penetrate
/ˈpenətreɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpenətreɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpe-nə-ˌtrāt/ (ame, mw)
penetrate — 動詞
- penetratepresent simple I / you / we / they
- penetrateshe / she / it
- penetratedpast simple
- penetrating-ing form
1. to get inside a material, surface, or space by passing through it
穿入
穿過外層進到裡面
to get inside a material, surface, or space by passing through it
Rainwater penetrated the cracked roof during the night storm.
夜裡的暴風雨中，雨水穿入裂開的屋頂。
penetrate + object
The knife failed to penetrate the thick plastic box.
那把刀沒能穿入那個厚塑膠箱。
Cold air penetrated deep into the cave after sunset.
日落後，冷空氣穿入了洞穴深處。
A small bullet penetrated his jacket but missed his skin.
一顆小子彈穿過他的外套，但沒傷到皮膚。
- pierce
usually suggests a sharp point or strong force making the opening
- go through
is the plain everyday choice and is less formal
- permeate
often means spreading through the whole thing, not just entering it
- bounce off
suggests hitting a surface and not getting through it
- be blocked by
is the broad opposite when entry is stopped
文法句型
penetrate + surface/material
penetrate deep into + place
be penetrated by + object
用法筆記
Often used for liquids, bullets, cold, roots, or tools moving through a surface or layer. The object is usually something that resists entry, such as skin, cloth, rock, or a wall.
常見錯誤
2. to win a place inside a guarded group, system, or market and become active there
打入
進入團體或市場立足
to win a place inside a guarded group, system, or market and become active there
Local brands struggled to penetrate the Japanese cosmetics market.
本地品牌很難打入日本化妝品市場。
penetrate + market
Police said one agent had penetrated the gang years earlier.
警方說，一名特務早在幾年前就打入了那個幫派。
common in spying context
Small coffee brands rarely penetrate supermarket chains in Seoul.
小型咖啡品牌很少能打入首爾的連鎖超市。
By spring, the union had penetrated the nursing staff at three private hospitals.
到了春天，那個工會已經打入三家私立醫院的護理人員。
- enter
is broader and does not always suggest difficulty or resistance
- break into
sounds more forceful and can suggest something illegal
- infiltrate
usually implies secret or hostile entry rather than normal business expansion
- be shut out
suggests outside forces prevent entry
- fail to enter
is the plain opposite when access is not gained
文法句型
penetrate + market
penetrate + organization/group
be penetrated by + spy/agent
用法筆記
Common with market, organization, network, and gang. Passive use often suggests secret entry for spying or influence.
常見錯誤
3. to spread into a place or part and begin changing or influencing it
滲入
擴散進去並產生影響
to spread into a place or part and begin changing or influencing it
Cheap smartphones finally penetrated remote mountain villages last year.
廉價智慧型手機終於在去年滲入偏遠山村。
ideas or products penetrate a place
The smell of smoke penetrated every room in the house.
煙味滲入屋裡的每個房間。
penetrate every + noun
Online slang has penetrated lunch talk at many junior high schools.
網路流行語已經滲入許多國中的午餐聊天。
Within months, the new tax rules had penetrated rice-farming villages across Tainan.
短短幾個月內，新稅制已滲入台南各地的稻作村落。
- spread into
is the plain explanation without the idea of crossing a boundary
- reach
is broader and weaker because it does not always imply inner effect
- filter into
suggests a slow and gradual movement into a group or place
- stay outside
means the influence never gets in
- fail to reach
is the broad opposite when contact never happens
文法句型
penetrate + place/group
penetrate every + noun
penetrate as far as + place
用法筆記
Subject is often an idea, smell, technology, or rule rather than a person. Distinguish from sense 2, which is about gaining a position inside a group or market.
常見錯誤
4. during sex, to enter someone's vagina or anus using a penis, finger, or other ob
插入
性交時進入對方體內
during sex, to enter someone's vagina or anus using a penis, finger, or other object
In class, the nurse explained when the penis penetrates the vagina.
課堂上，護士說明了陰莖何時會插入陰道。
sex-education context
The report said the attacker penetrated the victim with a bottle.
報告指出，攻擊者曾用瓶子插入受害者體內。
legal reporting pattern
In the lesson, students learned that fingers can also penetrate the anus.
課堂上，學生學到手指也可能插入肛門。
The clinic leaflet says HIV can spread when one partner penetrates another without a condom.
診所衛教單說明，若一方未戴保險套插入另一方，HIV 可能傳播。
- enter
is the more general clinical verb and is less specific than this legal term
- have intercourse with
is more formal and can describe the whole sexual act, not only this part of it
- violate
adds a strong idea of harm or crime and is not neutral
文法句型
penetrate + person
penetrate + person + with + object
one partner penetrates another
用法筆記
Common in legal, medical, and sex-education contexts. The object is usually the person entered, while the instrument may appear in a with-phrase.
