evolve

evolve — verb

1. To change or grow little by little, moving toward a more advanced or complex for

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

To change or grow little by little, moving toward a more advanced or complex form — for example, a small business evolving into a large company, or someone's taste in music evolving as they get older.

例句

Starting as a one-person operation, Rodrigo's company evolved into a team of fifty designers.

evolve + into + noun phrase showing result of growth

Over the last twenty years, teaching methods in Evelyn's school have evolved dramatically.

present perfect: have evolved + over [time period]

同義詞
  • develop

    Broader and more neutral; can be fast or slow, planned or unplanned

  • progress

    Implies forward movement toward a goal, with a positive tone

  • mature

    Suggests reaching a final, fully developed state, often of a person or ability

反義詞
  • stagnate

    To stop changing or growing

  • regress

    To return to an earlier, less developed state

文法句型

evolve + into + noun phrase

evolve + from + noun phrase

evolve + over + time period

用法筆記

Unlike 'develop', 'evolve' always points to a slow, gradual process rather than a planned or sudden change. The intransitive pattern (something evolves) is more frequent than the transitive pattern (someone evolves something).

常見錯誤

❌The company evolved a new product in just two weeks.
✅The company developed a new product in just two weeks.
💡'Evolve' describes slow, organic change, not a short deliberate effort.
❌Her singing voice evolved very quickly after she started lessons.
✅Her singing voice evolved over several years of practice.
💡The word 'evolve' does not fit sudden or rapid improvement.

2. Of living things — to change over many generations as a species, developing feat

2.動詞不及物B2
釋義

Of living things — to change over many generations as a species, developing features that help the species survive better in its environment; for example, how polar bears evolved white fur to hide in snow.

例句

Birds are believed to have evolved from dinosaurs that lived millions of years ago.

passive: believed to have evolved + from [ancestor]

Some desert plants like cacti have evolved to store water inside their thick stems.

purpose: have evolved + to-infinitive explaining adaptation

同義詞
  • adapt

    Focuses on adjustment to environment; can happen at individual or species level

  • change

    Generic term, lacks the gradual generational aspect of 'evolve'

反義詞
  • die out

    A species that fails to adapt may die out rather than evolve

文法句型

evolve + to + infinitive (purpose)

evolve + from + noun (origin)

evolve + over + time period

用法筆記

In scientific usage, 'evolve' describes change at the species level across generations — an individual animal does not evolve; its species does. Frequently used with 'from' to indicate an ancestor and 'to' or an infinitive to indicate a survival function.

常見錯誤

❌The caterpillar evolved into a butterfly.
✅The caterpillar turned into a butterfly.
💡'Evolve' refers to change across generations of a species, not the life cycle of an individual organism.
❌My dog has evolved to understand my commands.
✅My dog has learned to understand my commands.
💡Individual animals learn; species evolve over many generations.