quench
/kwentʃ/ (bre, ipa) · /kwentʃ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkwench/ (ame, mw)
quench — verb
- quenchpresent simple I / you / we / they
- quencheshe / she / it
- quenchedpast simple
- quenching-ing form
1. to drink enough water or another liquid until you stop wanting to drink anymore.
to drink enough water or another liquid until you stop wanting to drink anymore.
After the long hike up the hill, Amihan quenched her thirst with cold coconut water.
collocation: quench [one's] thirst
Nothing quenches a child's thirst on a summer afternoon better than a glass of cold lemonade.
subject is the drink, object is the thirst
Diya carried a large bottle of water on the bus to quench her thirst.
The runners quenched their thirst at the water station after finishing the race.
文法句型
quench + thirst
用法筆記
Object is almost always 'thirst'. The subject can be either the person who drinks ('Amihan quenched her thirst') or the drink itself ('water quenches your thirst').
常見錯誤
2. to make a fire or flame stop burning, usually by pouring water on it.
to make a fire or flame stop burning, usually by pouring water on it.
The villagers worked through the night to quench the flames before they reached the wheat fields.
object: flames / fire / blaze
Rania emptied a bucket of sand over the camping stove to quench the small fire.
Heavy rain finally quenched the forest fire that had been burning for three days.
The old wooden barn burned so fiercely that no amount of water could quench it.
- extinguish
neutral and most common in everyday speech and safety instructions.
- put out
informal everyday phrasal verb; same meaning.
- douse
emphasises pouring a large amount of liquid; often used of flames.
文法句型
quench + fire/flames
用法筆記
More formal and literary than 'put out' or 'extinguish'. Common in news writing and storytelling; less common in everyday speech.
3. to satisfy a strong wish, need, or curiosity so that it no longer feels urgent.
to satisfy a strong wish, need, or curiosity so that it no longer feels urgent.
Nora travelled across South America for a year to quench her curiosity about its old cultures.
object: curiosity / desire / hunger (for)
No single trip to the bookshop could quench Christopher's hunger for new novels.
metaphorical 'hunger / thirst for [abstract noun]'
A long talk with Sora's grandmother quenched her need to know where the family came from.
Bao said that watching one documentary about space did not quench his desire to learn more about distant planets.
文法句型
quench + desire/curiosity/hunger (for)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense takes abstract objects ('curiosity', 'desire', 'hunger for X'), while sense 1 takes only the concrete object 'thirst'. The two share the underlying metaphor of liquid satisfying a need.
常見錯誤
4. to end something, especially a hope or movement, by stopping it completely.
to end something, especially a hope or movement, by stopping it completely.
The new ruler tried to quench every voice that spoke against his policies.
object: rebellion / protest / dissent / hope / spirit
One harsh comment from the teacher quenched Élise's hope of becoming a writer.
metaphorical: hope as a flame to be put out
The army moved quickly to quench the rebellion in the southern provinces.
Years of unemployment had quenched Ayana's belief that hard work would pay off.
文法句型
quench + hope/rebellion/spirit
用法筆記
Strongest of the senses: implies total ending, not just slowing or reducing. Distinguish from sense 3 — sense 3 satisfies a desire so it no longer presses; sense 4 destroys hope or resistance so it no longer exists.