sift

/sɪft/ (bre, ipa) · /sɪft/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsift/ (ame, mw)

sift — verb

  • siftpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • siftshe / she / it
  • siftedpast simple
  • sifting-ing form

1. To make a dry powder ingredient such as flour, sugar, or cocoa finer by passing

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

To make a dry powder ingredient such as flour, sugar, or cocoa finer by passing it across a sieve or mesh, breaking up any lumps and removing larger bits.

例句

Ari sifted the flour into a large mixing bowl before adding the eggs.

sift + noun + into + noun — common cooking pattern

The baker carefully sifted the sugar onto the cake for a smooth finish.

同義詞
  • strain

    Used for liquids or solids suspended in liquid; not interchangeable for dry powders

  • filter

    Implies passing through a paper or cloth medium, usually for liquids

反義詞
  • clump

    To form lumps, the opposite result of sifting

文法句型

sift + noun (ingredient)

sift + noun + into/onto + noun

sift + noun + over + noun

用法筆記

Common in recipe instructions in the imperative form. The object is almost always a dry powder: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, or icing sugar.

常見錯誤

❌She sifted the milk into the bowl.
✅She sifted the flour into the bowl.
💡Only dry powders are sifted; liquids are strained or poured.

2. To go through a large amount of material or information item by item, with the a

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

To go through a large amount of material or information item by item, with the aim of discovering a particular thing or keeping the valuable parts while setting the rest aside.

例句

Detectives sifted through hundreds of phone records looking for any unusual calls.

sift through + noun — examine a collection thoroughly

Tariq sifted through all the job applications before inviting anyone for an interview.

同義詞
  • examine

    More general; does not imply going through a large collection or separating useful from useless

  • scrutinize

    Suggests very close, critical attention but not the act of sorting through a large set

  • filter

    Closer to 'sift out'; implies removing unwanted elements from a flow

  • sort through

    Very similar but slightly less methodical; can be used interchangeably in many contexts

反義詞
  • overlook

    To fail to notice, the opposite of careful examination

文法句型

sift through + noun (collection)

sift + noun + out

sift + noun + from + noun

用法筆記

Often used with 'through' when the focus is on the act of examining (sift through documents). Use 'out' when the focus is on removing or extracting (sift out the errors). The object is usually a large, messy collection — documents, data, evidence, applications.

常見錯誤

❌I need to sift through my question.
✅I need to sift through my questions.
💡The object should typically be a plural or uncountable collection, not a single item.