knocking

knocking — 動詞

1. to hit a door, window, or other surface with your hand, a tool, or a hard object

1.動詞不及物B1
釋義

敲門；敲擊

敲門窗或表面以引人注意

to hit a door, window, or other surface with your hand, a tool, or a hard object, usually to get someone's attention or to show that you are there.

例句

Gabriel knocked on the classroom door before entering.

Gabriel 在進教室前先敲了門。

knock + on + door + before entering

The postman knocked three times, then left a parcel on the step.

郵差敲了三下門，然後把包裹放在臺階上。

knock + number of times for attention

同義詞
  • tap

    lighter, quieter; often with fingertips

  • rap

    sharper, quicker; often with knuckles

  • bang

    louder and more forceful

文法句型

knock + on/at + noun

用法筆記

The surface being hit is introduced by 'on' (most common in British English) or 'at' (more common in American English). This sense does not take a direct object — you knock on a door, not knock a door.

常見錯誤

❌I knocked the door but no one came.
✅I knocked on the door but no one came.
💡When you hit a surface to get attention, you need 'on' or 'at'.

2. to hit someone or something with enough force that they fall to the ground, move

2.動詞及物B1
釋義

撞倒；打翻

用力撞擊使倒下或移動

to hit someone or something with enough force that they fall to the ground, move aside, or are sent in a particular direction.

例句

Darius accidentally knocked over a glass of water while reaching for his keys.

Darius 伸手拿鑰匙時不小心打翻了一杯水。

knock + over + glass — accidental

The strong wind knocked the garden chairs onto the grass.

強風把花園的椅子吹倒在草地上。

wind + knocked + chairs — inanimate subject

同義詞
  • tip over

    slower, more gradual falling

  • push over

    emphasises the pushing motion, less forceful

  • bowl over

    specifically of a person being knocked to the ground

反義詞
  • right

    to set something upright again

  • steady

    to prevent something from falling

文法句型

knock + object + over/off/down

用法筆記

Nearly always used with a particle (over, off, down, aside) that tells you the result of the impact. Without the particle, the meaning changes to sense 1 (HIT SURFACE). The object must be stated — you knock something over, not just knock over.

常見錯誤

❌ 'I knocked the glass over when I bumped the table.' (correct as is) — This is the correct structure. The mistake is often dropping the particle: ❌ 'I knocked the glass.' (sounds like sense 1 — hitting it, not causing it to fall).

3. to say critical or disapproving things about someone or something, often in a wa

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

批評；數落

不公平或不必要地批評

to say critical or disapproving things about someone or something, often in a way that seems unfair or unnecessarily negative.

例句

Paloma criticised the plan, but her boss told her to stop knocking it.

Paloma 批評了那個計畫，但主管叫她別再數落了。

stop + knocking — informal pattern for 'stop criticising unfairly'

The newspaper keeps knocking the government's education policies.

那家報紙不斷抨擊政府的教育政策。

keeps + knocking — repeated criticism, informal

同義詞
  • criticise

    more neutral and formal; does not imply unfairness

  • put down

    similar register; emphasises making someone feel small

  • disparage

    formal; implies speaking of something as low or unworthy

反義詞
  • praise

    to express approval or admiration

  • compliment

    to say something positive about someone

文法句型

knock + noun phrase (person/thing/idea)

用法筆記

Informal register. Stronger and more dismissive than 'criticise'. Often implies the criticism is habitual, petty, or undeserved. Common in phrases like 'stop knocking [sb/sth]' and 'always knocking [sb/sth]'. Less common in formal writing.

常見錯誤

❌The report knocks the company's financial decisions.' (if the report is formal/professional)
✅The report criticises the company's financial decisions.
💡In formal contexts, use 'criticise' instead of 'knock'.

4. to remove a wall or partition that separates two rooms, joining them together to

4.動詞及物B2
釋義

打通；拆除

拆除房間之間的牆壁

to remove a wall or partition that separates two rooms, joining them together to create a single larger living space.

例句

The couple decided to knock through the wall between the kitchen and the dining room.

那對夫妻決定打通廚房和餐廳之間的牆壁。

knock + through + wall — phrasal verb pattern

Harper knocked the two small bedrooms into one to make a larger space.

Harper 把兩間小臥室打通，變成一個更大的空間。

knock + [room] + into + [room] — combining rooms

同義詞
  • remove

    more formal; used in professional construction contexts

  • take down

    more general; can refer to any structure, not just walls

反義詞
  • put up

    to build a wall where there was none

  • erect

    formal; to build or construct

文法句型

knock + through + wall

knock + room + into + room

用法筆記

Chiefly British English. Very common in home renovation contexts. The wall must be checked by a professional because some walls are 'load-bearing' — knocking them out without support can cause the building to collapse. Usually used with 'through' or the pattern 'knock X into Y'.

常見錯誤

❌We knocked the wall to make the room bigger.
✅We knocked through the wall to make the room bigger.
💡The phrasal verb 'knock through' is the correct form; 'knock the wall' alone sounds like sense 1 (hitting it).

5. (of a car or other vehicle engine) to make a sharp repeating sound when the fuel

5.動詞不及物B2
釋義

爆震；敲缸

引擎因燃油問題發出異響

(of a car or other vehicle engine) to make a sharp repeating sound when the fuel-air mixture burns unevenly or when a mechanical part works loose, signalling a fault that needs repair.

例句

The car engine started knocking, so Vinícius drove it straight to the garage.

汽車引擎開始發出敲擊聲，Vinícius 立刻開去修車廠。

engine + started knocking → needs repair

Using low-quality fuel can cause an older engine to knock badly.

使用劣質燃油可能會導致老舊引擎產生嚴重爆震。

fuel quality + cause + engine to knock

同義詞
  • ping

    a lighter, higher-pitched engine sound, similar to knock but less severe

  • rattle

    a loose, shaking sound from a different type of mechanical problem

文法句型

engine + is knocking

start + knocking

用法筆記

Used in automotive contexts. The verb is most common in continuous tenses ('the engine is knocking'). Engine knock is also called 'pinking' or 'detonation'. This is distinct from the normal sound of a running engine.

常見錯誤

❌The engine is knocking, so I need more oil.
✅The engine is knocking, so I need to get it checked by a mechanic.
💡Knocking is not fixed by adding oil; it usually requires professional diagnosis.

6. (of a household pipe, radiator, or boiler) to make a regular banging or tapping

6.動詞不及物B2
釋義

管路異響

水管或暖氣片因水流發出聲響

(of a household pipe, radiator, or boiler) to make a regular banging or tapping sound as water or steam flows through it, often caused by trapped air, loose fittings, or changes in temperature.

例句

The radiator knocks every time the central heating comes on.

暖氣每次啟動時，散熱片就會發出敲擊聲。

radiator + knocks + when heating starts

Élise called the plumber because the pipe in the bathroom was knocking all night.

Élise 打電話叫水電工，因為浴室的水管響了一整夜。

pipe + was knocking + calls plumber — repair needed

同義詞
  • bang

    a louder, more explosive sound from pipes

  • rattle

    a continuous shaking noise from loose pipe fittings

文法句型

pipe + is knocking

knocking + in + pipe/radiator

用法筆記

Common in British English for describing plumbing issues. The knocking is often called 'water hammer' in technical terms. Differs from sense 5 (ENGINE NOISE) in that the source is household plumbing, not a vehicle engine.

常見錯誤

❌The pipe is knocking, so the engine needs fixing.
✅The pipe is knocking, so I need to call a plumber.
💡Pipes are plumbing concerns, not engine concerns.