dislocate
dislocate — verb
1. to cause a bone to leave its normal position inside a joint, usually after a fal
to cause a bone to leave its normal position inside a joint, usually after a fall or injury
Mira dislocated her shoulder when she fell off her bicycle.
transitive: dislocate + body part
The doctor said his jaw was dislocated after the car accident.
passive: be dislocated
A sudden twist can easily dislocate a finger joint.
Bao's elbow was dislocated during a tackle in the rugby match.
Chiara slipped on the wet floor and dislocated her knee.
- displace
more general; can refer to any object moving from its proper position, not just bones
文法句型
dislocate + body part
be/get + dislocated
用法筆記
Often used in the passive voice (be/get dislocated) when describing the injury itself rather than the cause of it.
常見錯誤
2. to disturb the normal working of a system, process, or arrangement so severely t
to disturb the normal working of a system, process, or arrangement so severely that it cannot continue smoothly
The strike dislocated train services across the whole country.
dislocate + service / system (formal usage)
Christopher's sudden move abroad dislocated the family's daily routine.
Repeated power cuts badly dislocated business activities throughout the city.
The flood dislocated the region's public transport system for several weeks.
Ishaan's new role at the company dislocated the team's usual way of working.
- disrupt
more common and slightly less formal; preferred in everyday and news contexts
- disorganize
less severe in impact; suggests confusion and disorder rather than a breakdown of function
- disturb
weaker; can mean simply interrupting or creating slight inconvenience
文法句型
dislocate + noun phrase
用法筆記
Common in formal or news writing about large-scale disruptions — transport, economy, politics. Less frequent in everyday conversation.