spreading

spreading — 動詞

1. When a thing is spreading, the area it covers is becoming larger and larger; you

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

向外擴散

範圍逐漸變大或往外擴張

When a thing is spreading, the area it covers is becoming larger and larger; you can also use it to mean making that area grow.

例句

The wildfire was spreading quickly through the dry forest north of Lisbon.

野火在 Lisbon 北邊乾燥的森林中迅速蔓延。

intransitive: spread + through + place

Naoko watched the ink stain spreading across the white tablecloth.

Naoko 看著墨水漬在白色桌布上慢慢擴散開來。

spread + across + surface (visible expansion)

同義詞
  • expand

    more formal; often used for size, business, or volume rather than physical reach

  • extend

    stresses reaching further out, often in a planned or measurable way

  • widen

    narrower in meaning — usually about something becoming broader from side to side

反義詞
  • contract

    to become smaller or pull inward

  • shrink

    everyday opposite — to get smaller in area

文法句型

spread + (across/through/over) + place

spread + something + (across/through/over) + place

用法筆記

Often used with prepositions of direction or place (across, through, over, into, outward). The intransitive form is more common when describing natural processes such as fire, smoke, or liquid.

常見錯誤

❌The fire spread the village.
✅The fire spread through the village.
💡when 'spread' means expand outward, it needs a preposition of place; you cannot use the place as a direct object.

2. If a disease, idea, mood, or habit spreads, it starts reaching new people or pla

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

傳開；散播

影響或波及越來越多人事物

If a disease, idea, mood, or habit spreads, it starts reaching new people or places one after another, until many are affected; you can also spread it on purpose.

例句

The flu spread through Tuan's school in just a few days.

流感在 Tuan 的學校短短幾天就傳開了。

spread + through + group of people

Panic spread among the passengers when the lights went out on the train.

火車燈光熄滅時，恐慌在乘客之間迅速蔓延。

spread + among + people (emotion subject)

同義詞
  • circulate

    more neutral; common with rumours, news, or money moving around

  • transmit

    formal or technical; preferred for diseases and signals

  • propagate

    formal; used for ideas, beliefs, or species

反義詞
  • contain

    to stop something from reaching more people or places

  • suppress

    to actively prevent something from spreading

文法句型

spread + (from/to/among) + people

spread + something + (to/among) + people

用法筆記

Subject is typically something that affects others — a disease, rumour, fear, fashion, belief, or habit. With the transitive form, the subject is the agent who causes the wider effect (a person, the media, a website).

常見錯誤

❌The rumour spread the whole class.
✅The rumour spread through the whole class.
💡when describing where it travelled, 'spread' is intransitive and needs 'through' or 'among'.

3. If something such as a city, a forest, or a view spreads, it takes up a large pi

3.動詞不及物B2
釋義

綿延；展開

大片土地或景色延伸開來

If something such as a city, a forest, or a view spreads, it takes up a large piece of land or water — usually you can see it stretching far in front of you.

例句

From the hilltop, Imran could see the city spreading out below him.

從山頂望下去，Imran 看見整座城市在他腳下展開。

spread + out + (place phrase) — describing a wide view

Tea fields spread for miles along the green slopes of the valley.

茶園沿著山谷翠綠的山坡綿延數英里。

spread + for + distance

同義詞
  • stretch

    very close in this sense; common with land, beaches, roads

  • extend

    slightly more formal; often paired with 'as far as'

文法句型

spread + (out/across/over/along) + place

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (EXPAND OUTWARD): this sense is static — the area does not grow; the thing simply is large and stretches far. Subject is usually a landscape, settlement, or view.

常見錯誤

❌The desert spread quickly to the east.' (when meaning a static landscape)
✅The desert spread out to the east.
💡for static large areas use 'spread out'; without 'out', readers may think the desert is growing (sense 1).

4. If a group of people or things is spread across several locations, the members a

4.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

分散；散布

成員或物品散落在許多不同地方

If a group of people or things is spread across several locations, the members are found in separate places rather than gathered together; you can also distribute things this way on purpose.

例句

The Okonkwo family is spread across four different countries.

Okonkwo 一家人分散在四個不同的國家。

passive: be spread + across + places

Our offices are spread throughout Southeast Asia, from Bangkok to Manila.

我們的辦公室散布在東南亞各地，從曼谷一路到馬尼拉。

passive: be spread + throughout + region

同義詞
  • distribute

    more formal; emphasises a planned arrangement

  • scatter

    suggests a less ordered, more random distribution

反義詞
  • concentrate

    to bring or keep things in one place

  • gather

    to bring separate things together

文法句型

be spread + (across/throughout/over) + places

spread + things/people + (across/over) + places

用法筆記

Frequently passive ('be spread across/throughout'). Distinguish from sense 1: here the subject is a set of separate items already in different places — the items are not getting larger or moving outward together.

