seise

seise — 動詞

  • seisepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • seises3rd person singular
  • seising-ing form
  • seisedpast simple

1. to give a person legal ownership of land, property, or the right to inherit it,

1.動詞及物C2
釋義

授予

依法授予財產所有權

to give a person legal ownership of land, property, or the right to inherit it, according to the rules of law

例句

After their father died, the court seised Ari and his sister of the family farm.

父親去世後，法院將家族農場授予 Ari 及其妹妹。

passive: be seised of [property]

The solicitor explained the museum was seised of the painting under the will.

律師解釋說，根據遺囑，博物館被授予了這幅畫的所有權。

同義詞
  • vest

    more general legal term; 'vest' can apply to rights, powers, or property, while 'seise' is specific to land and inheritance

  • endow

    broader meaning of providing with a quality or asset, not limited to legal ownership

文法句型

be seised of [property]

用法筆記

Almost always used in formal legal contexts, often in the passive voice ('be seised of'). The person receiving ownership is the object, and the property follows 'of'.

常見錯誤

❌The court seised the property to Ari.
✅The court seised Ari of the property.
💡In sense 1, the person comes first, then 'of', then the property.

2. to officially take someone's property through a legal process in order to settle

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

查封

依法扣押財產

to officially take someone's property through a legal process in order to settle a debt or other financial obligation

例句

The bailiff seised the debtor's car and furniture to settle the unpaid loan.

法警查封了債務人的汽車和家具來償還未清的貸款。

seise [property] for debt

The tax authority seised the company's equipment when it failed to pay its taxes.

稅務機關查封了該公司的設備，因為它沒有繳納稅款。

同義詞
  • confiscate

    more general and common; implies taking as a penalty but not always through formal court process

  • impound

    specifically means taking something into official custody temporarily, not permanently

文法句型

seise [property]

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: in sense 1 the subject gives ownership TO someone; in sense 2 the subject takes property AWAY from someone. The object of sense 2 is always the property itself, not the person.

常見錯誤

❌The police seised the thief of the stolen car.' (mixing sense 1 pattern with sense 2 meaning)
✅The police seised the stolen car from the thief.
💡When taking property away, use 'seise [property]', not 'seise [person] of [property]'.

3. to take something illegal, dangerous, or prohibited away from someone by officia

3.動詞及物C1
釋義

沒收

經官方權力扣押違禁品

to take something illegal, dangerous, or prohibited away from someone by official authority as a penalty or enforcement action

例句

Customs officers seised the smuggled diamonds at the airport checkpoint.

海關官員在機場安檢處沒收了走私的鑽石。

subject: official body

Police seised over two hundred counterfeit watches during the market raid.

警方在市場突襲中沒收了兩百多隻仿冒手錶。

同義詞
  • confiscate

    the more common everyday word; 'seise' in this sense is chiefly legal and formal

  • impound

    usually temporary custody rather than permanent taking

文法句型

seise [something] (from [someone])

用法筆記

Subject is typically an official body or authority (police, customs, government). The object is always something illegal, dangerous, or prohibited, unlike sense 2 where property is taken lawfully to settle a debt. This sense emphasises punishment, not debt recovery.

4. to take a person into legal custody or stop them from leaving a place because of

4.動詞及物C1
釋義

逮捕

將嫌疑人拘捕或扣留

to take a person into legal custody or stop them from leaving a place because of suspected wrongdoing

例句

The detective seised the suspect outside the train station at dawn.

偵探在火車站外於黎明時逮捕了那名嫌疑人。

formal alternative to 'arrest'

Border police seised the traveller when his false passport was discovered.

邊境警察在發現該旅客的假護照後將他逮捕。

同義詞
  • arrest

    the standard and most common term; 'seise' is a formal/legal alternative

  • detain

    implies holding someone temporarily rather than formally charging them

文法句型

seise [person]

用法筆記

Much more formal than 'arrest' and rarely used in modern everyday language. Appears mostly in legal documents and formal reports.

常見錯誤

❌The police seised him of the stolen goods.' (confusing senses)
✅The police seised him outside his home.
💡When taking a person into custody, use 'seise [person]' with no 'of'.

5. to quickly and forcefully grab something or someone, often to prevent harm or lo

5.動詞及物B2
釋義

抓住

突然用力抓住某物或某人

to quickly and forcefully grab something or someone, often to prevent harm or loss

例句

The firefighter seised the child's arm and pulled her from the burning house.

消防員抓住那孩子的手臂，將她從燃燒的房子裡拉了出來。

seise + body part for rescue

The sailor seised the rope just before it slipped over the side of the boat.

水手在繩子快要滑落到船舷外時抓住了它。

同義詞
  • grab

    less formal and more common in everyday speech

  • clutch

    suggests holding tightly rather than the sudden taking motion

  • grasp

    focuses on the firm hold after taking, rather than the suddenness

反義詞
  • release

    to let go of something you were holding

  • drop

    to let something fall unintentionally

文法句型

seise [something/someone]

用法筆記

More dramatic and literary than 'grab' or 'take hold of'. In this physical sense, the spelling 'seize' is far more common in modern English.

常見錯誤

❌He seised the opportunity to travel.' (abstract opportunity uses 'seize' not 'seise')
✅He seized the opportunity to travel.
💡When referring to abstract opportunities, advantages, or moments in time, use 'seize' (the modern spelling). 'Seise' in this physical-grabbing sense is limited to literal, tangible actions.

