dumb down
dumb down — 片語動詞
- dumb downbase form
- dumbs down3rd person singular
- dumbing down-ing form
- dumbed downpast simple
1. to make educational material, a book, or other content much less intellectually
降低水準
降低難度與知識含量
to make educational material, a book, or other content much less intellectually challenging by removing or simplifying the difficult parts of it
The textbook committee dumbed down the science curriculum by removing all the equations.
教科書委員會降低了科學課程的水準，把所有方程式都刪掉了。
dumbed down + noun (content being simplified)
The publisher dumbed down the algebra textbook by taking out all the word problems and formulas.
出版社把代數教科書簡化了，刪掉了所有的應用題和公式。
dumbed down + textbook by [removing specific components]
Professor Kwame refused to dumb down his lecture on ancient philosophy for the introductory class.
Kwame 教授拒絕為了入門班而降低他古代哲學講座的難度。
The network dumbed down the science special by replacing every technical term with a simple everyday word.
電視臺把科學特輯簡化了，用簡單的日常詞彙取代了所有專業術語。
- oversimplify
broader; can apply to any situation where something is made too simple, not just intellectual content
- complicate
to make something more complex
文法句型
be dumbed down
dumb + noun + down
用法筆記
Criticises the reduction of challenge level specifically. Use 'simplify' when making content clearer without reducing depth — 'dumb down' always implies the content was made easier than it should have been.
常見錯誤
2. to present complex information in a simpler way so that a wider audience can und
簡化以普及
為了讓更多人理解而簡化
to present complex information in a simpler way so that a wider audience can understand it, especially to increase its popularity
The news director dumbed down the evening broadcast so that all ages could follow it.
新聞總監把晚間新聞簡化，讓各年齡層都聽得懂。
dumb down + broadcast / coverage
Amira's cooking show dumbs down complex French recipes for home cooks with limited time.
Amira 的烹飪節目把複雜的法國食譜簡化，方便時間有限的家庭主婦在家操作。
The government website was dumbed down to help citizens understand their tax options more easily.
政府網站把內容簡化了，讓民眾更容易看懂自己的稅務選項。
Kenji's guidebook dumbs down hiking maps so that casual walkers can use them without confusion.
Kenji 的指南書把登山地圖簡化，讓一般健行者也能輕鬆使用。
- simplify
neutral or positive; does not imply any loss of quality
- popularize
focuses on making something appealing to the general public, not necessarily simpler
- complicate
to make something harder to understand
文法句型
dumb + noun + down
dumb down + noun
用法筆記
Can be neutral or slightly negative. Unlike sense 1, this sense focuses on broadening access rather than criticising quality loss.
常見錯誤
3. to damage the quality, accuracy, or depth of something by making it so simple th
降低品質
因過度簡化而損害品質
to damage the quality, accuracy, or depth of something by making it so simple that it loses the qualities that made it worthwhile
The streaming service dumbed down the documentary by cutting out all the expert analysis, leaving only entertaining visuals.
那家串流平台把紀錄片的水準降低了，刪掉了所有專家分析，只留下娛樂性的畫面。
dumbed down + [content] by cutting out [quality component]
The magazine's editors dumbed down the health report so aggressively that the published advice contained medical inaccuracies.
那本雜誌的編輯把健康報導簡化得太過頭，結果刊登的建議出現了醫療上的錯誤。
The training program was dumbed down so much that new employees learned almost nothing useful.
那個培訓課程被過度簡化，結果新員工幾乎沒學到什麼有用的東西。
Trang felt the movie adaptation had dumbed down the novel's complex themes beyond recognition.
Trang 覺得那部電影改編版把小說複雜的主題簡化得面目全非。
- trivialize
makes something seem less important or serious; stronger in tone
- water down
weakens the strength or effect of something; similar meaning but can be used more broadly
- enrich
to add more depth or quality to something
文法句型
dumb + noun + down
be dumbed down
用法筆記
Strongly negative. Unlike sense 1, which focuses on lowering the difficulty level, this sense emphasises that the result is worse in quality — less accurate, less informative, or stripped of meaningful content.