wrest
/rest/ (bre, ipa) · [rˈɛst] /rest/ (ame, ipa) · [rˈɛst] /ˈrest How to pronounce wrest (audio)/ (ame, mw)
wrest — 動詞
- wrestpresent simple I / you / we / they
- wrests3rd person singular
- wresting-ing form
- wrestedpast simple
1. to take power, control, or possession of something by putting in great effort, o
奪取；爭取
經由努力或競爭取得
to take power, control, or possession of something by putting in great effort, often in a competitive or forceful way — for example, wresting a championship title from a stronger opponent, or wresting political control from a ruling party.
The challenger wrested the championship belt from the defending boxer after twelve tough rounds.
挑戰者在十二回合的苦戰後，從衛冕拳擊手手中奪取了冠軍腰帶。
wrest [something] from [someone] — taking possession through effort
Small family farms across the region wrest a living from land that most people consider too dry to farm.
該地區的小農場在一片被多數人認為過於乾燥而無法耕種的土地上，勉強爭取到生計。
wrest a living from [inhospitable place]
After years of negotiations, the workers' union wrested important safety guarantees from the company.
經過多年的談判，工會從公司那裡爭取到了重要的安全保證。
The rebel army managed to wrest control of the capital city from the government forces in 1999.
叛軍在 1999 年設法從政府軍手中奪取了首都的控制權。
Anika wrested the top prize at the science fair with her project on water purification.
Anika 以她的水質淨化研究項目，在科展中奪得了最高獎項。
文法句型
wrest + [something] + from + [someone/something]
wrest + [control/power/victory]
用法筆記
Frequently used in formal or literary contexts. Objects are typically abstract or non-physical (control, power, victory, independence). When the object is a physical item, the sense shifts closer to sense 2.
常見錯誤
2. to pull or force something out of someone's hands or away from their body using
奪走；扯開
用力從某人手中拉出
to pull or force something out of someone's hands or away from their body using sudden, strong physical effort — for example, wresting a weapon from an attacker or wresting a bag from a thief's grip.
Kwame wrested the knife from the intruder's hand while two other officers rushed into the room.
Kwame 從闖入者的手中奪走了刀子，另外兩名員警同時衝進了房間。
wrest [weapon] from [attacker]
A sudden gust of wind wrested the paper umbrella from Elena's fingers and sent it into the lake.
一陣強風從 Elena 手中扯走了紙傘，將它吹進了湖裡。
Hugo wrested the iron bar from the burglar's grip while his partner called the police.
Hugo 從竊賊手中用力奪走了鐵棍，他的同伴同時打電話報警。
Firefighters wrested the heavy iron gate from its hinges to reach the trapped family inside.
消防員用力將沉重的鐵門從鉸鏈上扯下來，才能救出困在屋內的一家人。
Samira wrested the heavy suitcase from the old woman's hand and carried it up the stairs herself.
Samira 從老婦人手中奪過沉重的行李箱，自己提上了樓梯。
文法句型
wrest + [something] + from + [someone]
用法筆記
In this physical sense, the subject is almost always a person (or natural force like wind), and the object is a concrete physical item. Distinguish from sense 1, where the object is abstract (power, control) and the effort is more figurative.
常見錯誤
wrest — 名詞
1. a sudden, hard pulling or twisting movement that removes something from a fixed
猛扭；強扯
用力扭轉或拉脫的動作
a sudden, hard pulling or twisting movement that removes something from a fixed position or from someone's hold — for example, a wrest of the wrist to free a stuck lid, or a wrest of the arm to break away from a grip.
A quick wrest of Clara's wrist freed the stuck lid from the jar.
Clara 手腕一扭，便將卡住的罐頭蓋從瓶子上鬆開來。
a wrest of [body part] — describing a twisting motion
The lock was old and rusty, but one hard wrest of the key broke it free after years of disuse.
那把鎖又舊又鏽，但用力一扭鑰匙，便將長年未用的鎖給打開了。
Finn freed the trapped oar with a firm wrest against the current of the fast-moving river.
Finn 在湍急的河水中奮力一扭，將卡住的船槳掙脫了出來。
Diego gave the stubborn bolt a sharp wrest with the wrench, and it finally began to turn.
Diego 用扳手用力一扭那顆頑固的螺栓，它終於轉動了。
The old sailor gave the tangled rope a hard wrest that surprised even the younger men on deck.
老水手用力一扯纏住的繩索，力道之大連甲板上的年輕水手都看呆了。
文法句型
a wrest + of + [body part / object]
用法筆記
This noun sense is very rare in modern English. It is almost always used in the singular with an article (a wrest / the wrest) and typically appears in literary or technical descriptions of physical actions, not in everyday speech.
2. a specially shaped metal tool, like a small wrench or key, used by piano technic
調音扳手
調整鋼琴弦音高的工具
a specially shaped metal tool, like a small wrench or key, used by piano technicians to turn the tuning pins in a piano or other stringed instrument, thereby raising or lowering the pitch of each string.
The piano technician placed the wrest onto the tuning pin and turned it carefully one degree clockwise.
鋼琴技師將調音扳手套到調音釘上，順時針小心地轉了一下。
Mei had learned to use a wrest during her apprenticeship at the concert hall's instrument workshop.
Mei 在音樂廳的樂器維修室當學徒時，學會了使用調音扳手。
use a wrest — technical tool for tuning
Each wrest is shaped to fit the square head of a tuning pin and comes in several standard sizes.
每支調音扳手都設計成可套住調音釘的方形頭部，並有數種標準尺寸。
A set of eight wrenches in the toolbox included one small wrest meant for antique harpsichords.
工具箱裡的一組八支扳手中，包含一支專門用於古董大鍵琴的小型調音扳手。
Without the proper wrest, the piano tuner could not adjust the strings that had gone flat during the humid summer.
如果沒有合適的調音扳手，鋼琴調音師就無法調整那些在潮濕夏天走音的琴弦。
- tuning hammer
the common modern term; describes the same tool with a wooden handle
- tuning lever
alternative modern term, especially for grand pianos
- tuning pin wrench
descriptive term used by technicians
文法句型
the + wrest
a wrest + for + [instrument]
用法筆記
This is a specialized technical term from instrument maintenance. In everyday English, musicians usually call this tool a tuning hammer or tuning lever. 'Wrest' is primarily used by piano technicians and in historical contexts describing early keyboard instruments.