counteract

counteract — verb

1. to take an action that works against another action or influence, especially a h

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to take an action that works against another action or influence, especially a harmful or unwanted one, so that the original effect becomes less strong or disappears

例句

Doctors gave Kian a special medicine to counteract the snake venom.

counteract + noun [specific harmful substance]

Adding more bike lanes can counteract the problem of heavy traffic in the city.

counteract + noun [problem/issue]

同義詞
  • neutralize

    stronger emphasis on making something completely harmless, especially in chemical or military contexts

  • offset

    more about balancing or compensating for an effect rather than actively fighting it; common in business and finance

  • counterbalance

    suggests an equal opposing force, like a weight on a scale; often used in physical or abstract balancing

  • negate

    more formal, implies cancelling something out completely; often used in logic or philosophy

反義詞
  • reinforce

    to strengthen or amplify an effect rather than weaken it

  • amplify

    to make something stronger or more noticeable, the opposite of reducing its impact

文法句型

counteract + noun phrase

用法筆記

Commonly used with nouns referring to harmful or unwanted forces: effect, impact, influence, problem, damage, poison, or feeling. The subject of counteract is typically an action, substance, or measure — not a person's intent alone.

常見錯誤

❌The medicine counteracted.
✅The medicine counteracted the poison.
💡counteract always needs a direct object; it is a transitive verb.
❌We need to counteract before the damage gets worse.
✅We need to counteract the damage before it gets worse.
💡the object of counteract must be stated explicitly.