sew

/səʊ/ (bre, ipa) · /səʊ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsō/ (ame, mw)

sew — verb

  • sewpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • sewshe / she / it
  • sewedpast simple
  • sewnpast participle
  • sewing-ing form

1. to pull a thread with a needle through pieces of fabric in order to fix them tog

1.動詞及物 / 不及物A2
釋義

to pull a thread with a needle through pieces of fabric in order to fix them together

例句

Elena carefully sewed a patch over the hole in her jeans.

sew + [thing] over/onto [thing]

The tailor used strong thread to sew the loose button back onto the shirt.

同義詞
  • stitch

    focuses on each individual pass of the needle; sews suggests the whole process

反義詞
  • rip

    to pull apart roughly, the opposite of joining fabric by sewing

文法句型

sew + [thing] onto/over [thing]

sew + two things together

用法筆記

The past tense is 'sewed' and the past participle is either 'sewed' or 'sewn'. Both forms are common.

常見錯誤

❌She sow the dress by hand.
✅She sewed the dress by hand.
💡'sow' (to plant seeds) sounds the same but means something different.

2. to create an item of clothing by stitching separate pieces of fabric together

2.動詞及物B1
釋義

to create an item of clothing by stitching separate pieces of fabric together

例句

Kenji spent the weekend sewing a new jacket from an old pattern.

sew + [garment] from [pattern]

Amara sewed her own wedding dress over the course of six months.

同義詞
  • tailor

    means to make or adjust clothing professionally, often with a focus on fit

文法句型

sew + [garment]

be sewn + from [pattern/fabric]

用法筆記

The object is the finished garment such as a dress, shirt, or skirt — not the pieces of fabric that go into it.

常見錯誤

❌I sewed a new shirt from the shop.
✅I sewed a new shirt from some cotton fabric I bought.
💡'sew' means to construct with stitches, not to purchase ready-made.

3. to close a cut in someone's skin by passing a threaded needle through both edges

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

to close a cut in someone's skin by passing a threaded needle through both edges of the wound and pulling them together

例句

The doctor sewed up the deep cut on Diego's arm with ten stitches.

sew up + wound + with [number] stitches

After the bicycle accident, the nurse had to sew the gash on Liam's knee closed.

同義詞
  • suture

    formal medical term; 'sew' is the everyday word people use outside hospitals

文法句型

sew up + [wound/body part]

be sewn up

用法筆記

Commonly used in the passive form ('the wound was sewn up'). Doctors use the medical term 'suture', but 'sew' is the everyday word for this action.

常見錯誤

❌The nurse sewed the patient.
✅The nurse sewed up the patient's wound.
💡You sew up a cut or wound, not a person.

4. to work at making, fixing, or attaching things with a threaded needle, either as

4.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

to work at making, fixing, or attaching things with a threaded needle, either as a hobby or as a profession

例句

Clara enjoys sewing in her free time and makes gifts for her nieces.

enjoy + sewing as a hobby

Jack learned to sew as a child in school and still mends his own clothes today.

同義詞
  • embroider

    a more decorative type of sewing that adds patterns and designs to fabric

文法句型

sew [things] for hobby/job

sew as a hobby