teem

/tiːm/ (bre, ipa) · [tˈim] /tiːm/ (ame, ipa) · [tˈim] /ˈtēm How to pronounce teem (audio)/ (ame, mw)

teem — verb

  • teempresent simple I / you / we / they
  • teemshe / she / it
  • teemedpast simple
  • teeming-ing form

1. to be crowded with many people, animals, or moving things, so that a place feels

1.動詞不及物C1
釋義

to be crowded with many people, animals, or moving things, so that a place feels busy and full

例句

The night market was teeming with tourists buying fried squid and fruit tea.

pattern: be teeming with + plural noun

After the storm, the garden was teeming with snails under every flowerpot.

同義詞
  • swarm

    Stronger and more vivid; often suggests fast movement by insects or crowds

  • abound

    More formal and less visual; focuses on large quantity rather than visible activity

  • overflow

    Suggests going beyond capacity rather than simply being busy and full

反義詞
  • be empty

    Describes a place with nobody or nothing in it

  • lack

    Focuses on not having enough of something

文法句型

be teeming with + plural noun

teem with + people / animals / activity

用法筆記

Usually followed by 'with' before the thing filling the place. It often suggests lively movement everywhere, not simply a large number in one spot.

常見錯誤

❌The beach was teeming of children.
✅The beach was teeming with children.
💡Use 'with', not 'of', after 'teem' in this sense.
❌The market teemed tourists at night.
✅The market was teeming with tourists at night.
💡This sense is normally used with 'with' rather than a direct object.

2. to rain very hard, with a large amount of water falling quickly

2.動詞不及物C1
釋義

to rain very hard, with a large amount of water falling quickly

例句

By noon, it was teeming in Kaohsiung, and scooters lined the sidewalks.

pattern: it was teeming

We stayed inside the tea shop because it was teeming all afternoon.

同義詞
  • pour

    Commoner and more neutral for heavy rain

  • bucket down

    Also British and informal, with a stronger everyday tone

反義詞
  • drizzle

    Means rain lightly rather than heavily

  • clear up

    Describes rain stopping and weather improving

文法句型

it is teeming

start teeming

用法筆記

Mostly British and often used with the dummy subject 'it'. This sense is intransitive, so it does not take a direct object such as 'rain' or 'the city'.

常見錯誤

❌The weather teemed heavy rain all morning.
✅It teemed all morning.
💡This rain sense does not take a direct object.
❌It was teemingly outside.
✅It was teeming outside.
💡Use the verb phrase 'be teeming', not an invented adverb.