sown

sown — verb

  • sownpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • sowns3rd person singular
  • sowning-ing form
  • sownedpast simple

1. to scatter seeds across soil or push them into the earth so plants will come up,

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

to scatter seeds across soil or push them into the earth so plants will come up, typically across a large outdoor area such as a field or garden bed

例句

Amara sowed carrot seeds in neat rows behind the farmhouse.

sow + [seed type] + in [pattern]

The field was sown with rye after the barley harvest ended.

passive: be sown with [crop]

同義詞
  • plant

    broader term; covers seeds, seedlings, bulbs, and young plants, and is more common for small-scale gardening

  • seed

    more technical verb used in farming contexts ('seed a lawn'); implies treating an area with seed, often by machine

  • scatter

    focuses on the spreading motion but does not itself imply growth; you can scatter crumbs or pebbles

反義詞
  • harvest

    to gather a crop after it has grown, the end of the farming cycle that begins with sowing

文法句型

sow + [seeds/crop] + in/on [location]

sow + [area] + with + [seeds]

用法筆記

Object is usually seeds or a crop type. The pattern 'sow [area] with [seed]' is common when describing farming at scale. For small-scale planting in pots or containers, 'plant' is the more natural everyday verb.

常見錯誤

❌I need to sew some carrot seeds in the garden.
✅I need to sow some carrot seeds in the garden.
💡'sow' means to plant seeds; 'sew' (pronounced the same) means to stitch fabric with a needle and thread.

2. to deliberately start or spread something harmful — such as fear, doubt, or conf

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to deliberately start or spread something harmful — such as fear, doubt, or conflict — so that it takes hold and grows over time, like seeds scattered on the ground

例句

The article sowed doubt about the safety of the new medicine.

sow + doubt about [topic]

Kenji worried that the rumour would sow division among the team members.

sow + [negative noun] + among [group]

同義詞
  • instigate

    more formal; often implies deliberately provoking a specific action or response from others

  • foment

    very formal, typically used for political unrest or rebellion

  • stir up

    more informal phrasal verb with a similar meaning; common in everyday speech

反義詞
  • quell

    to stop or suppress negative feelings or unrest

  • allay

    to reduce fear, doubt, or worry

文法句型

sow + [negative abstract noun] + among/in + [group/place]

用法筆記

Object is almost always something negative — doubt, fear, discord, confusion, or suspicion. This is the only sense that takes abstract nouns as objects. Distinguish from sense 1 (PLANT SEEDS), which has a concrete, agricultural meaning.

常見錯誤

❌He sowed a good reputation among his colleagues.
✅He built a good reputation among his colleagues.
💡'sow' in the figurative sense is almost always used with negative things (doubt, fear, confusion); it does not work for positive outcomes.

sown — noun