suspend
suspend — verb
1. to officially stop an activity, rule, or process from continuing for a period of
to officially stop an activity, rule, or process from continuing for a period of time, or to delay a decision or judgment until a later date when more information is available.
The company decided to suspend production at the factory while investigators looked into the accident.
suspend + noun phrase (production)
The judge suspended Christopher's driving license for twelve months after his third speeding offence.
suspend + noun phrase + for + time period
The government agreed to suspend the new tax rule for six months to collect public feedback.
All flights from the regional airport were suspended when heavy snowfall covered the runway.
The committee voted to suspend the debate until the board could review the new evidence.
- postpone
means to delay something to a later time, usually with a new date set; 'postpone' is less formal than 'suspend'
- adjourn
used specifically for meetings or court proceedings; implies the activity will resume later
- halt
means to completely stop rather than temporarily suspend; stronger and more urgent
- defer
means to delay a decision or judgment; more limited in scope than 'suspend'
文法句型
suspend + noun phrase
be suspended
suspend + noun phrase + for + time
用法筆記
Common in legal, administrative, and institutional contexts. The object is typically a rule, activity, service, license, or official process — not casual personal actions. This sense often appears in passive voice when the focus is on the thing being stopped rather than who stops it.
常見錯誤
2. to officially order that a person must not work, attend school, or join a group
to officially order that a person must not work, attend school, or join a group activity for a set period of time, often because they have broken a rule or while an investigation is carried out.
The school suspended Ife for two weeks after she was caught vandalizing the gymnasium.
suspend + person + for + time period
The police officer was suspended from duty while the internal investigation continued.
passive: be suspended from + role
Jin was suspended from the team after he failed to follow the coach's training rules.
The referee suspended the player for the rest of the season for violent conduct on the field.
- expel
means to permanently remove someone from a school or organization; stronger and permanent rather than temporary
- exclude
means to keep someone out; less formal and can apply to both temporary and permanent situations
- ban
means to officially forbid someone from doing something; often used for events or places
- reinstate
to give someone back their job or position after a suspension
文法句型
suspend + person + from + noun phrase
be suspended + from + noun phrase
suspend + person + for + reason
用法筆記
Almost always involves an authority figure (school, employer, sports organization, professional body) imposing the suspension. The person being suspended has usually been found to have broken a rule. Frequently used in passive voice when the focus is on the person being punished rather than the punishing body.
常見錯誤
3. to attach or hang something from a point above so that it dangles freely in the
to attach or hang something from a point above so that it dangles freely in the air, without support from below.
Mira suspended a paper lantern from the balcony ceiling to create a cozy atmosphere.
suspend + object + from + place
The workers suspended the heavy chandelier from a steel cable bolted to the roof beam.
A wooden sign was suspended above the entrance to the old book shop.
A rope bridge was suspended across the deep valley, linking the two mountain trails.
- lower
to move something down from a higher position
文法句型
suspend + noun phrase + from + noun phrase
be suspended + from + noun phrase
be suspended + above/over + noun phrase
用法筆記
More formal than everyday 'hang.' Use 'suspend' when the focus is on the point of support above or the act of hanging something deliberately. For attaching a picture to a wall or hanging clothes, use 'hang' instead.
常見錯誤
4. to cause tiny solid pieces to be spread evenly throughout a liquid or gas withou
to cause tiny solid pieces to be spread evenly throughout a liquid or gas without sinking to the bottom, forming a mixture called a suspension.
Fine dust particles were suspended in the air, catching the sunlight from the studio window.
passive: be suspended in + gas
Nora watched tiny clay particles become suspended in the clear water during chemistry class.
The lab technician explained how fat droplets become suspended in the liquid during the emulsification process.
After the explosion, smoke particles remained suspended in the air above the building for hours.
- settle
to sink to the bottom of a liquid over time
- precipitate
to separate out from a solution as solid particles
文法句型
be suspended + in + noun phrase
become suspended + in + noun phrase
用法筆記
Technical or scientific sense. Used almost exclusively in passive voice or with 'become.' The subject is always small pieces of a solid or droplets of one liquid distributed within another substance. This sense is the root of the noun 'suspension' in chemistry (a mixture where particles are dispersed but not dissolved).