exemplify

IPA/ɪɡˈzemplɪfaɪ/
KK[ɪɡzˈɛmpləfˌaɪ]IPA/ɪɡˈzemplɪfaɪ/

exemplify — verb

  • exemplifypresent simple I / you / we / they
  • exemplifieshe / she / it
  • exemplifiedpast simple
  • exemplifying-ing form

1. to serve as a clear or perfect example that shows the typical qualities of a par

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to serve as a clear or perfect example that shows the typical qualities of a particular type, group, or characteristic

例句

The green-roofed buildings in the district exemplify sensible eco-friendly design.

entity + exemplify + quality/approach

Trang's calm response during the crisis exemplified the kind of leadership the team needed.

同義詞
  • typify

    Very close in meaning but slightly more informal; typify often refers to what is average or representative of a group

  • embody

    Stronger than exemplify — suggests something contains or personifies a quality in a complete way

  • epitomize

    Means to be the perfect or most characteristic example, often carrying a positive connotation

  • represent

    Broader in meaning; can refer to standing for something symbolically, politically, or statistically

文法句型

noun + exemplify + noun phrase

be exemplified + by/in + noun phrase

用法筆記

Often used in formal or academic writing. The subject is usually an abstract quality, a thing, an institution, or a person's behaviour — not a person as the active doer. This sense describes what something reveals or stands for, not the act of giving examples.

常見錯誤

❌This building exemplifies modern.
✅This building exemplifies modern architecture.
💡exemplify needs a complete noun phrase as its object, not just an adjective.
❌This artist exemplifies her style.
✅This painting exemplifies the artist's style.
💡a work or thing exemplifies a quality; the person who created it does not.

2. to make the meaning of something easier to understand by providing a specific ex

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to make the meaning of something easier to understand by providing a specific example that demonstrates it

例句

The maths teacher exemplified each new formula with a short problem the students could try.

person + exemplify + thing + with + concrete example

To show the correct bandage method, nurse Yasmin exemplified each step on a training dummy.

infinitive of purpose clause + person + exemplify + steps

同義詞
  • illustrate

    The closest synonym; very commonly used in the same instructional contexts, often interchangeable with exemplify

  • demonstrate

    Broader — can mean to show how something works or to prove a point, not limited to giving examples

  • show

    More general and informal; less precise than exemplify in academic writing

反義詞
  • obscure

    To make something unclear or hard to understand — the opposite of clarifying by example

文法句型

noun + exemplify + noun phrase + with + noun phrase

noun + exemplify + noun phrase + by + verb-ing

用法筆記

The subject is a person, a document, or a teaching resource that intentionally provides examples to explain something. Common in educational and instructional contexts. Takes a direct object (the thing being explained), followed by 'with' or 'by' to introduce the supporting example.

常見錯誤

❌He exemplified the students.
✅He exemplified the grammar rules for the students.
💡exemplify takes the thing being explained as its object, not the audience.
❌He exemplified about climate change.
✅He exemplified climate change with recent data.
💡exemplify is a transitive verb; do not add a preposition directly after it.