interrogate

IPA/ɪnˈterəɡeɪt/
KK[ˌɪntˈɛrəɡˌet]IPA/ɪnˈterəɡeɪt/

interrogate — 動詞

  • interrogatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • interrogateshe / she / it
  • interrogatedpast simple
  • interrogating-ing form

1. to question a person in detail and at length, often in an official or pressured

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

審問；盤問

長時間反覆提問以獲取資訊或供詞

to question a person in detail and at length, often in an official or pressured setting like a police station, with the aim of obtaining facts or a confession

例句

The detective interrogated Gabriel for three hours about the robbery at the jewellery shop.

警探針對珠寶店搶劫案審問了 Gabriel 三個小時。

interrogate + someone + about + something

Border officials interrogated Shirin about her passport stamps until late in the evening.

邊境官員針對 Shirin 護照上的印章盤問她直到深夜。

同義詞
  • question

    neutral; does not imply the intensity or formality of 'interrogate'

  • grill

    informal; suggests harsh, rapid questioning, often by journalists or angry parents

  • cross-examine

    specific to courtroom settings; the questioning of a witness by the opposing side

  • quiz

    less formal and usually shorter; often about minor matters or for testing knowledge

反義詞

文法句型

interrogate + someone

interrogate + someone + about/on + something

用法筆記

Object is always a person. Typically used of formal settings — police interviews, military questioning, or intelligence work — where the questioning is prolonged and carries an element of pressure.

常見錯誤

❌The teacher interrogated the student about his homework.
✅The teacher questioned the student about his homework.
💡'interrogate' is too strong for everyday situations; it implies a formal, high-pressure setting.

2. to send a request to a computer system, database, or electronic device and recei

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

查詢；檢索

從電腦系統或資料庫取得資料

to send a request to a computer system, database, or electronic device and receive data in return

例句

Nila interrogated the customer database to find all orders placed in the last month.

Nila 查詢了客戶資料庫，找出上個月的所有訂單。

interrogate + [database] for information

The software interrogates the server every ten seconds and logs any changes in response time.

該軟體每十秒查詢一次伺服器，並記錄回應時間的任何變化。

同義詞
  • query

    direct synonym; the standard verb in computing contexts

  • search

    broader and more everyday; does not imply the structured, systematic nature of 'interrogate'

  • look up

    informal; used for quick, simple searches rather than systematic data retrieval

文法句型

interrogate + [database/system/computer/device]

用法筆記

Object is always a machine, database, or computer system, never a person. Common in technical and IT writing. Distinguish from sense 1 (QUESTION INTENSELY), where the object is a person.

常見錯誤

❌I interrogated to the database for the records.
✅I interrogated the database for the records.
💡'interrogate' is transitive; no preposition is needed before the object.

3. to examine a text, set of data, or body of evidence by asking a series of target

3.動詞及物C1
釋義

探究；審視

透過提問方式深入分析文本或數據

to examine a text, set of data, or body of evidence by asking a series of targeted questions about it, in order to uncover deeper meaning or hidden patterns

例句

The historian interrogated the medieval manuscript, looking for clues about the author's identity.

歷史學家仔細審視那份中世紀手稿，尋找作者身分的線索。

figurative: interrogate + [text/source]

Sofie interrogated the survey results to work out why customer satisfaction had dropped.

Sofie 仔細探究調查結果，想了解顧客滿意度為何下降。

interrogate + [data/findings]

同義詞
  • scrutinise

    very close in meaning; implies close, careful inspection, but lacks the 'questioning' metaphor

  • probe

    suggests deeper, more intrusive investigation, often into sensitive matters

  • analyse

    neutral; the standard academic term, without the intensity of 'interrogate'

反義詞

文法句型

interrogate + [data/text/evidence/findings]

用法筆記

Object is abstract — texts, data, ideas, or evidence — never a person. This is a figurative extension of sense 1: you treat the material as if you were questioning a witness. Common in academic and analytical writing.

常見錯誤

❌The detective interrogated the crime scene for clues.
✅The detective examined the crime scene for clues.
💡'interrogate' in this sense applies to data, texts, or abstract evidence, not physical places or objects.