drilling
drilling — verb
1. to use a tool with a rotating cutting end to create a hole or opening in a hard
to use a tool with a rotating cutting end to create a hole or opening in a hard surface or material.
Noa drilled a small hole in the wall to hang a picture frame.
drill + hole + in + noun phrase
The dentist carefully drilled into Tunde's back tooth to remove the decay.
intransitive: drill into + noun phrase
Christopher used a power drill to make holes in the wooden shelf.
Sora was drilling through the metal sheet when the bit broke.
The workers spent the whole morning drilling holes in the pavement.
- bore
used for widening an existing hole rather than creating a new one; often in engineering or oil contexts
- pierce
suggests a sharp point going through a surface, not necessarily with a rotating tool; also used for ear-piercing
- perforate
more formal and technical; means to make a line or pattern of small holes
文法句型
drill + hole + in/through + noun
drill + noun (the surface)
intransitive: drill + adverb(prepositional phrase)
用法筆記
Object can be the hole itself (drill a hole) or the material being penetrated (drill the wall). Both patterns are equally common.
常見錯誤
2. to make a person or a group practise a set of movements or a procedure repeatedl
to make a person or a group practise a set of movements or a procedure repeatedly until the actions become automatic, often in a military or team setting.
The sergeant drilled the new soldiers on the parade ground every morning.
drill + a group + on a location
Quinn's school holds fire drills twice a year to keep everyone safe.
collocation: fire drill
The marching band drilled for hours before the national competition.
The team drilled the emergency procedures until every step was automatic.
Kian drilled the rescue squad in how to handle a building collapse.
- improvise
to act without preparation or set routines
文法句型
drill + noun (the person/group)
intransitive: drill + for + duration
drill + noun + in + noun (the skill)
drill + noun + on + noun
用法筆記
The transitive form focuses on the trainer drilling a group (drill the troops). The intransitive form focuses on the group itself drilling (the soldiers drill every day).
常見錯誤
3. to make someone learn or remember facts, skills, or rules by stating them or pra
to make someone learn or remember facts, skills, or rules by stating them or practising them over and over until they stick firmly in the person's mind.
The coach drilled the football players in basic passing techniques every afternoon.
drill + someone + in + noun phrase (the skill)
Élise's father drilled the safety rules into her before she started driving.
drill + noun (the content) + into + someone
The teacher drilled the students on their multiplication tables every morning.
Dewi drilled the key phrases until they came out naturally in conversation.
The instructor drilled it into the trainees that safety must come before speed.
- repetition-teach
not a standard single word; 'drill' is the specific term for learning-through-repetition
- hammer home
informal phrasal verb meaning to emphasise something forcefully through repetition
- rote-teach
less common; refers specifically to memorisation by repetition without understanding
- explain
to make something clear through reasoning rather than repetition
文法句型
drill + noun (a skill/fact) + into + someone
drill + someone + on + noun
drill + that-clause into someone
用法筆記
Frequently used with the 'into' pattern (drill something into someone), which implies persistent, even forceful teaching. The dummy object 'it' commonly appears in this structure: drill it into someone that...
常見錯誤
drilling — noun
1. the activity or process of cutting a hole in a hard surface or material using a
the activity or process of cutting a hole in a hard surface or material using a rotating tool known as a drill.
The constant drilling from the construction site kept Élise awake all night.
drilling as a source of noise
Drilling through concrete requires a heavy-duty machine and a steady hand.
drilling + through + noun (the material)
Noa could hear the dentist's drilling from the waiting room down the hall.
The drilling of test holes helps engineers check the soil before building a road.
Tunde watched the drilling crew prepare for their next project with great interest.
- boring
technically different — boring widens an existing hole; used in engineering and oil contexts
- excavation
digging out earth or rock, typically on a larger scale than drilling
文法句型
drilling + of + noun
drilling + noun (as compound modifier)
用法筆記
As an uncountable noun, drilling refers to the general activity. When referring to one specific event, use 'a drilling session' or a count noun like 'drill job'.