testify

/ˈtestɪfaɪ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈtestɪfaɪ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈte-stə-ˌfī/ (ame, mw)

testify — 動詞

  • testifypresent simple I / you / we / they
  • testifieshe / she / it
  • testifiedpast simple
  • testifying-ing form

1. to make a formal statement while serving as a witness at a trial, telling the co

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

作證

在法庭上宣誓後陳述所知

to make a formal statement while serving as a witness at a trial, telling the court what you know about the case after swearing to tell the truth

例句

Shirin testified that she saw the man leave the building just before midnight.

Shirin 作證說她在午夜前看到那名男子離開大樓。

testify + that-clause for reporting what a witness saw

Rachid was afraid to testify against his former boss in court.

Rachid 害怕在法庭上作出對前老闆不利的證詞。

testify against [person]

同義詞
  • bear witness

    very formal; often used in religious or solemn legal contexts

  • give evidence

    common in British legal English; interchangeable with 'testify' in court contexts

  • attest

    formal; emphasises certifying that something is genuine or true, not necessarily in court

反義詞
  • perjure oneself

    to lie intentionally while under oath — the opposite of truthful testimony

文法句型

testify (in court)

testify + that-clause

testify against [person]

testify for [person]

testify to [fact]

用法筆記

Frequently used with a that-clause (testify that…) or with the prepositions 'against' (testify against someone) and 'for' (testify for the defence). The speaker is always a person who has sworn an oath to tell the truth.

常見錯誤

❌He testimony in court yesterday.
✅He testified in court yesterday.
💡'testimony' is a noun; the verb form is 'testify'.
❌She testified him of the crime.
✅She testified that he committed the crime.' or 'She testified against him in court.
💡'testify' is not followed by a direct object referring to a person.

2. if a fact, event, or situation testifies to something, it provides clear evidenc

2.動詞不及物C1
釋義

證明；顯示

以事實或跡象證實某事物存在

if a fact, event, or situation testifies to something, it provides clear evidence that something exists or is true — for example, messy roads testifying to the strength of a storm, or old photographs testifying to a town's history

例句

The empty streets testified to the seriousness of the storm warning.

空蕩的街道證明了暴風警報的嚴重性。

inanimate subject + testify to + abstract noun

Mizuki's success testifies to years of hard work and determination.

Mizuki 的成功證明了多年努力與決心的成果。

同義詞
  • attest to

    even more formal; used in academic or formal writing

  • bear witness to

    more literary or emphatic; has a solemn tone

  • demonstrate

    less formal and much more common in everyday language

  • indicate

    weaker in force; suggests evidence points towards a conclusion rather than proving it

反義詞
  • contradict

    to be in opposition to the evidence or claim

  • belie

    to give a false impression of something; opposite of revealing the truth

文法句型

testify to [noun phrase]

用法筆記

Only used in the pattern 'testify to + noun phrase'. The subject must be a thing (fact, event, object, action) — never a person. This sense cannot be followed by a that-clause.

常見錯誤

❌The facts testify that the system works.
✅The facts testify to the effectiveness of the system.
💡This sense takes 'to + noun phrase', not a that-clause.