decompose

decompose — verb

1. When a dead plant, animal, or other organic material decomposes, it naturally br

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

When a dead plant, animal, or other organic material decomposes, it naturally breaks down into simpler substances through the action of bacteria, fungi, or other microorganisms.

例句

The wooden fence at Hao's farm started to decompose after years of rain and wind.

intransitive use: organic material + decompose (no object needed)

Yara placed the vegetable scraps in a compost bin so they would decompose naturally.

purpose clause: place [obj] in [place] so [subj] will decompose

同義詞
  • rot

    more common in everyday speech; implies unpleasant smell and visible decay

  • decay

    slightly less formal than decompose; can also apply to teeth or buildings

  • putrefy

    technical term for the stage of decomposition that produces foul odors; rare in everyday use

反義詞
  • compose

    to form or make up something by putting parts together — the opposite process

  • preserve

    to prevent decay, as in embalming or pickling

文法句型

something + decompose (intransitive)

decompose + something (transitive)

decompose + into + something

用法筆記

Frequently used intransitively in scientific writing about natural processes. More formal than 'rot' or 'decay'; preferred in biology and environmental science contexts.

常見錯誤

❌The meat decomposed because I forgot to put it in the fridge.' (unnatural — 'go bad' or 'rot' is more natural for everyday food spoilage).
✅The meat went bad because I left it out of the fridge.
💡'decompose' sounds too technical for everyday food spoilage.

2. To separate a substance into the simpler substances it is made of, especially by

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

To separate a substance into the simpler substances it is made of, especially by a chemical process such as heating, adding a reagent, or passing an electric current through it.

例句

Heating blue powder in the lab decomposed it into a black solid and gas.

transitive use: heat + decompose + [obj] + into + [result]

Christopher used an electric current to decompose water into hydrogen and oxygen.

infinitive of purpose: use [method] to decompose [substance] into [parts]

同義詞
  • break down

    much more common in everyday English; less formal and less precise scientifically

  • separate

    broader in meaning; does not necessarily imply chemical change

  • disintegrate

    emphasizes falling apart into pieces rather than chemical transformation

反義詞
  • synthesize

    to build up a compound from simpler substances

  • combine

    to join substances together into a single material

文法句型

decompose + something + into + something

something + decomposes + into + something (intransitive)

use [method] to decompose [substance]

用法筆記

Commonly used in chemistry and materials science. Often transitive with a scientist or process as the subject. The resulting parts are typically introduced by 'into'.

常見錯誤

❌I decomposed the problem into three parts.' (too metaphorical in everyday English).
✅I broke the problem down into three parts.
💡'decompose' is not used for abstract division in everyday speech.