maim
/meɪm/ (bre, ipa) · [mˈem] /meɪm/ (ame, ipa) · [mˈem] /ˈmām/ (ame, mw)
maim — 動詞
- maimpresent simple I / you / we / they
- maimshe / she / it
- maimedpast simple
- maiming-ing form
1. to hurt someone badly enough that an arm, a leg, an eye, or another body part is
致殘；重創
嚴重損傷身體部位造成永久功能喪失
to hurt someone badly enough that an arm, a leg, an eye, or another body part is permanently harmed or completely lost.
A landmine explosion maimed Santi's uncle during the war, destroying his left leg.
戰爭期間，一枚地雷爆炸將 Santi 的叔叔炸成重傷，導致他的左腿永久殘廢。
passive context: be maimed by [explosive device] in [conflict]
A faulty machine at the factory maimed Diego's right hand, crushing three of his fingers.
工廠裡一台故障的機器壓碎了 Diego 的右手，造成三根手指永久損傷。
active: [machine/object] + maim + [body part]
The bomb blast maimed more than twenty people at the market that afternoon.
炸彈爆炸導致二十多名在市場購物的人重傷致殘。
Kwame will never forget the day a wild dog maimed his sister near their village.
Kwame 永遠忘不了那天，一條野狗在他村莊附近咬傷了他的妹妹，造成永久傷害。
Dr. Okafor has treated many soldiers who were maimed in combat over the past decade.
Okafor 醫師在過去十年間治療了許多在戰鬥中受重傷致殘的士兵。
- cripple
focuses on loss of mobility, especially the ability to walk; can be used figuratively
- mutilate
emphasises cutting off or damaging a body part, with focus on disfigurement
- disable
broader; includes any loss of function, which may be temporary or caused by illness, not just trauma
- wound
usually implies an open injury from a weapon; does not always mean permanent damage
文法句型
maim + somebody
be maimed + by + cause
be maimed + in + context
用法筆記
This word is stronger than injure or hurt. It always suggests lasting physical harm. Frequently used in news reporting about war, industrial accidents, and explosive devices. The passive form (be maimed by / in) is very common.
常見錯誤
maim — 名詞
1. a state of serious physical harm or disfigurement.
重傷
嚴重的身體傷害或殘障
a state of serious physical harm or disfigurement.
In early English law, 'maim' meant an injury taking away the use of a limb.
在中世紀英國法律中，'maim' 一詞指任何使人喪失肢體功能的傷害。
rare noun: 'the term maim' in historical legal context
The old textbook defined maim as a permanent wound leaving the victim disabled for life.
這本古老教科書將 maim 定義為一種使受害者終身殘疾的永久性傷害。
In medieval law, maim was considered a crime equal to the loss of a limb.
中世紀法律認為重傷致殘與失去肢體屬於同等罪行。
The noun 'maim' appears mainly in historical or legal writing, not in everyday speech.
名詞 'maim' 主要出現在歷史或法律文本中，日常口語極少使用。
用法筆記
This noun sense is very rare in modern English. The verb form is used far more often. In most contexts, injury or trauma is preferred.
2. a serious or damaging loss, especially one that weakens something.
重大損失
嚴重的、削弱性的損失
a serious or damaging loss, especially one that weakens something.
In a journal article, a historian called the fire 'a maim to the city's cultural heritage.'
一位歷史學者在期刊文章中將那場大火描述為『該市文化遺產的重大損失』。
rare figurative noun: used with scare quotes in academic writing
Linguists rarely find 'maim' used figuratively — it is far rarer than 'blow' or 'damage'.
語言學家很少遇到名詞 'maim' 的比喻用法——其出現頻率遠低於 'blow' 或 'damage'。
A local writer called the closures 'an economic maim the town may never escape.'
一位當地作家將工廠關閉稱為『該鎮可能永遠無法擺脫的經濟重創』。
'Maim' can work as a figurative noun, but most writers prefer 'blow' or 'crippling loss.'
'maim' 可以作為比喻性名詞使用，但多數作者會選擇 'blow' 或 'crippling loss' 等詞。
用法筆記
This figurative noun sense is extremely rare. It is primarily literary or rhetorical. Most speakers use loss or damage in place of this noun.