flatten
/ˈflætn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈflætn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfla-tᵊn/ (ame, mw)
flatten — 動詞
- flattenpresent simple I / you / we / they
- flattenshe / she / it
- flattenedpast simple
- flattening-ing form
1. to press, smooth, or push something so that it becomes flat or level without bum
弄平；壓平
使物體變得平整
to press, smooth, or push something so that it becomes flat or level without bumps or raised parts, or to become flat in this way
Hao flattened the wrinkled shirt by pressing it firmly with a hot iron.
Hao 用熱熨斗用力按壓，把皺巴巴的襯衫弄平了。
flatten + object (clothing/fabric)
The cardboard box was flattened and put into the recycling bin after Baraka unpacked it.
Baraka 拆開紙箱後，把它壓平後放進回收桶裡。
passive construction: be flattened
When a sharp piece of glass pierced the tire, it flattened on the highway.
玻璃碎片刺穿了輪胎，輪胎在高速公路上扁掉了。
Noor flattened the tablecloth with her palms, smoothing out every small crease.
Noor 用手掌把桌巾撫平，抹平了每一處細小的皺褶。
The children used their hands to flatten the wet sand into a smooth circle for a castle.
孩子們用手壓平濕沙，拍成一個平滑的圓圈來蓋沙堡。
- inflate
to fill with air, the opposite of flattening a tire or balloon
文法句型
flatten + object
flatten + adverb/particle (out, down)
用法筆記
Frequently used with particle adverbs like 'out' or 'down' to emphasize the action: 'flatten out the wrinkles', 'flatten down the carpet'.
常見錯誤
2. to stop changing up or down as quickly as before, so that the rate of increase o
趨緩；平穩
增長或下降的速度減慢
to stop changing up or down as quickly as before, so that the rate of increase or decrease becomes slower and more steady
House prices in Camila's neighborhood flattened after three years of fast increases.
Camila 住家附近的房價在三年快速上漲之後趨於平穩。
intransitive: prices flatten
The central bank raised interest rates to flatten the rate of inflation.
中央銀行調高了利率，以減緩通貨膨脹的速度。
transitive: flatten + rate of [something]
After rapid growth, the company's monthly sales flattened out during the summer.
經歷了快速成長之後，該公司的月銷售額在夏天趨於平緩。
The population of the small island flattened as more families moved to the mainland.
隨著愈來愈多家庭搬到本島，這個小島的人口成長停滯了。
Tanvi noticed that her weight had flattened near sixty kilograms despite eating the same amount.
Tanvi 注意到儘管飲食不變，她的體重一直維持在六十公斤左右。
文法句型
flatten + noun phrase (rates, prices, growth)
flatten + out / off
用法筆記
Common with the particles 'out' and 'off' ('flatten out', 'flatten off'). Often used to describe economic data, population trends, or physical measurements that stop changing quickly.
常見錯誤
3. to slow down the speed at which a disease spreads, shown on a graph as a line th
拉平曲線
減緩疫情傳播速度
to slow down the speed at which a disease spreads, shown on a graph as a line that becomes less steep
The health minister introduced free mask distribution to flatten the infection curve.
衛生部長實施免費口罩發放，以拉平感染曲線。
collocation: flatten the curve
A quick vaccination campaign helped Sari's city flatten the curve and reopen schools safely.
快速的疫苗接種活動幫助 Sari 居住的城市拉平曲線，安全地重新開放學校。
The number of new daily cases flattened after the two-week lockdown was strictly enforced.
在嚴格執行兩週封鎖措施後，每日新增病例數趨於平緩。
Public health experts in Hao's district worked hard to flatten the curve before the holiday season.
Hao 所在區域的公衛專家們努力拉平曲線，希望在假期來臨前控制住疫情。
Large public gatherings were banned to flatten the curve, and the measure proved effective.
大型集會遭到禁止以拉平曲線，而這項措施證明是有效的。
- slow the spread
more general term, not tied to graph imagery
文法句型
flatten + noun phrase (curve, infection rate)
number + flattens
用法筆記
This sense became widely used worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic starting in 2020. It is almost always used with 'the curve' as the object, referring to the epidemic curve on a graph showing new infections over time.
常見錯誤
4. to press a soft or bendable material so that it becomes both flat and thin at th
壓平；擀平
透過按壓使材料變薄
to press a soft or bendable material so that it becomes both flat and thin at the same time
Noor flattened the dough into a thin circle before spreading tomato sauce on it.
Noor 把麵團擀成薄圓片，然後在上面塗番茄醬。
flatten + into + [shape/form]
The gold was flattened into a thin sheet by a machine that hammered it repeatedly.
透過機器反覆錘打，黃金被壓成了薄片。
passive: be flattened + into
Hannah flattened the pastry dough with her hands until it was even on both sides.
Hannah 用手將派皮麵團壓平，直到兩面厚度均勻。
In pottery class, Tanvi flattened a lump of clay on the table with a rolling pin.
在陶藝課上，Tanvi 用擀麵棍把桌上的陶土塊壓平。
Metal wires are fed through rollers that flatten them into thin strips for making springs.
金屬線被送入滾輪機，壓成細長條，用來製作彈簧。
- roll out
specifically for dough or pastry; implies using a rolling pin
- press out
emphasizes using even force to spread material
- hammer out
for metal; suggests repeated forceful blows
- thicken
to make something thicker
文法句型
flatten + object
flatten + object + into + shape/form
用法筆記
This sense is distinct from the general MAKE LEVEL sense because it specifically involves reducing thickness. Typical materials include dough, clay, metal, or wax that can be pressed or rolled into a thinner shape.
常見錯誤
5. to completely knock down or destroy a building, house, tree, or other large stru
夷平；拆平
徹底拆除或摧毀建築物
to completely knock down or destroy a building, house, tree, or other large structure so that it lies flat on the ground
The abandoned factory was flattened to make space for a new city park.
那間廢棄工廠被夷為平地，用來蓋一座新的市立公園。
passive: be flattened + purpose
Typhoon winds flattened hundreds of wooden houses along the coast of Sari's province.
颱風在 Sari 住的省份沿海吹倒了數百間的木造房屋。
natural disaster + flatten + structures
The construction crew flattened the old parking garage in a single morning.
建築工人在一個早上就把舊停車場拆平了。
A tornado completely flattened the barn on Pedro's farm, but his family was safe.
龍捲風把 Pedro 農場上的穀倉徹底吹垮了，不過他的家人都平安。
The historic hotel in the town center was flattened by a fire that started in the kitchen.
市中心那間歷史悠久的飯店被從廚房竄出的火災燒毀了。
文法句型
flatten + object (building, house, tree)
be flattened + by + noun phrase
用法筆記
Subject is usually a natural disaster (storm, earthquake, tornado), heavy machinery, or construction crew. Frequently used in the passive voice because the focus is on the destroyed structure rather than the agent.