prone
/prəʊn/ (bre, ipa) · [prˈon] /prəʊn/ (ame, ipa) · [prˈon] /ˈprōn/ (ame, mw) · [prˈon] /proʊn/ (ame, ipa)
prone — adjective
- pronepositive
- pronercomparative
- pronestsuperlative
1. having a built-in tendency to experience or do a particular thing, usually somet
having a built-in tendency to experience or do a particular thing, usually something unwelcome such as an illness, mistake, accident, or damage.
Niran is prone to migraines whenever the weather changes suddenly.
be prone to + noun (illness)
Wooden houses near the coast are prone to damage from salty sea air.
inanimate subject + prone to + noun (damage)
Teenagers who skip breakfast are more prone to making careless mistakes at school.
Reema warned the new driver that small cars are prone to skidding on icy roads.
Older laptops with broken fans can be prone to overheating during long video calls.
- susceptible
interchangeable for illnesses or harmful effects; slightly more formal and medical
- liable
stresses the legal or logical likelihood of a bad result; often heard with penalties or fines
- inclined
covers behaviour and tendencies generally, not only negative outcomes; broader than 'prone'
文法句型
be prone to + noun
be prone to + verb-ing
be prone to + infinitive
用法筆記
Almost always followed by 'to' plus a noun or -ing form; the thing the subject is prone to is typically negative (illness, mistakes, damage, accidents). Often passive in feel because the subject suffers the outcome rather than causes it.
常見錯誤
2. stretched out horizontally so that the chest, stomach, and face point downwards,
stretched out horizontally so that the chest, stomach, and face point downwards, typically in medical, military, or exercise settings.
The nurse asked Emre to lie prone to check the wound on his back.
medical context: lie prone for examination
Soldiers stayed prone in the long grass to avoid being seen by the patrol.
stay/remain prone for concealment
Sivan slept prone on the sofa, with one arm dangling over the edge.
After the explosion, two workers were found prone on the warehouse floor.
Yoga teachers often ask beginners to start in a prone position before lifting the chest.
文法句型
lie prone
be in a prone position
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 by the absence of 'to' — this sense describes physical body posture and is almost always the predicate after 'be', 'lie', 'remain', or inside the fixed phrase 'in a prone position'. Contrasts with 'supine' (face up).
常見錯誤
prone — verb
- pronepresent simple I / you / we / they
- prones3rd person singular
- proning-ing form
- pronedpast simple
1. to move a person, especially a patient, into a face-down body posture, often to
to move a person, especially a patient, into a face-down body posture, often to help breathing or raise the level of oxygen in the blood.
Doctors decided to prone the patient to improve oxygen flow to her damaged lungs.
transitive medical use: prone the patient
ICU teams often prone patients with severe pneumonia for several hours a day.
subject is a clinical team; object is a patient
Sora reminded the team to prone the elderly man very carefully after his hip surgery.
During the pandemic, staff at the hospital were trained to prone unconscious patients within minutes.
- turn over
everyday phrasal-verb alternative used by family members and non-specialists
- reposition
broader clinical term covering any change of body position, not only face-down
- supinate
specialist verb for turning a patient onto their back
文法句型
prone + somebody
prone the patient
用法筆記
Only used in medical writing and clinical speech, mainly about turning patients with breathing problems. Outside hospitals you will rarely meet this verb; everyday English uses 'turn (someone) face down' or 'lay (someone) on their stomach'.