用作及物动词
▲S+～+n./pron.
Rivers undermine their banks.河水冲刷堤基。
The soldiers undermined the wall.士兵们在墙下挖洞。
Badgers had undermined the foundations of the church.獾在这座教堂的地基处打了洞。
Illness undermined his strength.疾病逐渐消耗了他的力气。
Drugs undermined his health.毒品损害了他的健康。
Insults undermined her confidence.一再受到侮辱之后,她渐渐丧失信心。
She tried to undermine our friendship.她试图破坏我们的友谊。
These incidents could seriously undermine support for the police.这些事件会严重影响对警方的支持。
The President's enemies are spreading rumours to undermine his authority.总统的敌人在散布谣言以逐渐破坏他的威信。
◇ 用于be ～ed结构
The house is unsafe since the foundations were undermined by floods.这栋房子不安全,因为地基被洪水损坏了。
学习参考
undermine本身就含有“逐步”的概念,因此不能加gradually或suddenly来修饰。例如:
我的身体由于过去过分劳累而受到损伤。
误:My health was gradually undermined
by overwork in the old days.
正:My health was undermined by over-
work in the old days.
