land
land — verb
1. when something such as a plane, bird, or person descends from above and comes to
when something such as a plane, bird, or person descends from above and comes to rest on a solid surface like the ground, a roof, or water.
The plane landed safely at Hong Kong airport after a long flight from London.
intransitive: [vehicle] + land + at [place]
Eitan guided his small plane down and landed it perfectly on the grassy field.
transitive: [pilot] + land + [vehicle] + on [surface]
A large bird landed on the fence outside Jin's bedroom window this morning.
The helicopter landed gently on the hospital roof to pick up the injured hiker.
If a passenger plane has to land on water, the crew follows special safety steps.
- touch down
less formal, used mainly for aircraft
- alight
formal verb used for birds or people stepping down from a vehicle
- take off
to leave the ground and begin flying
文法句型
land + (adverb of place)
land + [vehicle] + on/at [surface]
用法筆記
Can be used both with or without an object. With an object (transitive), the subject is typically a pilot or driver. Without an object (intransitive), the subject is the vehicle or living thing that descends.
常見錯誤
2. when a ship, boat, or the people on it reaches the shore or a port after a journ
when a ship, boat, or the people on it reaches the shore or a port after a journey on water.
The cruise ship landed at the port of Kaohsiung early in the morning.
intransitive: [ship] + land + at [port]
After three weeks at sea, the fishing boat finally landed back at its home harbor.
Romi's ferry landed at the island dock just before the storm began.
Many ships used to land at this small harbor to trade spices and silk.
The old sailor felt relieved when his ship landed safely after the rough voyage.
- dock
more specific — to bring a ship into a dock
- come ashore
phrasal verb focusing on people reaching land
- set sail
to begin a journey by sea, leave the shore
文法句型
land + at [port/harbour/dock]
用法筆記
Used for ships and boats arriving at a coastal point. Unlike the aviation sense (sense 1), this sense describes a vessel reaching the edge of the land, not something descending through air.
常見錯誤
3. when digital content becomes visible to users on an Internet site or application
when digital content becomes visible to users on an Internet site or application.
When you click the link, a new page lands in your browser within seconds.
intransitive: [page] + lands + in [browser]
Kian's latest video landed on the front page of the video-sharing site.
The advertisement landed on my social media feed just after I searched for hotels.
New blog posts usually land on the company website every Tuesday morning.
Devika's photos landed on the photography website and got hundreds of likes.
文法句型
land + on [website/platform/feed]
land + in [browser/inbox]
用法筆記
Frequently used in digital marketing and web development contexts. The subject is usually the content (page, post, ad) rather than a person. Compare with sense 1 (physical descent) and sense 2 (sea arrival).
4. to move people or things from a ship or an aircraft onto the land after the jour
to move people or things from a ship or an aircraft onto the land after the journey ends.
The workers spent all morning landing boxes of fruit from the cargo ship.
transitive: [workers] + land + [goods] + from [vehicle]
The airline landed the passengers and their luggage at the terminal within an hour.
Christopher helped the crew land the heavy equipment from the military plane.
The port authority landed the containers onto trucks for transport to the warehouse.
Fishermen landed their catch of tuna at the local fish market before sunrise.
- load
to put goods onto a vehicle
文法句型
land + [people/goods] + from [vehicle]
land + [goods] + at [place]
用法筆記
The object is usually cargo, goods, or passengers. The vehicle is typically a boat or aircraft; for road vehicles, use 'unload' instead.
常見錯誤
5. to bring a fish that you have caught out of the water and into your boat or onto
to bring a fish that you have caught out of the water and into your boat or onto the shore.
The fisherman landed a huge salmon after a twenty-minute struggle with his line.
transitive: [fisherman] + land + [fish] + [time context]
Élise learned to land fish gently so she could release them back into the river.
The crew landed over fifty kilos of mackerel during their overnight fishing trip on the boat.
Andrew carefully landed the trout and placed it in the bucket of water.
Local anglers often land bass from this spot near the old bridge.
文法句型
land + [type/quantity of fish]
用法筆記
Distinguish from the general verb 'catch.' 'Land' adds the idea of completing the catch — bringing the fish fully out of the water, not just hooking it.
常見錯誤
6. to succeed in obtaining a valuable opportunity or benefit, often with less effor
to succeed in obtaining a valuable opportunity or benefit, often with less effort or more luck than one might expect.
Ayana landed her dream job at the design studio after just one interview.
transitive: [person] + land + [desirable job] + [context]
The company landed a huge contract with a Japanese electronics manufacturer this spring.
Mateo somehow landed a front-row ticket to the concert even though it was sold out.
The young actor landed the lead role in the film after only a small audition.
Ife landed a scholarship to study engineering at a top university in Canada.
- secure
more formal, suggests effort rather than luck
- get hold of
informal phrasal verb, similar level of casualness
- lose
to fail to keep something desirable
- miss out on
to fail to obtain something
文法句型
land + [desirable thing: job/contract/deal/role]
用法筆記
Informal and conversational. The object is always something desirable. Frequently used in business (job, contract, deal), entertainment (role, part), and everyday contexts (ticket, prize).
常見錯誤
7. When a comment, joke, or planned action lands, it produces the desired reaction
When a comment, joke, or planned action lands, it produces the desired reaction or effect on the people who experience it.
