impel

IPA/ɪmˈpel/
KK[ˌɪmpˈɛl]IPA/ɪmˈpel/

impel — 動詞

  • impelpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • impelshe / she / it
  • impelledpast simple
  • impelling-ing form

1. if a strong feeling or belief impels someone, it pushes that person so powerfull

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

驅使；激使

強烈情感或信念促使某人非做某事不可

if a strong feeling or belief impels someone, it pushes that person so powerfully from inside that they feel they have no choice but to act.

例句

A deep sense of fairness impelled Manuela to speak up at the school board meeting.

強烈的公平感驅使 Manuela 在學校董事會上發聲。

impel + object + to-infinitive (driven by inner conviction)

Hunger and worry impelled the Okonkwo family to leave their village before dawn.

飢餓與憂慮迫使 Okonkwo 一家在天亮前離開村子。

subject is an emotion or condition, not a person

常見搭配
  • impel someone to act
  • feel impelled to
  • impelled by curiosity / duty / fear
同義詞
  • compel

    stronger external pressure; often legal or physical, not just emotional

  • drive

    more general and informal; works for any sustained motivation

  • prompt

    weaker; suggests a trigger rather than an irresistible push

反義詞
  • deter

    to stop someone from acting through fear or doubt

  • discourage

    milder; to reduce someone's willingness to act

文法句型

impel + object + to-infinitive

用法筆記

Subject is usually an abstract force — a feeling, belief, duty, or pressure — rather than a deliberate human agent. Frequently passive ('felt impelled to…').

常見錯誤

My boss impelled me to finish the report by Friday.
My boss pressured me to finish the report by Friday.
a person giving an order uses 'pressure' or 'force'; 'impel' takes an inner feeling or moral pressure as subject.

2. to make a physical object move ahead by applying force to it, the way wind moves

2.動詞及物C2
釋義

推進；推動

以外力將物體向前推動

to make a physical object move ahead by applying force to it, the way wind moves a sailboat or an engine moves a car.

例句

A steady south wind impelled the small fishing boat toward the rocky shore.

持續的南風將那艘小漁船推向多岩石的岸邊。

impel + object + directional phrase (physical force)

Twin propellers impelled the old ferry across the wide gray lake.

雙螺旋槳推動著那艘老渡輪橫越寬闊灰濛的湖面。

subject is a mechanical force (propeller, engine, current)

常見搭配
  • impel forward
  • impel toward
  • wind / current impels
同義詞
  • propel

    the everyday word for this meaning; less formal than impel

  • drive

    general; can apply to mechanical or natural force

  • push

    plain, neutral; covers any direct physical force

反義詞
  • halt

    to bring forward motion to a complete stop

文法句型

impel + object (+ prepositional phrase of direction)

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: here the subject is a physical force (wind, engine, current) acting on a concrete object, not an emotion acting on a person. This sense is mostly literary or technical.

常見錯誤

The runner impelled herself across the finish line.
The runner pushed herself across the finish line.
for a person moving their own body, use 'push' or 'propel'; 'impel' in this sense needs an external physical force as subject.

同根字

常見搭配

名詞搭配

副詞搭配

常用片語

  • feel impelled to
  • be impelled by

介系詞搭配

  • impelled by
  • impelled toward
  • impelled into