常見錯誤
5. to examine a hidden or difficult matter until you understand what is really ther
洞悉
深入查明真正情況
to examine a hidden or difficult matter until you understand what is really there
The book penetrates the reasons many fishing families stay poor.
這本書洞悉了許多漁家一直貧困的原因。
penetrate + causes/problem
Few reporters could penetrate the mayor's vague answer at Monday's press meeting.
很少有記者能看懂市長在週一記者會上的含糊回答。
Her questions penetrated the real reason for the train's sudden delay.
她的提問洞悉了那班列車突然誤點的真正原因。
Years later, the study still helps readers penetrate politics in small fishing villages.
多年後，那份研究仍幫助讀者洞悉小漁村的政治。
- understand
is broader and does not imply effort to uncover something hidden
- grasp
often suggests reaching understanding more quickly
- uncover
stresses finding what was hidden rather than understanding it in depth
文法句型
penetrate + mystery/reason/problem
penetrate + someone's mind
penetrate into + subject
用法筆記
Object is often a mind, motive, reason, or complicated issue. Distinguish from sense 8, where the idea reaches the understander instead of the understander examining it.
常見錯誤
6. to reach someone's mind or feelings so that they fully understand or feel it
醒悟；觸動
進到心裡才真正明白或有感
to reach someone's mind or feelings so that they fully understand or feel it
At last, the danger of the fire penetrated the sleepy crowd.
最後，火災的危險終於讓那群昏昏欲睡的人警覺過來。
fact or warning as subject
Only after the funeral did her father's silence finally penetrate.
直到葬禮後，她父親的沉默才終於讓她醒悟過來。
The warning never penetrated, and the boys swam out too far.
那個警告一直沒有讓他們領悟，所以那些男孩游得太遠了。
By evening, the letter's sadness had penetrated everyone in the kitchen.
到了傍晚，信中的悲傷已經觸動了廚房裡的每一個人。
- go unnoticed
means the meaning or feeling never reaches the person
- leave someone cold
means it fails to affect the feelings
文法句型
the truth/warning penetrates
penetrate after + event/time
never fully penetrate
用法筆記
Often used with facts, warnings, grief, or silence as the subject. Distinguish from sense 7, where a person or study actively works to understand something.
常見錯誤
7. in sport, to get the ball past defenders into the dangerous area
突破
在運動中攻穿防線
in sport, to get the ball past defenders into the dangerous area
With one quick pass, Lina penetrated the back line.
只靠一記快傳，Lina 就突破了後防線。
sport: penetrate + defence line
The striker could not penetrate the crowded middle of the defence.
那名前鋒無法突破防線中央的密集防守。
Late in the match, Japan penetrated down the right with a quick pass.
比賽後段，日本隊靠一記快傳從右路突破。
A short pass let the home team penetrate the defence near goal.
一次短傳讓主隊在球門前突破防線。
- break through
stresses overcoming a defensive barrier
- get past
is a more informal sports description
- cut through
often suggests a sharp run or pass through a narrow gap
- be held up
means the attack is stopped before getting through
- lose possession
means the team fails to continue the attack
文法句型
penetrate + defence
penetrate on the left/right
fail to penetrate
用法筆記
Almost always about attacking play in football, basketball, or similar team sports. Distinguish from sense 1, which is literal movement through a material object.
常見錯誤
8. to let sight reach into fog, smoke, or darkness and notice what is there
看清
透過黑暗或煙霧看見
to let sight reach into fog, smoke, or darkness and notice what is there
At first, Maya's eyes could not penetrate the cellar gloom.
一開始，Maya 的眼睛在地窖的昏暗裡什麼也看不清。
eyes penetrate + darkness
After a minute, our eyes penetrated the smoke enough to spot Ken.
過了一分鐘，我們終於在煙霧中看清了 Ken。
No camera lens could penetrate the smoke in the burning warehouse.
沒有任何相機鏡頭能在失火倉庫的濃煙中看清裡面。
From the boat, Diego tried to penetrate the fog toward the harbor lights.
在船上，Diego 試著透過濃霧看清港口的燈光。
- see through
is the broad everyday phrase for being able to look through something
- make out
stresses barely managing to see shapes or details
- peer into
focuses more on the attempt than on successful seeing
- be blinded by
means vision is stopped by light, smoke, or some other condition
- fail to see through
is the plain opposite when the view remains blocked
文法句型
eyes penetrate + darkness/fog/gloom
lens penetrate + smoke/fog
用法筆記
Usually used with eyes, light, or a camera lens and with objects such as fog, smoke, darkness, or gloom. It describes successful seeing, not physical movement as in sense 1.