fend
[fˈɛnd] /ˈfend/ (ame, mw)
fend — 動詞
- fendpresent simple I / you / we / they
- fends3rd person singular
- fending-ing form
- fendedpast simple
1. to push away or defend yourself against someone or something that is trying to a
抵擋；驅趕
抵擋攻擊或威脅
to push away or defend yourself against someone or something that is trying to attack or threaten you, often by using a physical or verbal barrier.
An old farmer used a broom to fend off a stray dog near his barn.
一位老農夫用掃帚擋開穀倉附近的一隻流浪狗。
fend off + physical threat (animal)
Jude had to fend off awkward questions from journalists after the surprise announcement.
Jude 必須擋開記者們在意外宣布後提出的尷尬問題。
fend off + abstract threat (questions)
Mayumi wore a wide sun hat to fend off the worst of the afternoon heat.
Mayumi 戴上一頂寬邊草帽來抵擋午後最烈的陽光。
Alessia raised her arms to fend off branches as she pushed through thick bushes.
Alessia 舉起雙臂擋開樹枝，一邊撥開濃密的灌木前進。
文法句型
fend + off + noun phrase
用法筆記
Almost always used with 'off' in modern English. The object of 'fend off' can be a physical attacker (animal, person) or an abstract threat (questions, criticism, a takeover). Using 'fend' alone without 'off' sounds very old-fashioned.
常見錯誤
2. to take care of yourself and meet your own needs without receiving help or suppo
自立；自理
不靠他人照顧自己
to take care of yourself and meet your own needs without receiving help or support from anyone else.
Henry moved for work and had to learn to fend for himself.
Henry 為了工作搬家，必須學會自己打理生活。
fend for oneself — living independently
The young birds were pushed from the nest to fend for themselves in the wild.
小鳥們被推出鳥巢，必須在野外自行覓食。
After the divorce, Tamar had to fend for herself and raise two young children alone.
離婚之後，Tamar 必須獨自照顧自己，還要養育兩個年幼的孩子。
Each student in the survival course fended for themselves for three nights in a forest.
求生課程中的每位學生在森林裡獨自生活了三個晚上。
- cope
broader — can mean dealing with any difficulty, not just survival needs
- get by
more informal, often about managing financially with limited resources
- shift for oneself
archaic in most regions, still used in British English but rare
文法句型
fend + for + myself/yourself/himself/herself/ourselves/yourselves/themselves
用法筆記
Always uses a reflexive pronoun after 'for' (fend for myself, fend for yourself, etc.). This is a fixed expression — you cannot replace the reflexive pronoun with a noun or an ordinary object pronoun.
常見錯誤
3. to earn enough money or produce enough food and other necessities to support you
養活；供養
提供生計給家人
to earn enough money or produce enough food and other necessities to support yourself and the people who depend on you.
After losing his factory job, Zayd struggled to fend for his family on part-time wages.
Zayd 失去工廠工作後，只能靠兼職薪水勉強養活家人。
fend for + family — financial support
Mei works twelve-hour shifts at the factory to fend for her elderly parents.
Mei 在工廠輪十二小時班來養活年邁的雙親。
fend for + elderly parents — providing for dependents
Jisoo worked two jobs to fend for her siblings after their mother fell ill.
母親病倒後，Jisoo 打兩份工來養活弟妹。
After the war, Ahmed took any job he could find to fend for his widowed sister and her baby.
戰後，Ahmed 什麼工作都接，只為養活守寡的姊姊和她的小孩。
- provide for
more neutral and common; can refer to any kind of provision, not just survival needs
- support
broader — can include emotional support; 'fend for' is more about material needs
- sustain
more formal, often used in writing about long-term provision
文法句型
fend + for + family / children / dependents / someone
用法筆記
This sense overlaps with 'fend for yourself' (sense 2) but focuses on providing for dependents rather than just oneself. Distinguish by the noun after 'for': if it is a reflexive pronoun (myself, yourself), the meaning is sense 2 (self-sufficiency); if it is another person or group (family, children), the meaning is sense 3 (financial provision).
常見錯誤
4. to make a strong effort or struggle to do something, especially when facing grea
奮鬥；掙扎
努力奮鬥克服困難
to make a strong effort or struggle to do something, especially when facing great difficulty or limited resources.
The stranded climbers fended in the storm for two days before help arrived.
受困的登山者在暴風雨中奮鬥了兩天，救援才抵達。
fend without particle — archaic effort/struggle sense
Without a map, the lost hikers fended through the dense forest until they found a road.
沒有地圖，迷路的健行者奮力穿過濃密森林，直到找到一條路。
The refugees fended against hunger and cold during the long winter months.
難民們在漫長的寒冬中與飢餓和嚴寒奮戰。
Early settlers fended to clear the land and build shelters before the first snowfall.
早期定居者趕在第一場雪之前奮力開墾土地、搭建住所。
文法句型
fend (without particle, old-fashioned)
用法筆記
This sense is very rare in modern English and sounds archaic or literary. Most contemporary speakers would use 'struggle', 'strive', or 'battle' instead. It appears mainly in historical texts or regional British dialects and does NOT take the particles 'off' or 'for' like the other verb senses.
fend — 名詞
1. an attempt to do something by your own effort, especially when you have no help
自力嘗試
靠自己的力量嘗試
an attempt to do something by your own effort, especially when you have no help or support from others.
The village made a fend to rebuild its school using only local materials.
這個村莊只用當地材料設法重建學校。
fixed phrase 'make a fend' (rare, formal)
The elderly couple made a fend at growing enough vegetables to last through the winter.
那對老夫妻嘗試種植足夠的蔬菜來過冬。
Each household made a fend to repair its roof after the storm, without outside help.
暴風過後，每戶人家各自設法修理自己的屋頂，沒有外界援助。
Left without a teacher, the students made a fend at teaching themselves from old textbooks.
沒有老師的情況下，學生們嘗試用舊課本自學。
用法筆記
Very rare in modern English. Usually appears in the fixed phrase 'make a fend' and is mostly found in older British literature or regional dialects. Most contemporary speakers would use 'attempt', 'effort', or 'try' instead.