update

update — verb

1. to add new features, information, or improvements to something so that it works

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

to add new features, information, or improvements to something so that it works better or matches current needs and standards.

例句

Tomás updated his personal website with a photo gallery and a contact form.

update + object + with + new content

The restaurant decided to update its kitchen equipment before the health inspection.

同義詞
  • modernize

    stronger focus on bringing old designs or methods into the present; often used for buildings, systems, or processes

  • revise

    emphasizes careful review and correction of a document, plan, or text

  • upgrade

    implies improving to a higher-quality or more advanced version, not just making current

  • refresh

    more informal; often used for skills, memories, or on-screen data without structural changes

反義詞
  • outdate

    to make something old-fashioned or no longer current

文法句型

update + object + with + new features/information

update + object + to + new version

用法筆記

Common in computing and technology, but also used broadly for documents, equipment, procedures, and skills. Frequently used in the passive voice in technical writing: 'The system was updated.'

常見錯誤

❌I updated my old phone to the latest model.
✅I upgraded my old phone to the latest model.
💡'update' means making the existing thing current; 'upgrade' means replacing it with something better.
❌She updated the report by rewriting every section from scratch.
✅She revised the report completely.
💡'update' implies adding current information while keeping the existing content; 'revise' suggests a more thorough reworking.

2. to tell someone the newest information about a situation, event, or person so th

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

to tell someone the newest information about a situation, event, or person so that they know what has happened or changed.

例句

Faisal called his parents to update them on his flight arrival time.

update + someone + on + topic

The night-shift nurse updated the doctor on the patient's condition after the surgery.

同義詞
  • inform

    more formal and neutral; does not carry the implication that the listener already had earlier information

  • brief

    implies giving a structured, often official summary of key facts, especially in workplace or military settings

  • notify

    more formal; usually about a single specific fact, often in writing

文法句型

update + someone + on + topic

update + someone + about + topic

keep + someone + updated

用法筆記

The topic of the information is introduced by on or about ('update someone on progress,' 'update someone about the situation'). The phrasal pattern keep + object + updated is very common in workplace and personal communication.

常見錯誤

❌Please update me the meeting time.
✅Please update me on the meeting time.
💡when specifying the topic, use on or about, not a direct object.
❌She updated the team that the project was delayed.
✅She updated the team on the project delay.
💡while a that-clause is possible, the typical pattern uses on + noun phrase.

update — noun