reinforced
reinforced — adjective
- reinforcedpositive
- more reinforcedcomparative
- most reinforcedsuperlative
1. made physically stronger by using a tough material or by adding extra parts that
made physically stronger by using a tough material or by adding extra parts that increase its strength or durability
The shelves are made of reinforced plastic that can hold up to thirty kilograms without bending.
collocation: reinforced plastic / reinforced glass
Nora bought reinforced hiking boots for her three-week trek through the Andes mountains.
collocation: reinforced boots / reinforced fabric
The museum installed reinforced windows after the break-in last winter.
Yuki packed her laptop in a reinforced carrying case before the flight to Tokyo.
- strengthened
more general; reinforced implies adding a specific strengthening material
- fortified
stronger, often used for structures designed to resist attack
- toughened
suggests the material itself has been treated, not that something was added
- unreinforced
having no extra strengthening material added
- weak
opposite in terms of overall strength
用法筆記
Commonly pairs with nouns naming manufactured materials or objects: plastic, glass, fabric, rubber, cable, packaging.
常見錯誤
2. built with metal rods or mesh embedded inside concrete, brick, or other building
built with metal rods or mesh embedded inside concrete, brick, or other building materials so the structure is strong enough to support heavy loads or resist cracking
The new bridge is built entirely from reinforced concrete and can support up to forty trucks at once.
collocation: reinforced concrete / reinforced structure
After the earthquake, most homes in the village were rebuilt with reinforced walls and steel foundations.
collocation: reinforced walls / reinforced foundations
Lucia's apartment building has reinforced steel columns that make it much safer during typhoons.
Kwame's new warehouse uses reinforced concrete floors that can support heavy storage racks.
- steel-reinforced
more specific; names the material used
- ferroconcrete
technical term for concrete with embedded steel; not common in everyday English
- unreinforced
lacking any metal reinforcement; used especially of masonry or concrete
用法筆記
Nearly always used attributively before a noun (e.g. reinforced concrete, reinforced wall, reinforced foundation). The phrase 'reinforced concrete' is a fixed technical term in construction.
3. made more certain, intense, or deeply held — used to describe beliefs, opinions,
made more certain, intense, or deeply held — used to describe beliefs, opinions, feelings, or commitments that have grown stronger
Amara's reinforced confidence after winning the competition helped her take on even harder projects.
collocation: reinforced confidence / reinforced belief
The team's reinforced commitment to the project came from seeing how their work improved people's lives.
His reinforced determination to finish medical school grew stronger after volunteering at the rural clinic.
After meeting the survivors, Oliver's reinforced sense of purpose drove him to volunteer more often.
- strengthened
more general; reinforced suggests the strengthening came from new evidence or experience
- deepened
suggests emotional intensity rather than logical certainty
- bolstered
suggests support that prevented weakening, not necessarily a major increase
用法筆記
Only used with abstract nouns: belief, opinion, feeling, suspicion, commitment, determination, confidence, resolve. Never used with concrete objects in this sense.
常見錯誤
4. supplied with extra soldiers, weapons, vehicles, or equipment to increase fighti
supplied with extra soldiers, weapons, vehicles, or equipment to increase fighting strength or defensive capability
The reinforced battalion arrived at dawn and helped push the enemy forces back across the river.
collocation: reinforced battalion / reinforced troops
With reinforced defences along the northern border, the country felt better prepared for any possible attack.
collocation: reinforced defences / reinforced position
The commander ordered a reinforced division to secure the supply routes east of the capital.
The reinforced garrison held its ground against three waves of attacks before the main force arrived.
- augmented
more formal; can apply to any resource, not just military
- strengthened
more general; less specific to military context
- depleted
having lost troops or resources
- undermanned
having too few soldiers
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively in military or security contexts. The subject is typically a military unit (battalion, division, garrison) or defensive installation (position, border, garrison).
reinforced — verb
- reinforcedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- reinforceds3rd person singular
- reinforceding-ing form
- reinforcededpast simple
1. to add material, support, or extra resources to something so that it becomes str
to add material, support, or extra resources to something so that it becomes stronger, more durable, or more effective
The workers reinforced the old wooden floor with steel beams before moving in the heavy printing press.
pattern: reinforce + noun + with + material
Emma reinforced her argument with statistics from three separate research studies conducted across Asia.
pattern: reinforce + abstract noun + with + evidence
The charity reinforced its health programmes by sending an additional twenty doctors to the flood-affected region.
Vikram reinforced the roof of his shed with extra wooden beams before the rainy season began.
- strengthen
more general; reinforce implies adding something specific to achieve the strength
- bolster
suggests supporting something that might otherwise fail or weaken
- fortify
suggests making something resistant to attack or pressure
- buttress
more formal; suggests supporting from the side or base
文法句型
reinforce + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often used in the pattern 'reinforce X with Y', where Y is the strengthening agent (material, data, personnel, etc.). Can apply to both physical objects and abstract things like arguments or systems.
常見錯誤
2. to encourage a particular type of behaviour in a person or animal by providing a
to encourage a particular type of behaviour in a person or animal by providing a reward, praise, or a positive response after the behaviour occurs
The teacher reinforced polite behaviour by giving each student a star on the chart whenever they said 'thank you'.
pattern: reinforce + behaviour + by + -ing / with + reward
Dog trainers typically reinforce desired actions by giving the animal a small treat within three seconds of the correct response.
domain: psychology / animal training
Parents can reinforce positive study habits by praising their children when they finish homework without being reminded.
The therapist reinforced the child's social skills by praising him each time he shared a toy with a classmate.
- reward
more general and common in everyday English; reinforce is more technical
- encourage
softer and broader; does not imply a systematic reward system
- strengthen
less specific to behavioural conditioning
- discourage
to try to prevent a behaviour from continuing
- punish
to give a negative consequence to reduce a behaviour
文法句型
reinforce + behaviour/habit
用法筆記
A technical term in psychology and animal training. In everyday conversation, 'encourage' or 'reward' is more natural. 'Reinforce' is preferred in academic writing about behaviour modification.
常見錯誤
3. to request or gather additional troops, equipment, or supplies in order to stren
to request or gather additional troops, equipment, or supplies in order to strengthen a military position or force
The commander decided to reinforce after the scouts reported a large enemy column approaching from the south.
intransitive use: reinforce (no direct object)
When the patrol came under heavy fire, the squad leader radioed headquarters and asked permission to reinforce.
The general ordered the reserve battalion to reinforce by moving north along the coastal road under cover of darkness.
With supplies running low, the captain radioed the base to reinforce before nightfall.
- call for backup
informal, more common in non-military contexts
- bring in reinforcements
fuller expression; more natural in everyday language
文法句型
reinforce (no object)
用法筆記
This intransitive use is restricted to military contexts. In all other verb senses, 'reinforce' is transitive (it needs a direct object). This sense is much less common than the transitive uses.