brainwash
brainwash — 動詞
- brainwashpresent simple I / you / we / they
- brainwasheshe / she / it
- brainwashedpast simple
- brainwashing-ing form
1. to force a person to adopt certain beliefs by cutting them off from all outside
洗腦
強迫他人接受某套思想
to force a person to adopt certain beliefs by cutting them off from all outside information and repeating the same ideas over and over — typically done by cult leaders, abusers, or captors targeting one individual at a time
The cult leader brainwashed Rania into believing she must cut all ties with her family.
那名邪教領袖對 Rania 洗腦，讓她相信自己必須斷絕所有家人的聯繫。
brainwash + someone + into + -ing
Prisoners of war said their captors brainwashed them with the same slogans repeated every hour.
戰俘們說，俘虜他們的人用每小時重複播放的口號對他們進行洗腦。
passive: be brainwashed by captors
Vivek realized his history teacher was trying to brainwash the class into supporting only one political party.
Vivek 發現他的歷史老師企圖對全班洗腦，讓大家只支持某一個政黨。
Mei struggled to understand how the group had brainwashed her for so many years.
Mei 難以理解那個團體為何能對她洗腦那麼多年。
The kidnapper brainwashed Kofi into believing that his family had abandoned him.
綁匪對 Kofi 洗腦，讓他相信家人已經拋棄了他。
- indoctrinate
more formal; focuses on teaching a doctrine rather than controlling information
- condition
broader; can refer to behavior training without the negative manipulation connotation
- enlighten
emphasizes providing free access to information and letting people decide
文法句型
brainwash + someone
brainwash + someone + into + -ing
be brainwashed + by
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive voice (be brainwashed). The object is typically one person at a time — contrast with sense 2 (PROPAGANDA) which describes mass persuasion through biased media without cutting anyone off from other sources.
常見錯誤
2. to gradually shape the way large groups of people think by feeding them only one
洗腦宣傳
用片面資訊影響大眾
to gradually shape the way large groups of people think by feeding them only one side of an issue through television, advertising, schoolbooks, or social media
William argued that television commercials brainwash the public into wanting things they do not need.
William 認為電視廣告對大眾進行洗腦宣傳，讓大家想要自己不需要的東西。
brainwash + the public into + -ing
The government used school textbooks to brainwash children with one-sided political views.
政府利用教科書對兒童進行洗腦宣傳，向他們傳遞單一的政治觀點。
Beatriz warned her students that social media algorithms can brainwash people without them realizing it.
Beatriz 告誡她的學生，社群媒體的演算法可以在不知不覺中對人們進行洗腦宣傳。
People in the Eastern European country took over a decade to realize they had been brainwashed by state news.
東歐國家的人民花了超過十年的時間，才意識到自己一直在受國營新聞的洗腦宣傳影響。
- propagandize
more specific; refers to spreading biased information rather than the full indoctrination process
文法句型
brainwash + the public / population / consumers
be brainwashed + by + propaganda / media
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (FORCE BELIEFS): sense 1 targets individuals through personal coercion and information isolation (cult leaders, captors, abusers). This sense targets large groups by feeding them one-sided information through television, advertising, or schoolbooks, without cutting anyone off from other sources.
brainwash — 名詞
1. the practice of trying to control what someone believes through constant repetit
洗腦行為
操縱他人思想的過程
the practice of trying to control what someone believes through constant repetition of ideas and by cutting off other sources of information
A United Nations report described brainwashing as a serious violation of a person's right to think freely.
聯合國的一份報告將洗腦描述為對個人自由思考權利的嚴重侵犯。
collocation: described ... as a violation
Rania wrote her thesis on the techniques of brainwashing used by authoritarian regimes.
Rania 的論文探討了威權政權所使用的洗腦手法。
collocation: techniques of brainwashing
Aiko spent three years in a cult and needed years of therapy to recover her sense of self after brainwashing.
Aiko 在一個宗教團體中度過了三年，事後花了好幾年接受心理治療，才在經歷洗腦後重新找回自我。
The documentary explored the history of brainwashing in military training camps.
這部紀錄片探討了軍事訓練營中的洗腦歷史。
- indoctrination
broader and less extreme; may not involve coercion or information control
- thought control
emphasizes the restriction of independent thinking
用法筆記
Uncountable — used without an article when referring to the general practice. For a specific event, use sense 2.
2. a particular situation or event in which someone is made to accept beliefs throu
洗腦事件
被迫接受思想的特定事件
a particular situation or event in which someone is made to accept beliefs through repeated pressure and controlled information
Psychologists studied a famous brainwashing that took place in a prisoner camp during the war.
心理學家研究了一起著名的洗腦事件，發生在戰時的戰俘營裡。
countable: a brainwashing
Kofi described his own brainwashing as a gradual process that he did not notice at first.
Kofi 將自己所經歷的那次洗腦描述為一個緩慢的過程，起初他完全沒有察覺。
Each brainwashing lasted several weeks and left the victim completely dependent on the captors.
每一次洗腦都持續數週，使受害者完全依賴加害者。
The novel is based on a real brainwashing from the 1970s political conflicts.
這本小說取材自一九七〇年代政治衝突中的真實洗腦事件。
文法句型
a brainwashing
the brainwashing of
用法筆記
Countable — use with an article (a brainwashing) or quantifier (each brainwashing). Refers to a specific episode; contrast with sense 1 (the general practice).