demolish

/dɪˈmɒlɪʃ/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈmɑːlɪʃ/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈmä-lish/ (ame, mw)

demolish — 動詞

  • demolishpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • demolisheshe / she / it
  • demolishedpast simple
  • demolishing-ing form

1. to deliberately cause a building or other large structure to fall to the ground,

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

拆除

故意拆掉建築物以騰出空地

to deliberately cause a building or other large structure to fall to the ground, usually so the land can be used for something new

例句

The city decided to demolish the old hospital to build a new school in its place.

市政府決定拆除舊醫院，在原地建造一所新學校。

demolish + old hospital + to build

Workers will demolish the abandoned factory next week and turn the area into a park.

工人下週將拆除廢棄工廠，並把該區域改建成公園。

future: will demolish + purpose clause

同義詞
  • tear down

    less formal, often for buildings

  • knock down

    informal, emphasises the physical action

  • raze

    formal, literature; suggests reducing to ground level

  • level

    emphasises making the ground flat after removal

反義詞

文法句型

demolish + noun phrase (building/structure)

用法筆記

Frequently used for planned, intentional destruction carried out by people or organisations, not for accidental damage or natural disasters. The subject is typically a city council, company, developer, or construction team.

常見錯誤

❌The earthquake demolished the building.
✅The earthquake destroyed the building.
💡'demolish' usually refers to a planned act by people, not accidental damage from nature.

2. to show through reasoning or clear evidence that a particular idea, claim, or ar

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

推翻

證明論點或理論錯誤

to show through reasoning or clear evidence that a particular idea, claim, or argument cannot be correct or believable

例句

Professor Ananya demolished the leading theory in genetics with one simple experiment.

Ananya 教授用一個簡單的實驗，推翻了遺傳學領域的主流理論。

demolish + theory + with + evidence

Oliver's lawyer demolished the prosecution's case by pointing out missing evidence.

Oliver 的律師指出證據不足，推翻了檢方的論點。

同義詞
  • disprove

    more neutral and formal; focuses on proof

  • debunk

    informal; exposes a claim as false or exaggerated

  • refute

    formal; argues against with evidence

  • shoot down

    informal; strongly reject an idea

反義詞

文法句型

demolish + noun phrase (argument/theory/claim)

用法筆記

Subject is typically a person, study, report, or piece of evidence. The object must be an abstract idea — a theory, argument, claim, case, or myth — never a person.

常見錯誤

❌The lawyer demolished the witness during questioning.
✅The lawyer demolished the witness's story during questioning.
💡'demolish' for arguments targets the idea, not the person.

3. to beat a player, team, or opponent very easily and by a wide margin, especially

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

擊敗

輕鬆徹底打敗對手

to beat a player, team, or opponent very easily and by a wide margin, especially in a sport or competition

例句

Vikram's chess club demolished every opponent in the city tournament last weekend.

Vikram 的西洋棋社上週末在市级比賽中擊敗了每一個對手。

demolish + opponent in competition context

Mateo demolished the previous record by finishing the race nearly a minute faster.

Mateo 以將近一分鐘的優勢刷新了紀錄，輕鬆擊敗了原有的成績。

同義詞
  • crush

    informal; same level of force

  • thrash

    informal; especially British, for a severe defeat

  • rout

    formal; a disorganised, complete defeat

  • wipe the floor with

    very informal; emphatic, dramatic

反義詞

文法句型

demolish + noun phrase (team/opponent/record)

用法筆記

Common in sports, games, and competitive events. Implies a very wide gap in performance — a close match cannot be described this way.

常見錯誤

❌We demolished them two to one.
✅We demolished them five to zero.
💡'demolish' suggests a very wide margin, not a close score.

4. to finish a serving of food very quickly, usually because you are very hungry or

4.動詞及物B2
釋義

吃光

因肚子餓而迅速吃完全部食物

to finish a serving of food very quickly, usually because you are very hungry or because it tastes very good

例句

After the long hike, Yuki sat down and demolished a huge bowl of noodles in minutes.

經過長途健行後，Yuki 坐下來幾分鐘就吃光了一大碗麵。

demolish + bowl of noodles

Jack was so hungry after practice that he demolished an entire pizza by himself.

Jack 練習完之後餓壞了，一個人吃光了一整份披薩。

同義詞
反義詞
  • nibble

    eat in small, slow bites

  • pick at

    eat without appetite, leaving most

文法句型

demolish + noun phrase (meal/food)

用法筆記

Informal register. Usually describes one person finishing their own portion in a single sitting, not a group sharing food. Can be playful or admiring.

常見錯誤

❌She demolished the leftovers over three days.
✅She demolished the leftovers in one sitting.
💡'demolish' implies eating everything at once, very quickly.

5. to break or damage something so severely that it is ruined, smashed, or no longe

5.動詞及物B2
釋義

摧毀

徹底破壞或砸碎東西

to break or damage something so severely that it is ruined, smashed, or no longer works

例句

Elena's wooden fence was demolished by the strong wind during the storm.

Elena 的木柵欄在暴風雨中被強風摧毀了。

passive: was demolished by + natural force

Hassan accidentally demolished the model castle he had spent three weeks building.

Hassan 不小心摧毀了他花了三週搭建的模型城堡。

同義詞
  • smash

    breaks into pieces with force

  • shatter

    breaks into many small pieces, especially glass

  • wreck

    damages something beyond repair

  • trash

    very informal; ruin or destroy deliberately

反義詞

文法句型

demolish + noun phrase (object)

用法筆記

Describes both accidental and deliberate destruction of physical objects. Unlike sense 1 (building demolition), this sense does not require planning or a human agent — animals, weather, and accidents are all common subjects.

常見錯誤

❌The child demolished the toy by taking it apart carefully.
✅The child demolished the toy by throwing it against the wall.
💡'demolish' means breaking or damaging through force, not careful disassembly.