found

found — verb

1. the form of the verb "find" that shows a past action — used when you discovered

1.動詞及物 / 不及物A1
釋義

the form of the verb "find" that shows a past action — used when you discovered something after searching, or when you became aware of something at an earlier time.

例句

Nellie found her keys under a pile of books on the desk.

Asher found the biology course much harder than he expected.

found + object + adjective complement

同義詞
  • discovered

    covers concrete objects and abstract truths

  • came across

    less formal, implies chance rather than search

  • located

    more formal, often after deliberate searching

反義詞
  • lost

    opposite of finding something

  • misplaced

    temporarily lost or put in the wrong spot

文法句型

found + noun phrase (object discovered)

found + noun phrase + adjective (to discover something is a certain way)

be found + location

用法筆記

To distinguish this from the "establish" meaning of "found": if the sentence still makes sense when you replace "found" with "discovered", it is the past tense of "find". This is by far the most frequent use of the word "found" in everyday English.

常見錯誤

❌I found a company in 2015' (meaning 'I started a company').
✅I founded a company in 2015.
💡'Found' as the past of 'find' means 'discovered', not 'established'. The verb for starting an organisation is a different word spelled the same way.
❌The school was found in 1990.
✅The school was founded in 1990.
💡When you mean 'established' (passive), use 'founded', not the past participle of 'find'.

2. to create a new organisation, institution, city, or company by providing the ini

2.動詞及物B1
釋義

to create a new organisation, institution, city, or company by providing the initial money, planning, or resources needed for it to begin and continue.

例句

Hassan founded a small school in his village with help from local parents.

The charity was founded by a group of retired nurses in 2010.

passive: be founded + by [agent] + [time]

同義詞
  • establish

    very close in meaning; 'establish' is slightly broader and can apply to systems or relationships

  • set up

    less formal, used for both permanent and temporary arrangements

  • create

    wider in scope — can apply to ideas, art, or objects

  • institute

    more formal, often used for official systems, rules, or procedures

反義詞
  • dissolve

    to officially close an organisation

  • abolish

    to put an end to a system or institution by law

文法句型

found + organisation/institution/company

be founded + by + person/group

be founded + in + year/place

用法筆記

Frequently used in the passive pattern 'be founded [by somebody] [in year/place]'. The subject of the active verb is typically a person or group; the object is an institution, company, city, or permanent organisation. This sense is more formal than 'set up' but less formal than 'institute'.

常見錯誤

❌The club founded in 2005.
✅The club was founded in 2005.
💡'Found' is transitive and needs a subject in active voice; you cannot leave out the object.
❌She founded a rumour that he was leaving.
✅She started a rumour that he was leaving.
💡'Found' is for permanent organisations, not for stories or short-term initiatives.

3. to place a large construction like a bridge or a building onto a solid ground ba

3.動詞及物C1
釋義

to place a large construction like a bridge or a building onto a solid ground base so that it remains stable and does not move or sink.

例句

The bridge was founded on thick concrete pillars that reach the bedrock.

passive: be founded on [material]

Engineers founded the dam on solid rock to prevent any movement.

同義詞

文法句型

be founded on + material/ground

found + structure + on/upon + base

用法筆記

Almost always used in the passive. The object is a large civil-engineering structure. This sense is the least common of the verb senses and appears mainly in technical or historical descriptions of construction methods — in everyday English, speakers usually say 'built on' instead.

常見錯誤

❌They founded the house in 2020.
✅They built the house in 2020.
💡'Found' in this sense is only used for large structures that need ground preparation, not for ordinary houses.

4. to use a particular fact, idea, or piece of information as the main support for

4.動詞及物B2
釋義

to use a particular fact, idea, or piece of information as the main support for a belief, opinion, theory, argument, or decision — for example, founding a political view on personal experience, or a scientific theory on experimental data.

例句

Dahlia founded her argument on data from three separate studies.

found + [abstract noun] + on + [evidence]

The film is founded on a true story that took place in the 1920s.

同義詞
  • based on

    everyday equivalent; less formal and more common in speech

  • grounded in

    suggests a deeper, more thorough basis

  • rooted in

    implies that the basis comes from long-standing sources

反義詞
  • unsupported

    lacking a basis in fact or evidence

  • unfounded

    not based on fact or reason (the opposite adjective)

文法句型

be founded on/upon + noun phrase (basis)

found + abstract noun + on/upon + noun phrase

用法筆記

Almost always followed by 'on' or 'upon'. The object of the verb is typically abstract — a belief, claim, theory, opinion, argument, or relationship. The passive form is more common than the active. In everyday English, 'based on' is used instead; 'founded on' is more formal and feels more emphatic.

常見錯誤

❌The belief is found on centuries of tradition.
✅The belief is founded on centuries of tradition.
💡The past participle of the 'base on' meaning is 'founded', not 'found'. This is the most frequent spelling error with this sense.
❌He founded his company on customer service.' — This mixes sense 2 (establish) and sense 4 (base on).
✅He founded his company with a focus on customer service.' or 'He built his company's reputation on customer service.

found — noun