towing

/təʊ/ (bre, ipa) · [tˈoɪŋ] /toʊ/ (ame, ipa) · [tˈoɪŋ] /ˈtō How to pronounce tow (audio)/ (ame, mw)

towing — verb

  • towingpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • towings3rd person singular
  • towinging-ing form
  • towingedpast simple

1. to make a vehicle, vessel, or other heavy object travel by attaching it to the r

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to make a vehicle, vessel, or other heavy object travel by attaching it to the rear of a different truck or boat and drawing it along.

例句

Haruto used his pickup to tow the broken van to a nearby garage.

tow + vehicle + to + place

After the engine failed, the rescue boat towed the yacht back to shore.

tow + boat + back to shore

同義詞
  • pull

    more general; can describe any kind of moving force, not specifically one vehicle moving another

  • haul

    emphasises hard work or a heavy load more than the vehicle-behind-vehicle pattern

  • drag

    often suggests rough contact with the ground, unlike the more controlled movement of towing

反義詞
  • push

    moves something from behind instead of pulling it after you

文法句型

tow + vehicle/boat + to + place

be towed + behind/by

用法筆記

The object is usually a vehicle, boat, trailer, or other heavy thing that cannot move easily by itself. This sense covers ordinary moving or rescue situations, unlike sense 2, which is specifically about officials removing a wrongly parked vehicle.

常見錯誤

❌The bus pulled our car in the city.
✅The bus towed our car through the city.
💡use 'tow' when one vehicle drags another behind it.
❌We towed with a rope the boat.
✅We towed the boat with a rope.
💡the object normally comes right after 'tow'.

2. to take an illegally parked vehicle away with an official truck and move it to a

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to take an illegally parked vehicle away with an official truck and move it to a place where the driver must collect it later.

例句

Sophia's car was towed away after she left it in front of the fire gate.

be towed away

City officers towed three scooters from the bus stop before the parade.

official removal from a restricted place

同義詞
  • impound

    focuses on keeping the vehicle in official storage after it is taken

  • remove

    broader and less specific; it does not itself say a truck carried the vehicle away

反義詞
  • release

    used when officials let the owner take the vehicle back

文法句型

tow + vehicle + away

be towed away

用法筆記

Usually appears in warnings, notices, or reports about parking rules, and often in the passive: 'your car will be towed'. Distinguish from sense 1 by purpose: sense 1 moves a vehicle because it needs help or transport, while sense 2 removes it as an official penalty.

常見錯誤

❌My car was pulled by the police.
✅My car was towed away by the police.
💡this sense usually uses 'towed away' for official removal.
❌They towed my bicycle because it was broken.
✅They towed my car because it was parked illegally.
💡this sense is about rule enforcement, not general breakdown help.

towing — noun