网站首页  词典首页

请输入您要查询的词汇:

 

词汇 undermine
释义

Definition of undermine in English:

undermine

verbʌndəˈmʌɪnˌəndərˈmaɪn
[with object]
  • 1Erode the base or foundation of (a rock formation)

    侵蚀(岩层)底基

    the flow of water had undermined pillars supporting the roof
    Example sentencesExamples
    • The lighthouse stands on a plinth of rock undermined by caves, perhaps once used by smugglers.
    Synonyms
    erode, wear away, eat away at, chip away, undercut
    1. 1.1 Dig or excavate beneath (a building or fortification) so as to make it collapse.
      破坏(建筑,要塞)底基
      the demolition engineers did eventually undermine two of the tower's six sides
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The disaster was caused by the total collapse of his house in the Rue d' Anjou, undermined by the excavations carried out by the bank next door for its strong room.
      • Within days, the French advanced into the city outskirts and undermined numerous buildings.
      • The Romans also developed tunnelling for military purposes, either by breaking through behind enemy defences or by undermining fortifications to cause their collapse.
      Synonyms
      tunnel under, dig under, burrow under, excavate, sap
  • 2Lessen the effectiveness, power, or ability of, especially gradually or insidiously.

    this could undermine years of hard work

    这会破坏多年的辛勤劳动。

    Example sentencesExamples
    • This compromise has clearly undermined the church's ability to present the gospel with power and authority.
    • Damage to the brain's left side often undermines language abilities.
    • Those who undersleep are undermining their cognitive abilities - whether meagre or not - as well as their private life and health.
    • What they don't understand is that being boring limits their power and undermines their effectiveness.
    • That undermined the hard power strategy of the country in a very concrete way.
    • That law undermined the power of local authorities.
    • And yet, the way he handled the events that followed gradually undermined his position.
    • Many in positions of power undermine others and the organization to meet their own selfish needs.
    • Mistakes or excessive collateral damage can undermine its potential effectiveness.
    • Foreign debt undermines the country's ability to act independently.
    • And so, while she was demanding great things of us, she was also, in a way, undermining our ability to fulfill them.
    • Our central argument with the producers is that their ‘new’ work practices are undermining our ability to do our trade.
    • Their mental impairments may have also seriously undermined their ability to assist in their legal defense.
    • Nation states will not be interested in enabling that power, only in undermining it.
    • Abusing the student programs in this way not only undermines the power of the union, but students are also being asked to do jobs for which they are not trained, raising concerns about health and safety.
    • It also undermines their ability their ability to trade in the peak Christmas season.
    • They might have to share power and that is dangerous because it would undermine their position of power.
    • It undermines their ability to do their job and sets a bad example to the rest of the company.
    • And it is this influence which is understandably resented by many, who see it as insidiously undermining our own culture.
    • I think all this niceness undermines our power.
    Synonyms
    subvert, sabotage, threaten, weaken, compromise, diminish, reduce, impair, mar, spoil, ruin, impede, hinder, damage, hurt, injure, cripple, disable, enfeeble, sap, shake
    whittle away, eat away
    informal foul up, botch, put the kibosh on, drag through the mud
    British informal throw a spanner in the works of, queer the pitch of
    North American informal throw a monkey wrench in the works of

Derivatives

  • underminer

  • noun
    • Once again, these underminers of our foreign policy are doing more harm to our country.
      Example sentencesExamples
      • So you see yourself as an underminer of the system?
      • That would be on account of my false self, my twin, my judge, unhappy anima and underminer.

Origin

Middle English: from under- + the verb mine2, probably suggested by Middle Dutch ondermineren.

Rhymes

align, assign, benign, brine, chine, cline, combine, condign, confine, consign, dine, divine, dyne, enshrine, entwine, fine, frontline, hardline, interline, intertwine, kine, Klein, line, Main, malign, mine, moline, nine, on-line, opine, outshine, pine, Rhein, Rhine, shine, shrine, sign, sine, spine, spline, stein, Strine, swine, syne, thine, tine, trine, twine, Tyne, underline, vine, whine, wine

Definition of undermine in US English:

undermine

verbˌəndərˈmīnˌəndərˈmaɪn
[with object]
  • 1Erode the base or foundation of (a rock formation).

    侵蚀(岩层)底基

    Example sentencesExamples
    • The lighthouse stands on a plinth of rock undermined by caves, perhaps once used by smugglers.
    Synonyms
    erode, wear away, eat away at, chip away, undercut
    1. 1.1 Dig or excavate beneath (a building or fortification) so as to make it collapse.
      破坏(建筑,要塞)底基
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The Romans also developed tunnelling for military purposes, either by breaking through behind enemy defences or by undermining fortifications to cause their collapse.
      • The disaster was caused by the total collapse of his house in the Rue d' Anjou, undermined by the excavations carried out by the bank next door for its strong room.
      • Within days, the French advanced into the city outskirts and undermined numerous buildings.
      Synonyms
      tunnel under, dig under, burrow under, excavate, sap
  • 2Lessen the effectiveness, power, or ability of, especially gradually or insidiously.

    this could undermine years of hard work

    这会破坏多年的辛勤劳动。

    Example sentencesExamples
    • Those who undersleep are undermining their cognitive abilities - whether meagre or not - as well as their private life and health.
    • It also undermines their ability their ability to trade in the peak Christmas season.
    • And it is this influence which is understandably resented by many, who see it as insidiously undermining our own culture.
    • That undermined the hard power strategy of the country in a very concrete way.
    • Mistakes or excessive collateral damage can undermine its potential effectiveness.
    • And yet, the way he handled the events that followed gradually undermined his position.
    • And so, while she was demanding great things of us, she was also, in a way, undermining our ability to fulfill them.
    • They might have to share power and that is dangerous because it would undermine their position of power.
    • That law undermined the power of local authorities.
    • What they don't understand is that being boring limits their power and undermines their effectiveness.
    • Abusing the student programs in this way not only undermines the power of the union, but students are also being asked to do jobs for which they are not trained, raising concerns about health and safety.
    • Their mental impairments may have also seriously undermined their ability to assist in their legal defense.
    • It undermines their ability to do their job and sets a bad example to the rest of the company.
    • This compromise has clearly undermined the church's ability to present the gospel with power and authority.
    • I think all this niceness undermines our power.
    • Many in positions of power undermine others and the organization to meet their own selfish needs.
    • Nation states will not be interested in enabling that power, only in undermining it.
    • Damage to the brain's left side often undermines language abilities.
    • Our central argument with the producers is that their ‘new’ work practices are undermining our ability to do our trade.
    • Foreign debt undermines the country's ability to act independently.
    Synonyms
    subvert, sabotage, threaten, weaken, compromise, diminish, reduce, impair, mar, spoil, ruin, impede, hinder, damage, hurt, injure, cripple, disable, enfeeble, sap, shake

Origin

Middle English: from under- + the verb mine, probably suggested by Middle Dutch ondermineren.

随便看

 

春雷网英语在线翻译词典收录了464360条英语词汇在线翻译词条,基本涵盖了全部常用英语词汇的中英文双语翻译及用法,是英语学习的有利工具。

 

Copyright © 2000-2024 Sndmkt.com All Rights Reserved 更新时间:2024/12/27 23:23:34