underpin
underpin — verb
- underpinpresent simple I / you / we / they
- underpinshe / she / it
- underpinnedpast simple
- underpinning-ing form
1. to provide the foundation or support that makes an idea, theory, or system stron
to provide the foundation or support that makes an idea, theory, or system strong and stable.
Stefan's research data underpins the main argument of his thesis.
data + underpins + abstract noun (argument)
Several key principles underpin the design of the new city park.
underpins + noun phrase (the design of...)
At the Vienna-based refugee agency, mutual trust underpins every successful cross-border partnership.
The supply-and-demand model that underpins trade policy in Kenya has been debated for decades.
Finland's teacher-training reforms underpin the country's consistently high education rankings.
- support
more general; can be emotional, physical, or abstract; 'underpin' always implies a foundational role
- substantiate
formal; specifically means to provide evidence for a claim; narrower than 'underpin'
- bolster
suggests strengthening something that already exists; 'underpin' implies providing the base underneath
- reinforce
makes an existing structure stronger; 'underpin' adds a new foundation from below
- undermine
the opposite effect — to weaken from below rather than strengthen
文法句型
underpin + noun phrase
用法筆記
Common in academic and formal writing. The subject is usually an abstract noun (theory, trust, principle, evidence, data) and the object is another abstract concept (argument, system, relationship, policy).
常見錯誤
2. to strengthen a wall or building by adding support from underneath.
to strengthen a wall or building by adding support from underneath.
Engineers had to underpin the old church wall before digging the basement.
underpin + physical object (wall)
Workers underpinned the bridge foundations with steel and concrete.
passive: be underpinned with [material]
The house was underpinned after the earthquake damaged its base.
To stop the tower from tilting further, the team must underpin its base.
The retaining wall was underpinned after heavy rains made the ground unstable.
- shore up
phrasal verb; a common alternative for temporary physical support, especially for walls or weak structures
- reinforce
adds strength in general; 'underpin' specifically adds support from beneath
- brace
holds a structure in position; less permanent and less specifically about foundation than 'underpin'
- undermine
to wear away or weaken the base of a structure, opposite of strengthening it from below
文法句型
underpin + physical object (wall, building, foundation)
用法筆記
This is a specialized construction and engineering term. Frequently used in the passive voice. Distinguish from sense 1: here the support is literal and physical, not abstract.