常見錯誤

❌My cousins spread in many countries.
✅My cousins are spread across many countries.
💡when describing where members of a group live, use the passive 'be spread'.

5. If you spread something such as a map, a blanket, or a newspaper, you open it up

5.動詞及物B1
釋義

攤開；張開

把折起的東西打開鋪平

If you spread something such as a map, a blanket, or a newspaper, you open it up from a folded shape and lay it flat so that it now covers a bigger surface.

例句

Asher spread the picnic blanket on the grass under the cherry tree.

Asher 把野餐墊鋪在櫻花樹下的草地上。

spread + flat object + on + surface

The hikers spread the map out across the kitchen table to plan their route.

登山客把地圖攤開在廚房桌上規劃路線。

spread + something + out + across + surface

同義詞
  • unfold

    stresses the opening from folds; doesn't require laying flat

  • lay out

    very close; emphasises placing flat in an organised way

  • open up

    more general; works for many things including doors and books

反義詞
  • fold

    to bend something back into a smaller closed shape

  • wrap up

    to enclose in a covering, the opposite of opening flat

文法句型

spread + something + (out) + (on/across/over) + surface

用法筆記

Object must be something that can be folded, closed, or held tight — a cloth, paper, map, blanket, or wings. Often paired with the particle 'out' to stress the opening movement.

常見錯誤

❌Spread the map.' (when you mean unfold it on a table)
✅Spread the map out on the table.
💡adding 'out' and a surface makes the action clear; bare 'spread the map' can sound incomplete.

6. If you spread a number of small items on a surface, you put them down across the

6.動詞及物B2
釋義

鋪排；攤放

把多件物品平鋪在表面上

If you spread a number of small items on a surface, you put them down across the whole area — usually with space between each item or in a single thin layer, not stacked into a pile.

例句

Caio spread the photographs across the desk so the editor could compare them.

Caio 把照片攤在桌上，方便編輯比較。

spread + things + across + surface (single layer)

The teacher spread the children's drawings out on the classroom floor.

老師把孩子們的圖畫鋪在教室地板上。

spread + things + out + on + surface

同義詞
  • lay out

    very close; suggests a tidy or planned arrangement

  • scatter

    implies less order, often random

  • arrange

    stresses the order or pattern, not the wide coverage

反義詞
  • pile up

    to stack on top of each other in one spot

  • gather

    to bring the items back together into one place

文法句型

spread + things + (out) + on/across/over + surface

用法筆記

Object is typically a plural set of small, flat-ish items (papers, cards, photos, tools, food). Distinguish from sense 5: there you open one folded thing; here you arrange many separate things across an area.

常見錯誤

❌She spread the books in a pile on the desk.
✅She spread the books out on the desk.
💡'spread' suggests gaps between items or a flat layer, so it does not work with 'in a pile'.

7. to open out parts of the body — typically the hands, feet, or limbs — so each pa

7.動詞及物B1
釋義

張開；伸展

把手指、手腳張到最開

to open out parts of the body — typically the hands, feet, or limbs — so each part is as distant from the others as possible.

例句

Reema spread her fingers wide and pressed her palm against the wet paint.

Reema 把手指張開到最大，將手掌按在還沒乾的油漆上。

spread + fingers (body part as object)

The yoga teacher told us to spread our toes and grip the mat firmly.

瑜伽老師要我們把腳趾張開、緊緊抓住瑜伽墊。

spread + toes

同義詞
  • stretch out

    more general; can apply to whole body

  • splay

    stronger image of fingers or limbs forced wide apart

反義詞
  • close

    for fingers or wings drawn back together

文法句型

spread + body part

用法筆記

Object is almost always a body part (arms, legs, fingers, toes) or wings. Distinguish from sense 5 (unfolding cloth or paper), where the object is an inanimate flat thing.

常見錯誤

❌I spread my hands open the book.
✅I spread my fingers and opened the book.
💡to mean stretching fingers apart, the object must be the fingers themselves, not the action that follows.

8. to pass news, rumours, or information from one person to many people, or for tha

8.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

傳播資訊

把消息或謠言告訴很多人

to pass news, rumours, or information from one person to many people, or for that information to travel quickly between people.

例句

Word of the surprise engagement spread across the village in a single afternoon.

那場驚喜訂婚的消息，一個下午就在整個村子裡傳開了。

intransitive: news + spread + across [place]

Stefan begged us not to spread the rumour that he was leaving the team.

