argue
argue — 動詞
1. to express anger, frustration, or strong disagreement to another person, usually
爭吵；吵架
因不同意而生氣地與人爭執
to express anger, frustration, or strong disagreement to another person, usually by speaking loudly or in a hostile way; the focus is on the emotional clash rather than on reasoning.
Theo and his sister argued for an hour about who would walk the dog.
Theo 和他妹妹為了誰要遛狗，吵了一個小時。
argue with/about pattern in a domestic quarrel
Please stop arguing with your brother at the dinner table.
拜託你不要再在餐桌上跟你弟弟吵架了。
argue with + person, imperative
The two neighbours were still arguing over the broken fence at midnight.
兩個鄰居到了半夜還在為那道壞掉的圍籬吵個不停。
Kenji hates it when his parents argue in front of the children.
Kenji 最討厭爸媽當著小孩的面吵架。
Quinn and Noa argued loudly in the kitchen about who had burned the rice.
Quinn 和 Noa 在廚房裡大聲爭吵，吵誰把飯燒焦了。
- quarrel
similar but slightly more old-fashioned; emphasises an ongoing bad feeling between people
- bicker
informal; suggests petty, repeated arguing about small things
- fight
broader and more emotional; can refer to arguing, but also to physical conflict
- row
British informal noun-and-verb; a noisy argument between people who know each other
文法句型
argue with someone
argue about/over something
argue with someone about/over something
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person; the verb is intransitive in this sense and often pairs with 'with' (the other person) and 'about' or 'over' (the topic). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense carries an angry, emotional tone, while sense 2 simply means giving reasons.
常見錯誤
2. to state your opinion or belief and explain the reasons behind it, especially wh
主張；論證
提出理由說明自己的看法是對的
to state your opinion or belief and explain the reasons behind it, especially when you want listeners or readers to accept your view as correct.
Dr. Yusuf argues that schools should start later in the morning.
田中博士主張學校應該晚一點開始上課。
argue + that-clause stating a claim
The lawyer argued her client's case clearly in front of the jury.
律師在陪審團面前清楚地論證她當事人的案情。
transitive: argue + a case/point
Some scientists argue that the test results were not reliable enough.
有些科學家主張這次的測試結果不夠可靠。
'But the rule isn't fair,' the boy argued, looking up at his teacher.
「可是這條規定不公平。」男孩抬頭看著老師爭辯。
The author argues her point with clear examples from real schools.
作者用真實學校的例子來論證她的觀點。
文法句型
argue that + clause
argue something
argue + direct speech
用法筆記
Only sense that takes a that-clause or direct speech as a complement. Common in academic, legal, and journalistic writing. Distinguish from sense 1: there is no anger here, only reasoned support for a position.
常見錯誤
3. to publicly support or oppose a plan, decision, or idea by listing reasons why i
力主；力阻
公開以理由支持或反對某個提案
to publicly support or oppose a plan, decision, or idea by listing reasons why it is a good or bad choice, usually in a meeting, article, or debate.
Several parents argued for a longer summer break at the school meeting.
幾位家長在學校會議上主張延長暑假。
argue for + the proposal you support
The mayor argued against building a new highway through the forest.
市長反對在森林中興建一條新的高速公路。
argue against + the proposal you oppose
Her column argues in favour of higher taxes on sugary drinks.
她的專欄主張對含糖飲料課徵更高的稅。
The young engineer argued strongly for switching the office to solar power.
那位年輕工程師強力主張把辦公室改用太陽能。
- advocate
more formal; means to publicly recommend a policy or cause
- campaign for
to work over time, often publicly, to support a cause
- oppose
matches 'argue against'; to take a stand against something
- push for
informal; to keep pressing for a particular outcome
- argue against
the matching opposite preposition for the same verb
文法句型
argue for something
argue against something
argue in favour of something
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person, group, or piece of writing taking a public stance. The preposition signals which side: 'for' / 'in favour of' = support; 'against' = oppose. Distinguish from sense 2, which states a general claim; this sense is specifically about backing or opposing a concrete proposal.
常見錯誤
4. (of a fact, behaviour, or piece of evidence) to act as a sign that suggests some
顯示；表明
事實或跡象顯示某件事是真的
(of a fact, behaviour, or piece of evidence) to act as a sign that suggests something is the case, even though the subject is not a person making a deliberate point.
The clean kitchen and tidy desk argue a careful, organised tenant.
乾淨的廚房和整齊的書桌，顯示這位房客做事細心、有條理。
inanimate subject + argue + noun phrase
Her calm reply under pressure argues real confidence in her work.
她在壓力下冷靜的回應，顯示她對自己的工作充滿信心。
The rising sea levels argue against ignoring climate science any longer.
海平面上升的事實，正顯示我們不能再忽視氣候科學了。
These fresh footprints by the river argue that someone passed through this morning.
河邊這些新鮮的腳印顯示今天早上有人經過這裡。
- indicate
neutral and very common; works in everyday and formal writing
- suggest
softer; the evidence hints at, but does not prove, a conclusion
- point to
informal equivalent; the evidence guides you toward a conclusion
- demonstrate
stronger; the evidence shows something clearly
- contradict
the evidence works against the conclusion instead of supporting it
文法句型
something argues something
something argues that + clause
something argues for/against something
用法筆記
Formal and mostly written. The subject is not a speaker but a thing that acts as evidence (a fact, behaviour, sign, result). Distinguish from sense 2: there, a person argues; here, a piece of evidence does the 'arguing' on its own.