| 释义 |
Definition of undermine in English: undermineverbʌndəˈmʌɪnˌəndərˈmaɪn [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 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
Derivativesnoun 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.
OriginMiddle English: from under- + the verb mine2, probably suggested by Middle Dutch ondermineren. Rhymesalign, 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: undermineverbˌəndərˈmīnˌəndərˈmaɪn [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 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
OriginMiddle English: from under- + the verb mine, probably suggested by Middle Dutch ondermineren. |