seize
seize — 動詞
1. to quickly put your hands on something and keep hold of it, doing so with force
抓住；把握
迅速抓住或把握機會
to quickly put your hands on something and keep hold of it, doing so with force or eagerness — for example, grabbing a phone from a table, or making immediate use of an opportunity the moment it appears.
Lien seized the keys from the table and ran out the door.
Lien 從桌上抓起鑰匙，衝出門外。
seize + direct object (physical grab)
The toddler seized his mother's hand and refused to let go.
那個學步的孩子緊緊抓住媽媽的手，不肯放開。
When the job offer arrived, Vivek seized the opportunity without a second thought.
工作機會一來，Vivek 毫不猶豫地抓住了。
Nia seized the rope and pulled her brother back up onto the cliff.
Nia 抓住繩子，把弟弟拉回懸崖上。
The detective seized the phone before the suspect could delete the message.
警探在嫌犯來得及刪除訊息之前，一把搶走了手機。
文法句型
seize + noun phrase
用法筆記
Also used metaphorically for quickly accepting an opportunity, as in 'seize the moment' or 'seize the chance.' In this figurative use, the object is an abstract noun like opportunity, chance, or moment.
常見錯誤
2. to use sudden physical force to capture a city, building, or person, especially
奪取；逮捕
以武力佔領或逮捕
to use sudden physical force to capture a city, building, or person, especially during a war, rebellion, or police operation.
Rebel fighters seized the radio station and began broadcasting their message.
叛軍奪取了廣播電台，開始播送他們的訊息。
seize + location (military capture)
The army seized the port city after a two-week battle.
經過兩週的戰鬥，軍隊攻佔了這座港市。
Police officers seized three armed men outside the bank just before midnight.
午夜前不久，警方在銀行外逮捕了三名持槍男子。
Enemy troops seized the bridge and cut off all supply routes to the capital.
敵軍佔領了橋樑，切斷了通往首都的所有補給路線。
- liberate
to set free a place or people from control
文法句型
seize + noun phrase (location / person)
用法筆記
Common in news reports about wars, rebellions, and police raids. When referring to a person, this sense means 'arrest' or 'capture' and emphasises the use of sudden force.
常見錯誤
3. when police, customs officers, or other government officials take possession of
查扣；沒收
官方依法查扣或沒收
when police, customs officers, or other government officials take possession of goods, money, or property because they are illegal, unpaid for, or linked to a crime.
Customs officers seized two hundred kilograms of cocaine at the airport.
海關官員在機場查獲了兩百公斤的古柯鹼。
authority + seize + illegal goods
The court ordered police to seize all assets gained from the fraud case.
法院命令警方沒收詐騙案件中的所有資產。
Border guards seized the truck when they found untaxed cigarettes hidden inside.
邊境警察發現卡車內藏有未課稅的香菸，隨即扣押了車輛。
Federal agents seized documents from the company headquarters on Tuesday morning.
聯邦探員於週二上午到該公司總部查扣了相關文件。
The smuggler's yacht was seized by the coast guard near international waters.
走私者的遊艇在國際水域附近被海巡署查扣。
- confiscate
slightly more formal; used specifically in legal and customs contexts
- impound
used specifically for vehicles, documents, or property held temporarily
- requisition
formal; used by military or government taking property for official use
文法句型
seize + noun phrase (goods / property)
用法筆記
Subject is almost always an authority figure (police, customs, court, government). Frequently used in the passive voice: 'goods were seized.' The thing seized is usually illegal or obtained through crime.
常見錯誤
4. when a strong emotion, pain, or physical sensation suddenly and powerfully overt
侵襲；籠罩
強烈情緒或疼痛突然襲來
when a strong emotion, pain, or physical sensation suddenly and powerfully overtakes someone, often making them unable to think or act normally — for example, being seized by fear when you hear a loud noise in the dark.
A sudden wave of panic seized the crowd when the fire alarm went off.
火災警報響起時，一陣恐慌突然席捲了人群。
emotion + seize + person(s)
Elena was seized by an overwhelming fear as the elevator doors closed.
電梯門關上的那一刻，Elena 被一股強烈的恐懼感侵襲。
passive: be seized by + emotion
A sharp pain seized Reuben's lower back the moment he bent down.
Reuben 一彎下身，腰部就傳來一陣劇烈的疼痛。
The audience was seized by a strange silence during the final scene of the play.
全場觀眾在劇目最後一幕陷入了一股奇異的靜默。
- calm
the opposite emotional state; not a verb in this sense
文法句型
be seized by + emotion (fear / panic / pain)
用法筆記
The subject is always an emotion, feeling, or pain — never a person. Often found in literary and narrative writing. Passive form ('was seized by fear / panic / doubt') is very common.
常見錯誤
5. when a machine, engine, or part of the body becomes stuck and stops working or m
卡住；失靈
機器或身體部位卡住不動
when a machine, engine, or part of the body becomes stuck and stops working or moving properly, usually because of friction, heat, damage, or lack of lubrication.
The car engine seized because nobody had changed the oil for years.
那輛車的引擎因為多年沒換機油而卡死了。
machine subject + seize (intransitive)
My father's knee seized up after he ran the marathon without warming up first.
我父親跑完全程馬拉松後沒有先暖身，結果膝蓋僵住了。
body part + seize up
The printer seized halfway through printing the two-hundred-page report.
印表機在列印那份兩百頁的報告印到一半時卡住了。
Takeshi felt his back seize up when he tried to lift the heavy sofa alone.
Takeshi 試圖獨自抬起那張沉重的沙發時，感覺背部僵住了。
文法句型
seize up (phrasal verb)
用法筆記
Often used as the phrasal verb 'seize up.' For machines, the cause is typically lack of maintenance or extreme conditions. For body parts, it refers to muscle or joint stiffness that prevents movement.