cleave

IPA/kliːv/
KK[klˈiv]IPA/kliːv/

cleave — 動詞

  • cleavepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • cleaveshe / she / it
  • cleavedpast simple
  • cleaving-ing form
  • cleftpast participle

1. to cut or split something into two or more parts, usually with a heavy tool or g

1.動詞及物 / 不及物C1
釋義

劈開；分裂

用大力把某物切或劈成兩半或數塊

to cut or split something into two or more parts, usually with a heavy tool or great force, so that the pieces separate completely.

例句

The lumberjack raised his axe and cleaved the oak log cleanly into two halves.

樵夫舉起斧頭，將那根橡木原木乾淨地劈成了兩半。

cleave + noun + into + number + halves/pieces

A bolt of lightning cleaved the old pine tree right down the middle.

一道閃電把那棵老松樹從正中間劈開了。

transitive: body cleaved by natural force

同義詞
  • split

    the most common everyday word; less forceful than cleave

  • sever

    more formal, emphasises complete separation, especially of a connection or limb

  • rend

    literary and dramatic; suggests violent tearing apart with great noise

反義詞
  • join

    general opposite; to bring parts together

  • fuse

    to melt or blend separate things into one whole

文法句型

cleave + noun (in two / apart / into pieces)

cleave + noun + with + tool

用法筆記

This sense (SPLIT APART) is the opposite of sense 2 (ADHERE TO), making 'cleave' a famous contranym — one word with two contradictory meanings. The split sense is more common in modern English, though still literary or formal; in everyday speech, speakers prefer 'split', 'cut', or 'divide'.

常見錯誤

❌I cleaved the paper with scissors.
✅I cut the paper with scissors.
💡'cleave' sounds unnatural for everyday cutting; use 'cut' or 'tear' for ordinary objects.
❌The wood was cleaved by the saw.
✅The wood was split by the saw.
💡'cleave' typically implies a single forceful blow, not the repeated motion of sawing.

2. to stick very firmly to something or someone, either physically or in the sense

2.動詞不及物C2
釋義

堅守；黏附

緊貼著某人事物，或忠誠地堅持某種信念

to stick very firmly to something or someone, either physically or in the sense of continuing to believe in a principle, idea, or person with strong loyalty.

例句

Despite losing every election, Diya cleaved to her belief that peaceful protest could change the country.

儘管每次選舉都輸，Diya 仍堅信和平抗議能夠改變這個國家。

cleave + to + belief/principle (figurative loyalty)

The tiny island community cleaved to its old traditions long after the mainland had abandoned them.

在主流社會早已放棄那些古老習俗之後，那個小島社區仍堅守著自己的傳統。

cleave + to + tradition/custom (collective loyalty)

同義詞
  • adhere to

    more common in formal writing; same meaning of sticking to a rule or principle

  • cling to

    more natural in everyday English; can be physical or emotional

  • hold to

    common idiom for maintaining a belief or promise

反義詞
  • abandon

    to give up a belief or principle; the conceptual opposite of cleaving to it

  • reject

    to refuse to accept or follow

文法句型

cleave + to + noun (principle / tradition / person)

用法筆記

This sense (ADHERE TO) is the opposite of sense 1 (SPLIT APART), completing the famous 'contranym' pair. This meaning is considerably rarer in modern English and sounds very formal or even biblical. It is almost always used with 'to'. The physical 'stick' meaning is especially uncommon today — use 'stick (to)', 'cling (to)', or 'adhere (to)' instead in ordinary conversation.

常見錯誤

❌She cleaved to the wall to avoid being seen.
✅She pressed herself against the wall to avoid being seen.
💡'cleave to' for physical clinging is extremely rare in modern English; use 'cling to' or 'press against'.
❌He cleaved the rules strictly.
✅He cleaved to the rules strictly.
💡this sense always requires 'to'; dropping the preposition changes the meaning to 'split'.

3. to pass through a substance such as air, water, or darkness with speed and force

3.動詞不及物C1
釋義

穿過；劃破

快速有力地穿過空氣、水或黑暗等介質

to pass through a substance such as air, water, or darkness with speed and force, as if cutting a path through it.

例句

The falcon folded its wings and cleaved through the morning air toward its prey.

那隻獵鷹收攏翅膀，劃破清晨的空氣，直撲向獵物。

cleave + through + air (swift motion)

Tariro's voice cleaved the silence of the hospital waiting room with shocking urgency.

Tariro 的聲音帶著令人震驚的急迫，劃破了醫院候診室的寂靜。

cleave + abstract medium (silence, darkness) — sensory penetration

同義詞
  • cut through

    the natural everyday equivalent; less literary but same core image

  • pierce

    focuses on the point of entry rather than the full path through

  • slice through

    more informal; vivid but common

文法句型

cleave + through + noun (air / water / darkness)

用法筆記

This sense develops metaphorically from sense 1 (SPLIT APART): the image is of something moving so fast or powerfully that it seems to cut a path through whatever it passes. It is used especially in descriptive or literary writing about birds, boats, sounds, and lights.

常見錯誤

❌The car cleaved through traffic.
✅The car weaved through traffic.
💡'cleave through' implies a straight, forceful path; for slow or winding movement use 'weave' or 'thread'.
❌She cleaved through the crowd.
✅She pushed through the crowd.' or 'She cut through the crowd.
💡'cleave through' for people sounds odd and overly dramatic in modern English.