adapt

adapt — 動詞

1. to change something so it fits a different situation, does a new job, or is turn

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

改裝；改編

改成適合新用途或媒介

to change something so it fits a different situation, does a new job, or is turned into a film, play, or TV show.

例句

The clinic adapted its opening hours after many parents asked for evening appointments.

那家診所因為許多家長希望有晚間門診，所以調整了看診時間。

adapt + service after users' needs change

Engineers adapted the old factory into a bright library for local children.

工程師把那座舊工廠改裝成明亮的兒童圖書館。

adapt + building into + new use

同義詞
  • modify

    more technical or formal; common for systems, machines, or plans

  • tailor

    stresses shaping something for a particular person or group

  • convert

    often suggests a larger change of purpose, especially for buildings

反義詞
  • keep

    to leave something in its present form

  • preserve

    to avoid changing the original form

文法句型

adapt + noun + for + purpose

adapt + noun + into + film/play/show

用法筆記

Object is usually a tool, building, plan, or text. When the new form is a medium, English commonly uses 'adapt ... for television' or 'adapt ... into a film'. Distinguish from sense 2, where a person changes their own behaviour.

常見錯誤

❌The director adapted the novel to a film.
✅The director adapted the novel for film.' / 'The director adapted the novel into a film.
💡use 'for' or 'into' when you change a story's medium.

2. to change the way you think or act so you can manage a new place, system, or set

2.動詞不及物B2
釋義

適應；調整

調整想法或行為面對新情況

to change the way you think or act so you can manage a new place, system, or set of conditions more successfully.

例句

Aya adapted quickly to school life in Kaohsiung after moving from Hokkaido.

Aya 從北海道搬來後，很快就適應了高雄的校園生活。

adapt to + new place or routine

After the company went fully remote, many workers adapted by planning stricter routines.

公司全面改成遠端後，許多員工靠安排更固定的作息來適應。

adapt by + -ing

同義詞
  • adjust

    close in meaning, often for smaller personal changes

  • settle in

    more informal; stresses becoming comfortable in a new place

  • get used to

    everyday phrase focusing on the gradual process

反義詞
  • resist

    to push against the new situation instead of changing

  • struggle

    to have difficulty coping successfully

文法句型

adapt to + new situation

adapt by + -ing

用法筆記

Usually followed by 'to' plus the new situation, place, or rule. The subject is normally a person or group making deliberate changes. Distinguish from sense 3, where the change happens gradually in living things over generations.

常見錯誤

❌She adapted with the new schedule.
✅She adapted to the new schedule.
💡use 'adapt to' for the situation you are getting used to.

3. if a species adapts, it develops small changes over many generations that help i

3.動詞不及物C1
釋義

生物適應

生物逐代改變以存活

if a species adapts, it develops small changes over many generations that help it survive in its environment.

例句

Over many generations, desert foxes adapted to long dry seasons and scarce water.

經過許多世代後，沙漠狐逐漸適應了漫長旱季與稀少水源。

adapt to + environmental pressure

These mountain flowers adapted by growing low to the ground in strong wind.

這些高山花朵藉由貼近地面生長，來適應強風環境。

adapt by + -ing in biology context

同義詞
  • evolve

    broader scientific term for long-term biological change

  • acclimatize

    usually quicker adjustment by an individual, not generations

反義詞
  • die out

    to disappear because survival is no longer possible

  • perish

    to die instead of surviving changing conditions

文法句型

adapt to + climate/environment

adapt by + -ing

用法筆記

Subject should be a living thing, a species, or a population, not a machine or plan. This sense describes slow biological change, not the personal adjustment in sense 2.

常見錯誤

❌The lizard adapted the heat.
✅The lizard adapted to the heat.
💡in this sense, living things usually adapt to an environment rather than take a direct object.