place over time, esp

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to help a situation, belief, or way of doing things stay in place over time, especially when it is harmful, unfair, or based on incorrect ideas — for example, repeating lies that strengthen a hurtful stereotype, or paying very low wages that keep poverty going in a community.

例句

Ritu's decision to stay silent only perpetuated the unfair system at her company.

perpetuate + noun phrase (unfair system)

The old law perpetuated a cycle of poverty that affected three generations in the village.

collocation: perpetuate a cycle

同義詞
  • prolong

    more neutral — just means 'make last longer'; does not carry the negative judgment of perpetuate

  • sustain

    can be positive or neutral — focuses on supporting or keeping something going rather than continuing it through time

  • maintain

    neutral — suggests active effort to keep something in its current state, not necessarily over a long period

  • continue

    simpler, everyday word — often intransitive; perpetuate is always transitive and more formal

反義詞
  • end

    direct opposite — to stop something from continuing

  • abolish

    stronger — to formally put an end to a system, practice, or institution

  • eradicate

    stronger still — to destroy something completely so it cannot return

文法句型

perpetuate + noun phrase

用法筆記

The object of perpetuate is almost always a negative or undesirable thing — a harmful belief, an unfair system, a damaging cycle, or a mistaken idea. The subject is often an institution, policy, tradition, or repeated behaviour rather than a specific person acting intentionally.

常見錯誤

❌The concert perpetuated for three hours.
✅The concert continued for three hours.
💡perpetuate is transitive and means keeping something alive or going, not simply lasting over time.
❌The good news perpetuated her happiness.
✅The good news prolonged her happiness.
💡perpetuate usually takes a negative or neutral object (a problem, a myth, a cycle), not a positive feeling.