testify

testify — verb

1. to make a formal statement while serving as a witness at a trial, telling the co

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to make a formal statement while serving as a witness at a trial, telling the court what you know about the case after swearing to tell the truth

例句

Shirin testified that she saw the man leave the building just before midnight.

testify + that-clause for reporting what a witness saw

Rachid was afraid to testify against his former boss in court.

testify against [person]

同義詞
  • bear witness

    very formal; often used in religious or solemn legal contexts

  • give evidence

    common in British legal English; interchangeable with 'testify' in court contexts

  • attest

    formal; emphasises certifying that something is genuine or true, not necessarily in court

反義詞
  • perjure oneself

    to lie intentionally while under oath — the opposite of truthful testimony

文法句型

testify (in court)

testify + that-clause

testify against [person]

testify for [person]

testify to [fact]

用法筆記

Frequently used with a that-clause (testify that…) or with the prepositions 'against' (testify against someone) and 'for' (testify for the defence). The speaker is always a person who has sworn an oath to tell the truth.

常見錯誤

❌He testimony in court yesterday.
✅He testified in court yesterday.
💡'testimony' is a noun; the verb form is 'testify'.
❌She testified him of the crime.
✅She testified that he committed the crime.' or 'She testified against him in court.
💡'testify' is not followed by a direct object referring to a person.

2. if a fact, event, or situation testifies to something, it provides clear evidenc

2.動詞不及物C1
釋義

if a fact, event, or situation testifies to something, it provides clear evidence that something exists or is true — for example, messy roads testifying to the strength of a storm, or old photographs testifying to a town's history

例句

The empty streets testified to the seriousness of the storm warning.

inanimate subject + testify to + abstract noun

Mizuki's success testifies to years of hard work and determination.

同義詞
  • attest to

    even more formal; used in academic or formal writing

  • bear witness to

    more literary or emphatic; has a solemn tone

  • demonstrate

    less formal and much more common in everyday language

  • indicate

    weaker in force; suggests evidence points towards a conclusion rather than proving it

反義詞
  • contradict

    to be in opposition to the evidence or claim

  • belie

    to give a false impression of something; opposite of revealing the truth

文法句型

testify to [noun phrase]

用法筆記

Only used in the pattern 'testify to + noun phrase'. The subject must be a thing (fact, event, object, action) — never a person. This sense cannot be followed by a that-clause.

常見錯誤

❌The facts testify that the system works.
✅The facts testify to the effectiveness of the system.
💡This sense takes 'to + noun phrase', not a that-clause.