migrate

migrate — verb

1. When animals such as birds, fish, or insects travel as a group from one region t

1.動詞不及物B1
釋義

When animals such as birds, fish, or insects travel as a group from one region to another at a particular time of year, usually to find food, warmer weather, or a place to breed.

例句

Every autumn, swallows migrate south from Europe to Africa for the winter.

seasonal movement: [time] + migrate + [direction]

Rin learned that sea turtles migrate thousands of kilometres across the Pacific Ocean.

同義詞
  • travel

    broader meaning; does not imply seasonal return or group movement

  • relocate

    implies a permanent move rather than seasonal travel

  • rove

    more literary and suggests wandering without a fixed destination

反義詞
  • stay

    remain in one place year-round

  • remain

    used when animals do not move between seasons

文法句型

migrate from [place] to [place]

migrate + adverb of direction

用法筆記

Typically used for birds, fish, mammals, and insects that move seasonally. The direction is often indicated with an adverb such as 'south', 'north', or 'eastward'.

常見錯誤

❌The birds will immigrate south for winter.
✅The birds will migrate south for winter.
💡'immigrate' is used only for people entering a country to live, not for animals.

2. Migrate is used when groups of people travel to a different area, often temporar

2.動詞不及物B1
釋義

Migrate is used when groups of people travel to a different area, often temporarily, seeking work, safety, or an improved quality of life.

例句

Many workers from rural areas migrate to the city during the dry season.

[source] + migrate to [destination] + [time]

During the famine, thousands of families migrated north to find food and safety.

同義詞
  • relocate

    suggests a planned, permanent move rather than temporary or seasonal migration

  • resettle

    implies establishing a new home, often after displacement

  • emigrate

    specifically means leaving one's own country to live elsewhere

反義詞
  • remain

    stay in one's original place

  • return

    to go back to the place of origin

文法句型

migrate from [country/region] to [country/region]

migrate to [place] for [reason]

用法筆記

Distinguish from 'emigrate' (leave one's own country permanently) and 'immigrate' (enter a new country permanently). 'Migrate' often implies temporary or seasonal movement and can refer to internal movement within a country.

常見錯誤

❌My family migrated from Taiwan to Canada to settle there permanently.
✅My family emigrated from Taiwan and immigrated to Canada.
💡'migrate' suggests temporary or seasonal movement; for permanent moves, use 'emigrate' (leave) or 'immigrate' (enter).

3. To move gradually from one place or position to another, used especially in form

3.動詞不及物B2
釋義

To move gradually from one place or position to another, used especially in formal or scientific contexts for things that shift over time.

例句

The company decided to migrate its headquarters to a bigger city last year.

migrate [asset/organisation] to [new location]

As the town expanded, the main market migrated to a larger eastern area.

同義詞
  • move

    general-purpose term; less formal and less specific about gradual change

  • shift

    emphasises a change in position, often within the same area

  • drift

    suggests slow, passive movement without clear direction

反義詞
  • stay

    remain fixed in one place

  • settle

    to become fixed or established in one place

文法句型

migrate from [place] to [place]

migrate + [direction]

用法筆記

Used in formal or scientific writing to describe gradual movement. Less common in everyday speech than 'move' or 'shift'.

常見錯誤

❌The kids migrated to the kitchen when they smelled pizza.
✅The kids ran to the kitchen when they smelled pizza.
💡'migrate' suggests slow or systematic movement over distance, not a quick, everyday action.

4. When you migrate in computing, you transfer information or programmes from an ol

4.動詞及物 / 不及物C1
釋義

When you migrate in computing, you transfer information or programmes from an older platform or server onto a newer one, usually to gain better performance or features.

例句

João's team will migrate staff email accounts to the new cloud platform next month.

migrate [data/accounts] to [new system]

Christopher helped the library migrate its catalogue from the old system to an open-source one.

同義詞
  • transfer

    more general; does not specifically imply changing platforms or systems

  • port

    software-specific; means adapting software to run on a different system

  • convert

    focuses on changing format rather than moving location

文法句型

migrate [data/system] from [old system] to [new system]

migrate to [new system]

用法筆記

Object is typically a system, application, dataset, or user accounts. Frequently used in the passive voice in technical documentation, e.g., 'The data was migrated successfully.'

常見錯誤

❌The IT department immigrated the data to the new server.
✅The IT department migrated the data to the new server.
💡'immigrate' applies to people, not data or computer systems.