repair
repair — noun
1. the task of taking a damaged or faulty item and returning it to a usable state
the task of taking a damaged or faulty item and returning it to a usable state
The old bike was in urgent need of repair after Arjun hit a stone.
collocation: in need of repair
Zayd took his guitar to the music shop for repair when a string snapped.
collocation: take/send something for repair
The repair of the old harbour wall took eight months and involved over fifty workers.
Ritu made a quick repair to the fence using screws and a new board.
The laptop was still under repair, so Tamar borrowed a friend's computer for the week.
- fix
more informal and common in everyday speech; repair sounds slightly more formal
- mending
usually refers to small repairs on clothing or fabric rather than mechanical objects
- restoration
implies returning something to its original or excellent condition, often with care and skill
用法筆記
As an uncountable noun, repair refers to the general activity or state of being fixed (e.g. 'the car is in need of repair'). As a countable noun, it refers to a specific action or instance of fixing (e.g. 'he carried out several repairs').
常見錯誤
repair — verb
1. to make a physical object that has a crack, a tear, or a fault work or look as i
to make a physical object that has a crack, a tear, or a fault work or look as it should again — for instance, fixing a broken bike chain, a torn shirt, or a phone with a cracked screen
A plumber came to repair the leaking pipe under the kitchen sink this morning.
Felix repaired the torn sleeve of his jacket with a needle and dark thread.
transitive: repair + damaged clothing item
It took the mechanics three days to repair the bus engine after the fire.
Sora repaired the old clock by replacing the broken spring and cleaning the gears.
The wooden floor in the hallway needs to be repaired where the water damaged it.
文法句型
repair + object (physical thing)
用法筆記
The object of this sense is nearly always a physical object — a machine, tool, vehicle, building, item of clothing, or similar concrete thing. For abstract things like relationships or trust, use sense 2 below.
常見錯誤
2. to improve or make right a difficult or damaged situation — for example, restori
to improve or make right a difficult or damaged situation — for example, restoring trust after a lie, rebuilding a friendship after an argument, or fixing a company's public image after a mistake
After months of silence, the two brothers finally began to repair their relationship.
figurative: repair a relationship
The hotel chain tried to repair its reputation after guests complained about the dirty rooms.
figurative: repair a reputation
Heloísa wrote a sincere letter to repair the damage caused by her angry words.
The manager met the team to repair the trust lost during the restructuring.
Priya apologised to the residents' association to repair the harm caused by her careless comments about the neighbourhood.
文法句型
repair + abstract noun (relationship, reputation, trust, damage)
用法筆記
The object is always an abstract noun such as a relationship, reputation, trust, friendship, or the damage/harm caused by an action. This sense often appears in business, political, or interpersonal contexts. Compare with sense 1, where the object is a physical object.