dedicate
dedicate — verb
1. to choose to spend a significant portion of your time, energy, or other resource
to choose to spend a significant portion of your time, energy, or other resources on a specific goal or activity because you believe it deserves serious attention
Lauren dedicates two hours every evening to learning Japanese before bed.
dedicate + time + to + gerund
The small charity dedicates most of its funds to helping homeless families find housing.
Mizuki has dedicated her whole career to finding a cure for the disease.
After the accident, Yael decided to dedicate himself to improving road safety.
The team dedicated the entire weekend to finishing the community garden walls.
文法句型
dedicate + noun phrase + to + noun/gerund
dedicate + oneself + to + noun/gerund
用法筆記
Frequently followed by the preposition 'to'. The reflexive pattern 'dedicate oneself to' carries a stronger sense of personal commitment. Common objects include time, life, career, resources, and effort.
常見錯誤
2. to add a personal mention at the start of a creative work that identifies who th
to add a personal mention at the start of a creative work that identifies who the work was made for, usually as a sign of respect or gratitude
The author dedicated her first novel to her grandmother, who taught her to love stories.
dedicate + creative work + to + person
Esteban dedicated his award-winning film to the nurses who had cared for his father.
Before the final song, the singer dedicated it to everyone who had supported the band.
Joshua dedicated his doctoral thesis to his parents on the cover page.
文法句型
dedicate + noun (creative work) + to + person
用法筆記
The person receiving the dedication is typically named in the front matter of a book or announced verbally during a live performance. Common with creative works such as novels, albums, films, paintings, and academic theses.
常見錯誤
3. to perform an official ceremony that declares a building, monument, park, or oth
to perform an official ceremony that declares a building, monument, park, or other space to be open or set apart for a particular purpose, often a religious or memorial one
The new community centre was dedicated on Saturday by the mayor with many residents watching.
passive: be dedicated
A small garden was dedicated to the children lost in the hospital fire.
The university dedicated its new library wing during a ceremony attended by students and teachers.
That old stone church was dedicated to Saint Francis more than two centuries ago.
- consecrate
specifically religious; used for churches, altars, or cemeteries
- inaugurate
focuses on the official opening ceremony; less spiritual or memorial in tone
- bless
a religious act of asking for divine favour; often shorter and less formal than a dedication
- deconsecrate
to remove the sacred status of a religious building or space
文法句型
be dedicated + to + purpose
dedicate + building + to + person/purpose
用法筆記
Most often used in the passive voice. The ceremony is normally formal and may involve religious leaders, government officials, or a ribbon-cutting. The sense overlaps with 'consecrate' for religious buildings but is broader, covering civic structures such as libraries, parks, and hospitals.
dedicate — adjective
1. describes someone who works very hard and puts consistent effort and care into a
describes someone who works very hard and puts consistent effort and care into a job, activity, or relationship because they genuinely care about it
The dedicated nurses stayed late to make sure every patient was comfortable.
dedicated + noun (professional role)
Lakan was the most dedicated student Caleb had ever taught, always helping classmates after school.
A dedicated group of volunteers spent the whole night preparing food for the festival.
Tunde is a dedicated fire brigade member and never misses a training session.
Vivek has been a dedicated supporter of the animal shelter since it opened.
- half-hearted
describes someone who does not put in real effort or care
- indifferent
describes someone who does not care about the activity or outcome
文法句型
dedicated + noun
be dedicated + to + noun/gerund
用法筆記
Unlike 'hard-working' (which simply describes effort), 'dedicated' implies emotional commitment and loyalty. It collocates strongly with professional roles (teacher, nurse, doctor) and identity roles (fan, supporter, parent). The pattern 'dedicated to' followed by a noun or gerund is also common.