afoot

/əˈfʊt/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈfʊt/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈfu̇t/ (ame, mw)

afoot — 形容詞

  • afootpositive
  • more afootcomparative
  • most afootsuperlative

1. happening or being secretly prepared, especially when the full details are not y

1.形容詞B2
釋義

進行中；醞釀中

正在發生或被秘密籌劃

happening or being secretly prepared, especially when the full details are not yet known to everyone

例句

Rumors of a merger between the two banks had been afoot for weeks before the news broke.

兩家銀行合併的傳聞在消息曝光前已流傳了數週。

rumors + afoot for events not yet confirmed

The children sensed that some kind of birthday surprise was afoot when their parents began whispering.

孩子們感覺到某種生日驚喜正在醞釀中，因為他們的爸媽開始竊竊私語。

sensed + was afoot for noticing signs of a plan

同義詞
  • underway

    more neutral and common in everyday speech; lacks the secretive tone

  • brewing

    suggests something is developing slowly, often with negative consequences

  • in the works

    informal; focuses on the planning stage rather than the hidden aspect

反義詞
  • finished

    implies completion and nothing still happening

  • abandoned

    suggests plans were dropped before realization

文法句型

be + afoot

there is/are + noun + afoot

plans are afoot to + infinitive

用法筆記

This adjective is only used predicatively (after a linking verb such as 'be', 'seem', or 'become') and never before a noun. It often carries a tone of mild mystery or secrecy — something is afoot because it is being quietly arranged, not because it is already obvious.

常見錯誤

❌There was an afoot plan to reorganize the team.
✅There was a plan afoot to reorganize the team.
💡'afoot' cannot be placed before a noun; it always follows the verb or the noun it describes.
❌The afoot investigation worried everyone.
✅The investigation that was afoot worried everyone.
💡use a relative clause instead of placing 'afoot' before the noun.

afoot — 副詞