leaking

leaking — verb

1. When a substance such as water, oil, or natural gas leaks, it escapes from a pip

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

When a substance such as water, oil, or natural gas leaks, it escapes from a pipe, tank, or other container through an unwanted opening like a crack or a hole. A container that is leaking has a flaw that allows a fluid or gas to get out.

例句

Walid noticed water leaking from the old pipe under the kitchen sink.

leaking from [source] — the usual preposition for where the leak starts

The roof of Imani's apartment began leaking after three days of heavy rain.

同義詞
  • seep

    Describes slow, gradual movement through small openings; does not apply to the container itself ('the oil seeped through the floor', but not 'the tank is seeping')

  • drip

    Describes liquid falling drop by drop, while leak can also describe a steady flow

  • escape

    More formal and general; used when gas or liquid finds a way out, but less common for everyday plumbing problems

反義詞
  • seal

    To close an opening so that nothing can enter or escape

文法句型

something + leaks + from/through/into + something

something + leaks + liquid/gas

something + is/was leaking

用法筆記

Frequently used in continuous tenses ('the pipe is leaking') to describe an ongoing problem. The present participle also commonly functions as an adjective: 'a leaking roof', 'a leaking faucet'. The past form 'leaked' is used for completed events: 'The tank leaked oil for several hours.'

常見錯誤

❌I leaked the water from the bucket.
✅I poured the water from the bucket.
💡Leak describes accidental or unwanted escape, not deliberate pouring.

2. To make secret or private information known to the public or to people who are n

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

To make secret or private information known to the public or to people who are not officially supposed to have it, especially by sharing documents, emails, or other materials. The information itself can also be described as leaking when it becomes public despite efforts to keep it hidden.

例句

Someone leaked the confidential budget report to a local newspaper.

leaked [something] to [recipient] — core transitive pattern

Details of the merger talks were leaked to the press before the official announcement.

passive: were leaked to [recipient]

同義詞
  • disclose

    More formal and neutral; often used when information is officially made known, not necessarily secretly ('the company disclosed its earnings')

  • reveal

    Can be intentional or accidental, and covers many types of information beyond secrets; less specific about the method of sharing

  • divulge

    Suggests telling something private, but usually to a specific person rather than to the general public

反義詞
  • conceal

    To keep something hidden or secret intentionally

  • suppress

    To prevent information from being published or made known through official action

文法句型

someone + leaks + something + to + someone

something + is/was leaked + (to + someone)

something + leaks + to + someone

用法筆記

Commonly used in passive voice ('the documents were leaked to the press') because the focus is often on the information rather than the anonymous source. The person who leaks information is sometimes called a whistleblower if their motive is public interest, or simply a leaker if the source is unknown.

常見錯誤

❌The journalist leaked the information.
✅Someone leaked the information to the journalist.
💡The person who leaks is the source inside the organization, not the journalist who reports the story.