Stefan 拜託我們不要把他要離開球隊的傳言散布出去。

transitive: spread + rumour + that-clause

同義詞
  • circulate

    more neutral; often used for written information

  • broadcast

    stronger; suggests deliberate, wide announcement

  • leak

    for information that should have been kept secret

反義詞
  • suppress

    to actively prevent information from spreading

文法句型

spread + news/rumour

news/rumour + spread

用法筆記

Frequently intransitive with abstract subjects like 'word', 'news', 'rumour', 'panic'. Distinguish from sense 2 (about diseases or feelings affecting people physically); this sense is about information travelling between speakers.

常見錯誤

❌He spread to the whole school that I had failed.
✅He spread the news around the whole school that I had failed.
💡the verb needs an object like 'news', 'word', or 'a rumour'.

9. to divide a task, cost, or amount into parts so that different people, places, o

9.動詞及物B2
釋義

分攤；分散

把費用、工作或時間分給不同人或時段

to divide a task, cost, or amount into parts so that different people, places, or periods of time each take a share.

例句

Lara wanted to spread the wedding costs across six monthly payments.

Lara 想把婚禮費用分攤到六期月付。

spread + costs + across [time periods]

The coach spread the training drills evenly between the new players.

教練把訓練項目平均分配給幾位新球員。

spread + tasks + between [people]

同義詞
  • distribute

    more formal; common in financial or logistical writing

  • divide

    stresses the act of splitting; less about easing burden

  • stagger

    specifically for spreading events across time

反義詞
  • concentrate

    to put all of something in one time or place

文法句型

spread sth between/among/across sb

spread sth over [time]

用法筆記

Always followed by 'between', 'among', 'across', or 'over' to mark how the parts are divided. Object is typically work, money, time, or risk. Often passive when the focus is on the result, not the agent.

常見錯誤

❌We spread the bill to four people.
✅We spread the bill between four people.
💡use 'between' or 'among' for people sharing, not 'to'.

10. to push a soft food or paste over the top of something so it forms a thin layer;

10.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

塗抹；好塗開

把柔軟食材或膏狀物抹在表面

to push a soft food or paste over the top of something so it forms a thin layer; or, said of such a substance, to be soft enough to apply in this manner.

例句

Ari spread peanut butter thickly over a slice of warm toast.

Ari 把花生醬厚厚地塗在一片溫熱的吐司上。

spread + [food] + over + [surface]

This butter is too cold to spread without tearing the bread.

這塊奶油太冰了，會把麵包弄破，很難塗開。

intransitive: [food] + spreads + adverb

同義詞
  • smear

    informal; often suggests messy or careless application

  • apply

    more formal; common for creams or glues, not food

  • coat

    stresses full coverage of the surface

反義詞

文法句型

spread sth on/over sth

sth spreads + adverb (easily, thinly)

用法筆記

Object is a soft substance (butter, jam, glue, cream); the surface follows 'on', 'onto', 'over', or 'along'. The intransitive use describes how easy the substance is to apply — 'spreads easily / thinly / smoothly'. Distinguish from sense 6 (arranging separate objects across a surface).

常見錯誤

❌I spread the bread with butter on top.
✅I spread butter on the bread.
💡the soft substance is the object; the surface follows 'on'.

11. with a smile as subject: to grow gradually wider across the features of a person

11.動詞不及物C1
釋義

綻開；漫開

（笑容）慢慢在臉上展開

with a smile as subject: to grow gradually wider across the features of a person, often as a quiet sign of pleasure or recognition.

例句

A slow smile spread across Sayaka's face as she opened the letter from her brother.

Sayaka 打開哥哥寄來的信時，臉上慢慢綻開一抹微笑。

a smile + spread + across + [person]'s face

When Kenji recognised his old teacher, a wide grin spread over his face.

Kenji 認出他以前的老師時，臉上漫開了一個大大的笑容。

a grin + spread + over + face

同義詞
  • break

    as in 'a smile broke across her face'; stresses sudden appearance

  • creep

    stresses slow, gradual growth of the smile

反義詞
  • fade

    for a smile slowly leaving the face

文法句型

a smile spreads across/over sb's face

用法筆記

Almost always used in narrative or literary writing, with 'a smile / grin' as subject and 'across' or 'over' someone's face. The smile is the only common subject; do not say 'a frown spread' or 'sadness spread' for this sense.

常見錯誤

❌Élise spread a smile across her face.
✅A smile spread across Élise's face.
💡the smile is the subject; the person does not actively spread it.

spreading — 名詞