Tunde told a funny story at dinner, and it really landed with everyone.
land + with [audience group]
The comedian's joke about trains did not land, and the audience stayed silent.
Samir's suggestion for the project landed well, and the team agreed to try it.
Élise worried her apology would not land, but her friend accepted it.
The teacher's attempt at a joke did not land, so she moved on.
- succeed
more general — can refer to any kind of success, while 'land' specifically implies a positive reaction from others
- resonate
more formal; suggests a deeper emotional connection rather than just having the intended effect
- work
informal and broad; 'work' can replace 'land' in many contexts but lacks the audience-reaction nuance
文法句型
land + adverb
land + with [audience]
用法筆記
The subject is typically a remark, joke, suggestion, or intended action. Almost always used with an adverb or a prepositional phrase describing the audience's reaction. Does not refer to physical arrival on the ground — that is sense 1 (ARRIVE).
常見錯誤
8. To hit someone with a punch or physical strike; or for such a blow to reach its
To hit someone with a punch or physical strike; or for such a blow to reach its target and make contact as intended.
The boxer landed a powerful punch to his opponent's jaw in the third round.
land a blow/punch (transitive)
Mizuki tried to block the kick, but it still landed on her shoulder.
blow/kick + land (intransitive)
Rodrigo landed two quick blows before the referee stepped in to stop the fight.
Cole's wild swing did not land, and he lost his balance for a moment.
The fighter kept attacking as the blows landed again and again.
- miss
the strike does not reach its target
文法句型
land a blow/punch + on [person]
blow/punch + land
用法筆記
When used intransitively, the subject is the physical strike itself ('the punch landed'). When used transitively, the subject is the person delivering the strike and the object names the type of blow ('she landed a kick').
常見錯誤
9. In sports and physical activities, to complete a jump, trick, or difficult movem
In sports and physical activities, to complete a jump, trick, or difficult movement without falling, stumbling, or making a mistake.
The skater landed a perfect triple axel at the competition.
land + [sports move name]
Apinya landed her first backflip on the balance beam during practice.
The snowboarder attempted a difficult jump but did not land it cleanly.
Lukas landed a 360-degree spin on his skateboard for the first time.
Asher landed the vault perfectly, earning a high score from the judges.
文法句型
land + [sports move name]
用法筆記
The object is always the name of the sports move being completed (e.g., 'a triple axel', 'a backflip', 'the vault'). Common in gymnastics, figure skating, snowboarding, and skateboarding. Does not refer to winning a match or scoring points — only to completing a specific movement.
常見錯誤
land — noun
1. the solid, dry ground on our planet that is not under an ocean or sea
the solid, dry ground on our planet that is not under an ocean or sea
After weeks at sea, the crew cheered when they finally spotted land.
contrast with sea
The turtle slowly moved across the land to find a safe place to dig.
Most of the Earth's surface is water, but about thirty percent is land.
Rodrigo travelled by land from Mexico to Canada, sleeping in a small tent.
用法筆記
Uncountable — do not use with an article ('a land' has a different meaning, see sense 4). Often contrasted with 'sea' or 'air' in expressions such as 'by land' and 'on land'.
常見錯誤
2. ground that people own or put to a specific goal, such as growing food, building
ground that people own or put to a specific goal, such as growing food, building houses, or keeping as investment property
The farmer bought twenty acres of land to grow wheat and corn.
acres / piece / plot of land
Nkechi inherited a small plot of land from her grandmother.
collocation: plot of land
The city council is looking for suitable land to build a new school.
Developers want to turn this farmland into housing for two thousand people.
The land near the river floods every spring and cannot be farmed.
用法筆記
Often modified by adjectives describing type or purpose: 'agricultural land', 'building land', 'waste land', 'private land'. Frequently appears with quantifiers: 'a piece of land', 'a plot of land', 'a stretch of land'.
常見錯誤
3. farms, farmland, and country areas, especially when thought of as a way of life
farms, farmland, and country areas, especially when thought of as a way of life that is different from city living
Yael grew up on the land, helping her parents with the animals and crops.
collocation: on / off / work the land
Many young people leave the land to find jobs in big cities.
The family has worked the land for five generations without owning it.
Élise prefers living on the land to the noise and rush of city life.
- countryside
rural areas in general; less tied to farming as an occupation than 'the land'
- farmland
land used specifically for growing crops or raising animals
用法筆記
Almost always used with the definite article ('the land') to refer to farming as a way of life. Cannot be used with numbers or plurals in this sense.
常見錯誤
4. a place that people think of with strong emotion because of its history, beauty,
a place that people think of with strong emotion because of its history, beauty, or a feeling of belonging
The team visited many foreign lands during their year-long research trip.
collocation: foreign lands
Tara felt deep love for the land of her ancestors, though she had never seen it.
emotional / literary register
The king ruled over a vast land stretching from the mountains to the sea.
Ireland is often called the Emerald Isle, a land of green hills and rainy weather.
The explorers set sail for unknown lands full of mystery and promise.
用法筆記
More literary, poetic, or emotional than 'country'. In everyday conversation, 'country' is the neutral choice. This sense is countable and can appear in the plural ('far-off lands').