dispose
dispose — 動詞
1. to cause someone to develop a particular feeling, opinion, or tendency toward so
使傾向；誘使
讓人對某人或某事產生特定態度
to cause someone to develop a particular feeling, opinion, or tendency toward someone or something — for example, a calm teacher disposing children to feel safe, or a generous offer disposing a committee to look more kindly on a proposal.
Stefan's calm voice disposed the frightened children to trust him during the power cut.
Stefan 平靜的聲音使受驚的孩子們在停電期間願意信任他。
dispose + object + to-infinitive
The jury was favorably disposed toward the witness after she gave clear and honest answers.
陪審團在證人給出清晰誠實的證詞後，對她抱持了好感。
passive: be favorably disposed toward(s)
Growing up in a diverse area disposed Rin to feel comfortable with people from many backgrounds.
在多元文化區域成長的經歷，使 Rin 能自在地與來自各種背景的人相處。
A warm welcome at the airport disposed the visiting scholars to think well of the university.
機場的熱情歡迎，使來訪學者對這所大學留下了好印象。
Ayesha was not disposed to argue after twelve hours of travel and a missed connection.
Ayesha 經過十二小時的旅程又錯過轉機後，完全沒有興致爭論。
- incline
Less formal and more common; 'incline toward' has the same grammatical structure but appears in everyday writing and speech.
- predispose
Stronger than 'dispose' — implies a pre-existing tendency that makes someone ready to feel or act in a certain way; common in medical and psychological contexts.
- prompt
Focuses on an immediate trigger that causes a specific action or reaction, not a general attitude.
文法句型
dispose + object + to-infinitive
dispose + object + toward(s) + noun/gerund
be disposed + to-infinitive
be well/favorably/kindly disposed toward(s) + noun
用法筆記
Frequently appears in the passive (be disposed to/toward). The adjective forms well-disposed and ill-disposed are common in formal writing: 'The committee is well-disposed to the proposal.' This sense does NOT mean 'cause someone to do something directly' — it describes creating a state of mind, not a command or obligation.
常見錯誤
2. to give a particular order or layout to items, furniture, or individuals — for e
排列；佈置
按特定順序或方式放置物品或人員
to give a particular order or layout to items, furniture, or individuals — for example, setting dishes in neat rows on a table, or positioning soldiers at intervals along a ridge.
Ari disposed the fresh flowers in a wide glass vase on the reception desk.
Ari 將鮮花插入接待桌上一個寬大的玻璃花瓶中。
dispose + object + in/on + location
The dinner plates were disposed in neat rows along the table before the guests arrived.
晚餐的盤子在客人抵達前，沿著桌子整齊排列成行。
passive: be disposed in rows along
Vinícius disposed his painting tools on the workbench, sorted by size from smallest to largest.
Vinícius 將他的繪畫工具依照尺寸大小，從最小到最大依序擺放在工作檯上。
Nila carefully disposed the chess pieces on the board, placing each in its proper square.
Nila 仔細地將棋子擺放在棋盤上，把每一枚都放到正確的位置。
The security guards were disposed around the building at twenty-meter intervals.
保安人員以二十公尺的間距，部署在建築物四周。
- arrange
More common in everyday English; 'arrange' is less formal and covers a wider range of contexts from casual to professional.
- position
More specific — focuses on placing something in a precise or strategic location; common in military and sports contexts.
- set out
Informal phrasal verb; describes laying items in an orderly display, especially for a specific purpose or event.
文法句型
dispose + object + prepositional phrase (in/on/around/along/by)
be disposed + prepositional phrase
用法筆記
Often in the passive when describing the final state of the arrangement. In everyday English, 'arrange,' 'place,' or 'position' are more common. This sense carries a slightly formal or military tone — it suits descriptions of deliberate, systematic arrangement.
常見錯誤
dispose — 名詞
1. the state of being available for someone to use, control, or command as they wis
支配；使用權
可供某人自由使用或調度的狀態
the state of being available for someone to use, control, or command as they wish — almost always found in the fixed expression 'at one's dispose,' meaning ready for someone to make use of.
The team had a fully equipped laboratory at their dispose for the whole project.
團隊在整個專案期間，擁有設備齊全的實驗室供其支配使用。
fixed phrase: at one's dispose
Eric placed his car at the dispose of the elderly couple for their hospital visits.
Eric 將自己的車提供給那對老夫婦，方便他們去醫院就診。
With the library collection at their dispose, the students completed their thesis research in two months.
有了圖書館藏書可供運用，學生們在兩個月內就完成了論文研究。
Sahil was glad to have a personal assistant at his dispose during the conference week.
Sahil 在會議週期間很慶幸有一位個人助理可以調度。
- disposal
The standard modern noun for this meaning; use 'at one's disposal' in all ordinary writing and speech.
文法句型
at/in one's dispose (fixed phrase)
用法筆記
The modern and far more common form is 'at one's disposal' (e.g., 'I have a car at my disposal'). The shorter 'at one's dispose' is archaic and appears today only in very formal legal or literary English. Learners should use 'at one's disposal' in nearly all situations.
常見錯誤
2. a person's natural character, usual mood, or typical way of responding to situat
性情；天性
一個人的天性和慣常情緒反應
a person's natural character, usual mood, or typical way of responding to situations — similar in meaning to 'temperament' or 'disposition,' but now rarely used outside literary or historical writing.
The old monk was known for his gentle dispose and patient manner with visitors.
那位老僧以溫和的性情及對訪客的耐心態度而聞名。
Charlotte had a cheerful dispose that made her a welcome companion on long journeys.
Charlotte 天性開朗，因此成為長途旅行中受人歡迎的同伴。
Nkechi's calm dispose helped her stay steady during the crisis negotiations.
Nkechi 沉穩的性情幫助她在危機談判中保持鎮定。
The novel describes a king whose suspicious dispose makes him mistrust even his closest advisors.
這本小說描述了一位生性多疑的國王，連最親近的顧問也得不到他的信任。
- disposition
The direct modern equivalent; use this in all contemporary writing.
- temperament
Refers to the combination of mental and emotional traits that form a person's character; slightly more formal than 'disposition.'
- nature
The broadest and most common term; describes a person's basic character or the qualities they are born with.
文法句型
a [adjective] dispose
someone's natural dispose
用法筆記
This sense is archaic in modern English. The standard word today is 'disposition' (e.g., 'a cheerful disposition'). Use 'disposition' or 'temperament' in everyday writing. The noun 'dispose' in this sense survives mainly in historical fiction and formal literary analysis.
常見錯誤
3. the way a person outwardly behaves or carries themselves, especially the express
舉止；風度
外表展現的態度和行為舉止
the way a person outwardly behaves or carries themselves, especially the expression on their face and the manner they show to others — similar to 'demeanor' or 'bearing,' but now rarely used.
The diplomat's calm dispose during the tense meeting impressed everyone in the room.
那位外交官在緊張會議期間展現的沉穩風度，令在場所有人印象深刻。
Even when the customer grew angry and raised his voice, Maeve maintained a professional dispose.
即使顧客動怒並提高聲量，Maeve 仍保持專業的態度。
Femi's stern dispose made the new employees nervous on their first day.
Femi 嚴肅的態度讓新進員工在第一天上班時感到緊張。
The judge's dignified dispose commanded respect from everyone in the courtroom.
法官莊嚴的風度贏得了法庭上每個人的尊敬。
文法句型
a [adjective] dispose
someone's outward dispose
用法筆記
Archaic. The standard modern noun is 'demeanor' (American) or 'demeanour' (British). This sense of 'dispose' appears only in older literary texts or deliberately archaic writing today.