spots

/spɒt/ (bre, ipa) · [spˈɑts] /spɑːt/ (ame, ipa) · [spˈɑts] /ˈspät How to pronounce spot (audio)/ (ame, mw)

spots — verb

  • spotspresent simple I / you / we / they
  • spotses3rd person singular
  • spotsing-ing form
  • spotsedpast simple

1. to manage to see a person or a thing by looking with care and attention, often w

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

to manage to see a person or a thing by looking with care and attention, often when they are partly hidden or not easy to find — for example, catching sight of a friend in a crowd, or noticing a mistake before anyone else does.

例句

Gabriel spotted a rare bird in the tree by the river during his morning walk.

spot + noun phrase for noticing something

At the night market, Naoko spotted her neighbour buying fried noodles at a small cart.

同義詞
  • notice

    broader term that can involve any of the senses or the mind, not just sight

  • detect

    suggests finding something that is hidden or not obvious; slightly more formal

  • catch sight of

    a phrasal verb that emphasises a brief, sudden moment of seeing

  • identify

    implies recognising what or who something is, not just noticing it exists

反義詞
  • miss

    fail to see or notice something that is present

  • overlook

    fail to notice something, often because you were not paying enough attention

文法句型

spot + noun phrase

spot + wh-clause

spot + someone + verb-ing

用法筆記

Unlike the verb 'see', which can describe any act of visual perception, 'spot' often implies that the thing was not easy to notice — it was hidden, small, or easily overlooked. Frequently used with 'quickly', 'immediately', or 'first'.

常見錯誤

❌I spotted him for hours before he noticed me.
✅I watched him for hours before he noticed me.
💡'spot' means a single moment of noticing, not continuous watching.
❌I spotted the door but did not open it.
✅I saw the door but did not open it.
💡'spot' is not used for ordinary sight; use 'see' for basic visual perception.

2. used as a short exclamation to tell someone they have done well by noticing some

2.動詞不及物B1
釋義

used as a short exclamation to tell someone they have done well by noticing something that is not easy to see — for example, saying 'Good spot!' when a colleague finds a small error in a document.

例句

Linh pointed out the missing date on the form, and the teacher said 'Good spot!'

exclamation 'Good spot!' in response to noticing

Nice spot, Christopher — I would never have noticed that crack in the pavement myself.

exclamation 'Nice spot!' followed by explanation

文法句型

good / nice / brilliant + spot (exclamation)

用法筆記

This sense is only used as an exclamation or a noun phrase of praise (e.g. 'Good spot!', 'Nice spot!', 'That was a brilliant spot.'). It is not a regular verb — you cannot say 'I spot it!' to mean 'I notice it!' in a full sentence. The expression is especially common in British English.

常見錯誤

❌I spotted it very well, thank you.
✅Good spot, thank you.
💡This sense only appears as a short exclamation or noun phrase praising someone's noticing ability, not as a full verb sentence.
❌She spots well, so she always finds the errors.
✅She has good spotting skills / She always spots (sense 1) the errors.
💡Use sense 1 for regular verb uses; sense 2 is only for exclamations.

3. when it is spotting (with rain), separate raindrops begin to come down here and

3.動詞不及物B2
釋義

when it is spotting (with rain), separate raindrops begin to come down here and there, but the amount is too light to make you properly wet.

例句

We should take an umbrella — it has started spotting with rain outside.

it has started spotting with rain

The sky was grey, but it was only spotting, so we stayed dry.

dummy subject 'it' with continuous 'was spotting'

同義詞
  • sprinkle

    more common in American English for very light rain; can also mean to scatter small amounts of something

  • drizzle

    describes light, continuous rain that is slightly heavier than spotting

文法句型

it is spotting (with rain)

用法筆記

Almost always used in the continuous form ('it is spotting', 'it was spotting'). The simple form ('it spots') is very uncommon. This expression is mainly British English; American English would use 'it's sprinkling' or 'a few drops are falling.'

常見錯誤

❌It is spotting heavily outside.
✅It is raining heavily outside.
💡'spotting' describes very light rain with separate drops; use 'rain' for heavier precipitation.
❌The rain is spotting on my head.
✅It is spotting with rain.
💡The subject must be 'it'; the rain itself does not 'spot' things.

4. to stand close to someone who is lifting weights or performing a gymnastics move

4.動詞及物C1
釋義

to stand close to someone who is lifting weights or performing a gymnastics move, so that you can help them if they lose control, drop the weight, or are about to fall.

例句

Vinícius asked his gym partner to spot him during a heavy bench press.

spot + someone + while-clause in weight training

The gymnastics coach spotted the young athlete as she tried a backflip on the beam.

同義詞
  • assist

    broader term; can apply to any kind of help, not just physical safety during exercise

  • guard

    used in gymnastics for the coach who stays close to prevent falls

文法句型

spot + someone

spot + someone (during / while + verb-ing)

用法筆記

Very common in the imperative or request form ('Spot me!', 'Can you spot me?'). The person performing the role is called a 'spotter'. This sense is almost exclusively used in gyms and gymnastics training settings.

常見錯誤

❌Can you spot me a pen?
✅Can you spot me during my bench press?
💡'spot' in this sense means to protect someone during exercise, not to lend or give something.
❌I spotted the weightlifter for two hours watching him.
✅I spotted the weightlifter during his heaviest set.
💡'spot' means standing ready to catch, not watching from a distance.

spots — noun

spots — adjective