multiply

IPA/ˈmʌltɪplaɪ/
KK[mˈʌltəplˌaɪ]IPA/ˈmʌltɪplaɪ/

multiply — 動詞

  • multiplypresent simple I / you / we / they
  • multiplieshe / she / it
  • multipliedpast simple
  • multiplying-ing form

1. to calculate the total that results when a number is added to itself a certain n

1.動詞及物 / 不及物A2
釋義

乘以;相乘

將某數重複加自身若干次的運算

to calculate the total that results when a number is added to itself a certain number of times — for example, multiplying 4 by 3 gives you 12 because 4 + 4 + 4 = 12.

例句

Folake multiplied 8 by 7 in her head and announced the answer before anyone else.

Folake 心算 8 乘以 7,然後搶先說出答案。

multiply + number + by + number for arithmetic operation

The maths teacher asked the class to multiply 15 and 6 and write the answer.

數學老師要求全班計算 15 乘以 6,並寫下答案。

multiply + number + and + number (alternative pattern)

常見搭配
  • multiply by
  • multiply together
  • multiply and add
同義詞
  • times

    informal; used in spoken maths ('3 times 4 is 12')

  • calculate

    broader; refers to any arithmetic operation, not just multiplication

反義詞
  • divide

    the inverse math operation

文法句型

multiply + number + by + number

multiply + number + and + number

用法筆記

The pattern 'multiply A by B' uses the preposition 'by', not 'with'. The result of multiplication is called the product.

常見錯誤

I multiplied 6 with 5.
I multiplied 6 by 5.
The correct preposition is 'by', not 'with'.

2. to grow or cause something to grow a lot in number, amount, or degree, often muc

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

倍增;激增

數量或程度上大幅增長

to grow or cause something to grow a lot in number, amount, or degree, often much more than expected.

例句

The company's profits multiplied five times in three years after the new product launch.

推出新產品後,該公司的利潤在三年內增長了五倍。

intransitive: amounts or figures multiply (grow rapidly)

Social media posts about the festival multiplied overnight after the video went viral.

影片爆紅後,關於該節慶的社群媒體貼文一夜之間暴增。

常見搭配
  • multiply rapidly
  • multiply quickly
  • multiply exponentially
  • profits multiply
  • problems multiply
  • risks multiply
同義詞
  • increase

    general term for becoming larger; less dramatic

  • proliferate

    suggests rapid, widespread spread of things like ideas or products

  • escalate

    implies intensification, often of negative things (conflict, costs)

反義詞
  • decrease

    general opposite: to become smaller in number or amount

  • diminish

    to become less; more formal than decrease

文法句型

multiply + noun phrase (object)

noun phrase + multiply (intransitive increase)

用法筆記

Often appears with 'by' to state the factor of increase: 'multiply by five'. Common objects include profits, costs, risks, problems, challenges, and effects. Subjects are often abstract — rumours, posts, concerns, opportunities.

常見錯誤

The company multiplied its products.' (vague)
The company multiplied its profits by expanding overseas.
The object after 'multiply' should be a quantifiable thing like profits, costs, or risks.

3. of living things — such as animals, bacteria, or cells — to increase in number b

3.動詞不及物B2
釋義

繁殖;增殖

生物產生後代以增加族群數量

of living things — such as animals, bacteria, or cells — to increase in number by producing young or new individuals.

例句

Rabbits multiply very quickly when food and shelter are both plentiful.

只要食物和棲息充足,兔子便會迅速繁殖。

intransitive: animals multiply in suitable conditions

Bacteria can multiply every twenty minutes in a warm container of milk.

細菌在溫牛奶中每隔二十分鐘就能繁殖一次。

micro-organisms multiply in warm, nutrient-rich environments

常見搭配
  • multiply rapidly
  • multiply quickly
  • bacteria multiply
  • cells multiply
  • population multiplies
同義詞
  • reproduce

    the neutral, general term for producing offspring

  • breed

    suggests controlled or intentional reproduction, often by humans

  • propagate

    more formal; used for plants, ideas, or deliberate spreading

反義詞
  • die off

    to decrease in population as individuals die

  • decline

    to become fewer in number

文法句型

living thing + multiply (intransitive)

用法筆記

Only used of non-human living organisms — animals, bacteria, cells, plants, insects. For humans, use 'reproduce' or 'have children' instead.

常見錯誤

The family multiplied last year.
The rabbit population multiplied last year.
'Multiply' for reproduction is not used for humans in modern English.

multiply — 副詞

multiply — 形容詞

同根字

常見搭配

常用片語

  • multiply by
  • multiply together

介系詞搭配