retrain

IPA/ˌriːˈtreɪn/
KK[ritrˈen]IPA/ˌriːˈtreɪn/

retrain — verb

  • retrainpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • retrainshe / she / it
  • retrainedpast simple
  • retraining-ing form

1. to learn the skills needed for a different occupation, often because your existi

1.動詞不及物B1
釋義

to learn the skills needed for a different occupation, often because your existing job has disappeared or you want to switch careers

例句

After the factory closed, Diya decided to retrain as a nurse.

retrain + as + job/role

Niran is retraining in information technology at the local college.

retrain + in + field/subject

同義詞
  • reskill

    More specific — focuses on learning new abilities within a related area rather than changing entire career

  • upskill

    Different direction — means improving your current skills, not switching to a new occupation

  • cross-train

    Workplace term — learning extra roles so you can cover for colleagues, not changing career

反義詞
  • stay

    Continuing in the same role without acquiring new career skills

文法句型

retrain + as + job/role

retrain + in + field/subject

retrain + for + position/career

retrain + to-infinitive

用法筆記

Frequently used to describe career changes driven by industry decline, automation, or personal choice. Common in constructions with 'as' (naming the new role) or 'in' (naming the field of study).

常見錯誤

❌Diya retrained to be nursing.
✅Diya retrained as a nurse.
💡after 'retrain', describe the new role with 'as' + a noun, not 'to be' + a gerund.
❌Niran retrained IT.
✅Niran retrained in IT.
💡'retrain' is intransitive in this sense; the field comes after 'in'.

2. to teach an employee or a group of workers the skills needed for a new job or di

2.動詞及物B1
釋義

to teach an employee or a group of workers the skills needed for a new job or different type of work, typically organised by their employer or a government programme

例句

The company retrained its warehouse staff to use the new computer system.

retrain + object + to-infinitive

James's employer retrained him for a management position after the promotion.

同義詞
  • reskill

    Often used interchangeably but stresses updating a workforce's abilities for new technology

  • cross-train

    Narrower — teaching multiple roles so the team can cover absences, not career change

  • re-educate

    More formal and broader — may involve full academic study rather than practical job training

反義詞
  • dismiss

    The opposite of investing in workers' development — letting them go instead

  • lay off

    Terminating employment instead of training for a changed role

文法句型

retrain + someone + in + skill/field

retrain + someone + to do something

retrain + someone + for + position/role

用法筆記

Subject is usually an organisation — an employer, government agency, or training institution. The direct object names the people being trained. Frequently passive: 'staff were retrained in digital skills.'

常見錯誤

❌The company retrained to use the new system.
✅The company retrained its staff to use the new system.
💡in the transitive sense, the direct object (the people) must be stated.
❌They retrained him with programming.
✅They retrained him in programming.
💡the skill or field follows 'in', not 'with'.