exhume

IPA/eksˈhjuːm/
KK[ɛkshjˈum]IPA/ɪɡˈzuːm/

exhume — verb

  • exhume,present simple I / you / we / they
  • exhumepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • exhumes,he / she / it
  • exhumeshe / she / it
  • exhumed,past simple
  • exhumedpast simple
  • exhuming,-ing form
  • exhuming-ing form

1. to dig up a dead person's body from a grave, especially to find out the cause of

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to dig up a dead person's body from a grave, especially to find out the cause of death or for legal reasons

例句

Two bodies were exhumed from the cemetery last week as part of the murder investigation.

passive: be exhumed + from [location]

Dr. Meera Patel's team exhumed the remains to study ancient burial practices.

active: exhumed + [remains] + infinitive of purpose

同義詞
  • disinter

    very formal synonym, most common in historical or literary writing

  • dig up

    everyday informal alternative; works for any buried object, not just human remains

  • unearth

    closer to 'discover something hidden'; broader meaning that includes archaeological findings, not just bodies

反義詞
  • bury

    the ordinary opposite — to place a dead body in the ground

  • inter

    formal synonym of 'bury', used in official or ceremonial contexts

文法句型

exhume + noun phrase (body / remains / corpse)

用法筆記

Frequently passive ([body] was exhumed). The subject is usually a court, coroner, or police authority. Only used for human remains that have been formally buried — for buried objects or animal bodies, use dig up instead.

常見錯誤

❌The archaeologists exhumed old coins from the site.
✅The archaeologists dug up old coins from the site.
💡'exhume' is only used for human remains, not for buried objects.
❌After the earthquake, rescue teams exhumed survivors from the rubble.
✅After the earthquake, rescue teams dug survivors out of the rubble.
💡'exhume' only refers to bodies that were buried in a grave, not to people trapped under debris.