undo

IPA/ʌnˈduː/
KK[əndˈu]IPA/ʌnˈduː/

undo — 動詞

  • undopresent simple I / you / we / they
  • undoeshe / she / it
  • undidpast simple
  • undonepast participle
  • undoing-ing form

1. to release or separate something that has been closed, tied, or fastened — like

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

解開

打開原本扣住或綁住的東西

to release or separate something that has been closed, tied, or fastened — like untying a shoelace, unbuttoning a shirt, or unzipping a jacket.

例句

Yasmin carefully undid the knot in her necklace chain with her fingernails.

Yasmin 小心地用指甲解開項鍊上的結。

undo + concrete physical object (knot)

The toddler undid every button on his shirt before his mother could stop him.

那個學步兒在媽媽來得及阻止之前，就把襯衫上每一顆釦子都解開了。

常見搭配
  • undo a knot
  • undo a button
  • undo a zipper
  • undo a shoelace
  • undo a buckle
同義詞
  • unfasten

    more formal and general; works for any kind of fastening

  • untie

    specific to knots, laces, or ribbons

  • loosen

    suggests making less tight rather than fully opening

  • unbutton

    specific to buttons only

反義詞
  • fasten

    general opposite — to close or fix something in position

  • tie

    specific to laces, ropes, or ribbons

文法句型

undo + noun phrase (concrete object: button, knot, shoelace, zipper)

用法筆記

Object is always a concrete fastening device (button, knot, zipper, lace, buckle, tie) or a garment that has such a fastening. Not used for opening a container by lifting a lid or pulling a tab — use 'open' for those.

常見錯誤

She undid the box to find her phone.
She opened the box to find her phone.
undo means releasing a fastening, not opening a lid or flap.
He undid the bottle by twisting the cap.
He opened the bottle by twisting the cap.
undo only applies to fastenings like buttons, knots, ties, or zippers.

2. to cancel or roll back whatever happened as a result of something someone did, b

2.動詞及物B1
釋義

撤銷；消除

取消某行動的影響，使恢復原狀

to cancel or roll back whatever happened as a result of something someone did, bringing things back to how they were earlier — for example, cancelling a change on a computer or making up for harm done in a relationship.

例句

Inês knew that no apology could undo the hurt caused by her unkind words.

Inês 知道再多的道歉也無法消除她那番刻薄話所造成的傷害。

undo + abstract noun (hurt, damage, effect)

Christopher panicked when he realised he could not undo the message he had just sent.

Christopher 發現無法撤回剛剛發送的訊息時慌了手腳。

常見搭配
  • undo the damage
  • undo a mistake
  • undo a change
  • undo the harm
  • undo the effects
同義詞
  • reverse

    more formal; often used in technical or legal contexts

  • cancel

    focuses on preventing the effect from continuing

  • nullify

    formal; suggests making something legally or officially void

  • rectify

    formal; implies correcting an error or problem

反義詞
  • cause

    to make something happen, the opposite of reversing an effect

  • do

    the general verb for performing an action that might later be undone

文法句型

undo + noun phrase (abstract effect, action, or change)

用法筆記

Object is usually an abstract noun describing the consequence of an action (damage, harm, change, mistake, effect). In computing, 'undo' is a standard command and the object can be the action itself (undo a deletion, undo a change).

常見錯誤

I undid the document from my computer.
I deleted the document from my computer.
undo reverses an action; delete removes an object.
She undid the meeting.
She cancelled the meeting.
undo is for reversing effects, not cancelling scheduled events.

3. to cause the failure, collapse, or destruction of a person, plan, organisation,

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

毀掉；摧毀

導致失敗、崩潰或毀滅

to cause the failure, collapse, or destruction of a person, plan, organisation, or situation, often through a series of actions or a single decisive event.

例句

A single scandal undid twenty years of progress for the environmental group.

一場單一的醜聞就毀了該環保組織二十年的進展。

undo + abstract noun (progress, career, plans — cause ruin)

Wren's poor business decisions eventually undid everything her parents had built over decades.

Wren 糟糕的商業決策最終毀掉了父母幾十年來積攢的一切。

常見搭配
  • undo someone's progress
  • undo a career
  • undo a plan
  • undo an organisation
同義詞
  • ruin

    more direct and common; suggests complete destruction

  • wreck

    stronger; implies violent or total destruction

  • sabotage

    implies deliberate harm, often secret or underhanded

  • destroy

    general; can apply to physical or abstract things

反義詞
  • build

    to construct or develop over time

  • strengthen

    to make something stronger, the opposite of causing failure

文法句型

undo + noun phrase (person, plan, career, organisation)

用法筆記

The object is always something that was built up over time (reputation, career, progress, fortune, plans). This sense carries a strong implication of a fall from a previous good state. Distinguish from sense 2 by noting that sense 2 is about reversing an effect (which could be neutral), while sense 3 is specifically about causing catastrophic failure or destruction.

常見錯誤

The storm undid the roof of the house.
The storm destroyed the roof of the house.
undo in this sense applies to abstract collapse (career, plans, reputation), not physical destruction.
His laziness undid his homework.
His laziness undid his chances of passing the class.
undo (sense 3) means destroying long-term progress, not simply failing to complete a single task.
片語動詞

come undone

phrasal verb

1. (physical) to become unfastened or untied. 2. (figurative) to fail or fall apart, especially after a period of apparent success or stability.

Yara noticed her shoelace had come undone, so she knelt down and retied it.

The team's perfect season came undone when their star player got injured.

同根字

常見搭配

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常用片語