inactivated

inactivated — 動詞

  • inactivatedpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • inactivateds3rd person singular
  • inactivateding-ing form
  • inactivatededpast simple

1. to stop a device, system, or mechanism from working or operating, usually by tur

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

停用；關閉

使機器或系統停止運作

to stop a device, system, or mechanism from working or operating, usually by turning it off or disconnecting it.

例句

The technician inactivated the fire alarm before welding in the hallway.

技術人員在走廊進行焊接之前，先將火災警報器停用。

transitive: inactivate + [device/system]

After the security breach, the building manager inactivated all former employee key cards.

發生安全漏洞後，大樓管理員停用了所有前員工的門禁卡。

同義詞
  • deactivate

    more common for digital accounts, cards, and software; suggests undoing a prior activation

  • disable

    implies making a function unavailable, often by cutting a connection; more informal

  • shut down

    informal phrasal verb for turning off completely

反義詞
  • activate

    opposite action — to start or turn on

  • enable

    to make a function available again

文法句型

inactivate + [device/system/mechanism]

be inactivated (by [agent])

用法筆記

Object is usually a machine, security feature, or electronic function. Not used for people — use 'deactivate' for user accounts or 'turn off' for personal devices.

常見錯誤

❌I inactivated my phone.
✅I turned off my phone.
💡'inactivate' sounds overly technical for everyday personal electronics.

2. to destroy or stop the biological activity of a substance such as an enzyme, pro

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

失活；去活化

破壞酵素或蛋白質的活性

to destroy or stop the biological activity of a substance such as an enzyme, protein, or gene, so that it can no longer perform its natural function.

例句

Boiling the sample for five minutes inactivates the enzymes in the solution.

將樣本煮沸五分鐘，即可使溶液中的酵素失活。

inactivate + [enzyme] as target of heat

The protein's function was inactivated when the chemical was added to the dish.

當化學物質加入培養皿後，該蛋白質的功能便失活了。

同義詞
  • denature

    specifically describes changing a protein's structure so it no longer works; more technical

  • degrade

    implies breaking down into smaller parts; not always reversible

反義詞
  • activate

    opposite — to start or enable a biological function

文法句型

inactivate + [enzyme/protein/gene]

inactivate + [biological process]

用法筆記

Frequently appears in passive voice in scientific writing ('was inactivated'). The agent is typically a treatment such as heat, a chemical, or a change in pH.

常見錯誤

❌Heat inactivates the virus.' (when referring to vaccines).
✅Heat inactivates the enzyme.
💡'inactivate' for general biological functions vs. 'inactivate a pathogen' for disease-producing agents; use sense 3 for infectious agents.

3. to treat an infectious agent such as a virus or bacterium so that it can no long

3.動詞及物C1
釋義

滅活

使病原體失去致病力

to treat an infectious agent such as a virus or bacterium so that it can no longer cause disease, while often keeping its structure intact for use in medical research or vaccines.

例句

The viruses in this vaccine have been inactivated with formaldehyde to make them safe.

這款疫苗中的病毒已用甲醛滅活，以確保安全。

passive: inactivated virus / inactivated vaccine

Researchers inactivated the coronavirus so the immune system could learn to recognise it safely.

研究人員將冠狀病毒滅活，讓免疫系統能夠安全地學習辨識它。

同義詞
  • kill

    more direct and informal; commonly used for pathogens in everyday language

  • sterilise

    implies destroying all living organisms, not just disease-producing ability

反義詞
  • activate

    to make a pathogen active or able to cause disease

  • infect

    opposite outcome — to introduce a pathogen into a host

文法句型

inactivate + [virus/bacterium/pathogen]

inactivated + [vaccine/virus] (attributive)

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 2: sense 3 specifically targets whole infectious agents so they cannot cause disease, whereas sense 2 targets biological molecules (enzymes, proteins) to stop their biochemical activity. Commonly appears attributively as 'inactivated vaccine' or 'inactivated virus.'

常見錯誤

❌The doctor inactivated the bacteria.' (doctor as subject).
✅The lab inactivated the bacteria using heat.
💡'inactivate' in this sense is a laboratory or manufacturing process, not something an individual does.