extrapolate

/ɪkˈstræpəleɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪkˈstræpəleɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ik-ˈstra-pə-ˌlāt/ (ame, mw)

extrapolate — 動詞

  • extrapolatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • extrapolateshe / she / it
  • extrapolatedpast simple
  • extrapolating-ing form

1. to form a judgment about something unknown by using facts or patterns you alread

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

推測；推估

根據已知資訊推測未知

to form a judgment about something unknown by using facts or patterns you already have, often to predict what may come next or how a situation will develop.

例句

Dr. Amara used past infection rates to extrapolate next month's case numbers.

Amara 醫師利用過去的感染率，推測出下個月的病例數。

extrapolate + direct object (predicted number)

Elena's test results were used to extrapolate how the medicine might affect older adults.

Elena 的檢測結果被用來推估該藥物對老年人可能產生的影響。

passive: [data] + were used to extrapolate + how-clause

同義詞
  • infer

    broader — to reach a conclusion from evidence; 'infer' can be about any kind of reasoning, while 'extrapolate' always projects beyond the known data

  • project

    closer in meaning, but 'project' often suggests a formal calculation or forecast, while 'extrapolate' can be a mental estimate

  • forecast

    more specific to weather, economic, or business predictions; 'extrapolate' is the method, 'forecast' the result

  • deduce

    more logical / certain — you deduce what follows necessarily; you extrapolate what might probably happen

文法句型

extrapolate + from + [data/information/pattern]

extrapolate + that-clause

extrapolate + direct object

extrapolate from + noun + that-clause (mixed)

用法筆記

Common in academic, scientific, and business contexts. The object is usually a future outcome, estimate, or trend. Frequently used with 'from' to name the source of information. The intransitive pattern ('we can only extrapolate from what we know') is also natural in formal speech.

常見錯誤

❌I extrapolated that she was feeling sad.
✅I inferred that she was feeling sad.
💡'extrapolate' is about projecting from data, not reading emotions from behaviour.
❌The scientist extrapolated the result without any basis.
✅The scientist extrapolated the result from the existing data.
💡always state what the projection is based on; avoid leaving the source unclear.