6. to understand something completely and clearly, especially a complex idea, situa

6.動詞及物C2
釋義

領悟

完全清楚地理解複雜概念

to understand something completely and clearly, especially a complex idea, situation, or meaning

例句

The young lawyer quickly seised the main point of the judge's argument.

年輕的律師很快就領悟了法官論點中的要點。

seise the point / the meaning

The committee took a moment to seise the full importance of her discovery.

委員會花了一點時間才領悟她的發現有多重要。

同義詞
  • grasp

    the most natural synonym for quickly understanding; works in both formal and informal contexts

  • comprehend

    similar register to 'seise' but more common in academic writing

  • apprehend

    equally formal but more common in philosophical or technical contexts

反義詞

文法句型

seise [that-clause]

seise [what/why/how + clause]

用法筆記

Very formal and literary. In modern English, 'grasp', 'comprehend', or simply 'understand' are far more common. This sense is nearly always used with an adverb like 'fully' or 'quickly'.

常見錯誤

❌I can't seise what you are saying.' (too informal for this word)
✅I can't grasp what you are saying.
💡Use 'grasp' or 'understand' in everyday conversation. However, in formal legal or academic writing, 'seise' is a valid choice for describing the act of fully comprehending complex documents or arguments, e.g. 'The judge quickly seised the implications of the new precedent.'

7. to affect someone suddenly and with great force, especially when a strong emotio

7.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

侵襲；攫住

突然強烈地影響（情緒或疾病）

to affect someone suddenly and with great force, especially when a strong emotion, pain, or illness takes control of them — for example, being seized by panic, seized with regret, or seized by a sudden fever

例句

Panic suddenly seised Sofia as she walked onto the dark stage.

Sofia 走上黑暗的舞台時，恐慌突然攫住了她。

active: emotion + seise + person

The old man was seised by a terrible cough that shook his whole body.

那位老人被一陣劇烈的咳嗽侵襲，咳得全身都在顫抖。

passive: be seized + by + illness

同義詞
  • overcome

    less sudden, more about gradual defeat; 'seised by panic' is instant, 'overcome by panic' can be slower

  • afflict

    more formal and typically limited to illness or suffering, not emotions

  • grip

    similar immediacy but slightly less intense; 'fear gripped him' vs 'fear seized him'

反義詞
  • release

    opposite of being held by a strong force or emotion

文法句型

seise + object

be seized + by/with + [emotion/illness/pain]

用法筆記

Often used in the passive voice. The subject is typically a sudden emotion (fear, panic, regret, sadness), an illness (cough, fever, pain), or a natural force. The active form (e.g. 'Panic seized her') is less common but grammatically correct.

常見錯誤

❌The old man was seized a cough.
✅The old man was seized by a cough.
💡The passive form requires 'by' (for the cause) or 'with' (for the emotion), not a bare direct object.
❌I seized with panic.
✅I was seized with panic.
💡This sense is almost always passive; the active voice is only used when the emotion is the subject.

8. to tie two ropes, cables, or cords tightly together using thin cord or wire, esp

8.動詞及物C1
釋義

捆紮

用細繩或鐵絲將繩索綁在一起

to tie two ropes, cables, or cords tightly together using thin cord or wire, especially when working on a ship

例句

The sailor taught Elena how to seise the broken rope with thick marline.

那名水手教 Elena 如何用粗麻繩捆紮斷裂的纜繩。

transitive with 'with + [material]'

Xiu seised the two lines together to keep the sail from tearing in the wind.

Xiu 將兩條繩索捆紮在一起，以免船帆被風吹破。

同義詞
  • lash

    broader term; lashing can use any material, while seising specifically uses small cord or wire

  • bind

    general-purpose; lacks the nautical and technique-specific meaning of 'seise'

  • fasten

    very general; does not convey the tight, spiral wrapping technique of seising

反義詞
  • unite

    to undo a seising

  • cut loose

    to release ropes that were seized together

文法句型

seise + object + together/to + object

用法筆記

This is a specialist nautical term used almost exclusively in sailing and ship-rigging contexts. Outside those settings, 'seise' is extremely rare and may confuse readers.

9. if a mechanical part or engine seises, it stops moving because two surfaces have

9.動詞不及物B2
釋義

卡住

機器零件因摩擦過度而停止運轉

if a mechanical part or engine seises, it stops moving because two surfaces have rubbed together too hard, got too hot, or lost their lubrication, making them stick

例句

The car engine seised after Emre forgot to add oil for several months.

Emre 好幾個月忘記加機油，結果汽車引擎卡住了。

intransitive: engine + seise

Without water, the pump bearings seised and the whole irrigation system stopped.

抽水機沒有水，軸承卡住了，整個灌溉系統都停了下來。

同義詞
  • jam

    can be transitive or intransitive; 'jam' often implies something blocking movement, while 'seise' implies parts fusing together

  • lock up

    similar meaning but also used for non-mechanical things like computer software

  • stick

    broader and less severe; a stuck part may still move with effort, but a seized part cannot

反義詞

文法句型

seise

seise up

用法筆記

Commonly used with engines, pumps, brake systems, locks, and valves. The phrasal form 'seise up' is interchangeable in most contexts. Never used transitively in this sense — you cannot 'seise an engine'; the engine seises on its own.

常見錯誤

❌The mechanic seized the engine.
✅The engine seized on the highway.
💡This sense is intransitive; the engine stops on its own. 'Seize' in a transitive sense means 'grab' or 'confiscate'.