sublimation
/ˌsʌblɪˈmeɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌsʌblɪˈmeɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsə-blə-ˌmāt How to pronounce sublimate (audio)/ (ame, mw)
sublimation — noun
- sublimationsingular
- sublimationsplural
1. the psychological process of redirecting difficult feelings such as anger, sadne
the psychological process of redirecting difficult feelings such as anger, sadness, or frustration into constructive activities like art, writing, or exercise instead of expressing them directly.
Eri found that writing poetry was a helpful form of sublimation for her anger.
sublimation + of + emotion
For Yumi, painting landscapes was a form of sublimation, turning her grief after the earthquake into quiet, beautiful images.
The counselor suggested sublimation as a way for Baraka to handle his workplace frustration.
Running every evening became Pedro's main method of sublimation after difficult days at work.
Vivek turned his disappointment into a detailed sculpture, a clear act of sublimation.
- channelling
more general term, not tied to psychology theory
- transformation
broader — can apply to any change in form
- re-direction
emphasises the change of direction rather than the productive outcome
- suppression
holding emotions back instead of redirecting them
- repression
unconsciously blocking unacceptable thoughts or feelings
文法句型
sublimation + of + emotion/noun
用法筆記
Often used in therapeutic contexts to describe a healthy way of coping with negative emotions. The activity must be constructive or creative, not destructive.
常見錯誤
2. in psychoanalytic theory, the unconscious defense mechanism that redirects unacc
in psychoanalytic theory, the unconscious defense mechanism that redirects unacceptable primal impulses — especially sexual or aggressive ones — away from their original aim toward activities that society values, such as artistic work or intellectual achievement.
In Freudian theory, when Idris channels his aggressive instincts into competitive rugby, his sportsmanship becomes a form of sublimation.
sublimation + of + instinct
Amihan's passion for painting was a sublimation of childhood fears she could not express directly.
Greta learned to sublimate her workplace anger through evening kickboxing instead of yelling at colleagues.
After therapy, Michael used sublimation to turn his competitive drive into sales success at his insurance agency.
Ryo turned his aggressive impulses into daily boxing practice, a clear case of sublimation.
- channelling
less technical, used in everyday language
- redirection
focuses on the change in direction, not the theoretical framework
- repression
unconsciously blocking unacceptable urges from awareness
- acting out
expressing unacceptable impulses directly instead of redirecting them
文法句型
sublimation + of + instinct/urge/desire
用法筆記
This is the Freudian sense of the word, specifically referring to instinctual (often sexual) impulses. Distinguish from sense 1, which describes emotional expression more generally without the Freudian framework.
常見錯誤
3. the scientific process in which a solid changes directly into a gas when heated,
the scientific process in which a solid changes directly into a gas when heated, without becoming a liquid first.
Dry ice undergoes sublimation, turning from a white solid directly into carbon dioxide gas.
undergoes sublimation — solid-to-gas chemical process
Esme watched the snow disappear from the cold sidewalk through the process of sublimation.
Sublimation of iodine crystals produces a bright purple vapor without any liquid phase.
First-year chemistry student Chen used a sublimation apparatus to separate the impure mixture and collect only the crystallized solid.
In freeze-drying machines, sublimation removes ice from food without melting it into water.
- deposition
the reverse process — gas turning directly into solid
文法句型
undergo sublimation
sublimation + of + substance
用法筆記
The opposite process, where a gas turns directly into a solid, is called deposition. Do not confuse with evaporation, which is liquid to gas.
常見錯誤
sublimation — verb
- sublimationpresent simple I / you / we / they
- sublimations3rd person singular
- sublimationing-ing form
- sublimationedpast simple
1. to change from a solid into a vapor without first becoming a liquid; to cause a
to change from a solid into a vapor without first becoming a liquid; to cause a solid to change in this way.
At room temperature, solid naphthalene slowly sublimes into a strong-smelling gas.
intransitive: solid + sublimes + into + gas
Ilan watched the frozen water sublime directly into vapor on the high mountain peak.
The chemist sublimed the impure compound to obtain a clean white powder.
Zinc metal sublimes at low pressure inside a laboratory vacuum chamber, leaving no liquid behind.
Hao placed a dish of iodine crystals on a warm surface and watched them sublime directly into purple vapor.
- sublimate
less common alternative verb for the same chemical process
- deposit
to change directly from a gas to a solid
文法句型
solid + sublimes
sublime + object
sublime + into + gas/vapor
用法筆記
When used transitively, the subject is typically a scientist, a machine, or a process and the object is a substance being purified. When intransitive, the subject is the substance itself. The verb 'sublime' is more common than 'sublimate' for this chemical sense.
常見錯誤
2. in psychology, to redirect unacceptable impulses, desires, or emotions away from
in psychology, to redirect unacceptable impulses, desires, or emotions away from their original target toward activities that society considers positive or appropriate.
Diego learned to sublimate his anger by playing the drums for an hour every evening.
sublimate + emotion + by + activity
Selim sublimated his childhood fears into a career as a building safety inspector.
The therapist helped the patient sublimate aggressive impulses through marathon training.
Rohan sublimated his desire to quit school into determination to finish his degree.
文法句型
sublimate + emotion/impulse
sublimate + emotion + into + activity
sublimate + emotion + by + doing
用法筆記
The verb 'sublimate' is more common than 'sublime' for this psychological sense. The object is usually an internal state (anger, fear, desire, aggression) and is often followed by 'into' plus the redirected activity.
3. to make something better, purer, or more refined, as if raising it to a higher l
to make something better, purer, or more refined, as if raising it to a higher level of quality or excellence.
Years of practice sublimated Hao's natural talent into true artistic mastery.
sublimate + talent/skill + into + mastery
Poet Mai Ngo sublimates her morning walks through Saigon markets into vivid poems about family and memory.
sublimate + concrete experience + into + artistic output
Noor sublimated three years of caring for her sick father into the gentle bedside manner she uses at work.
The composer sublimated traditional folk songs into a modern symphony that moved the audience.
文法句型
sublimate + object
sublimate + object + into + improved form
用法筆記
This literary sense is rare and mostly found in formal or artistic writing. It extends the chemical metaphor of purification through sublimation to abstract qualities like talent, character, or creative work.