suspend

suspend — 動詞

1. to officially stop an activity, rule, or process from continuing for a period of

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

暫停；中止

暫停或延後活動、決策等

to officially stop an activity, rule, or process from continuing for a period of time, or to delay a decision or judgment until a later date when more information is available.

例句

The company decided to suspend production at the factory while investigators looked into the accident.

這家公司在調查人員調查事故期間，決定暫停工廠的生產。

suspend + noun phrase (production)

The judge suspended Christopher's driving license for twelve months after his third speeding offence.

Christopher 第三次超速違規後，法官吊銷了他的駕駛執照十二個月。

suspend + noun phrase + for + time period

同義詞
  • postpone

    means to delay something to a later time, usually with a new date set; 'postpone' is less formal than 'suspend'

  • adjourn

    used specifically for meetings or court proceedings; implies the activity will resume later

  • halt

    means to completely stop rather than temporarily suspend; stronger and more urgent

  • defer

    means to delay a decision or judgment; more limited in scope than 'suspend'

反義詞
  • resume

    to start something again after stopping

  • continue

    to keep doing something without stopping

文法句型

suspend + noun phrase

be suspended

suspend + noun phrase + for + time

用法筆記

Common in legal, administrative, and institutional contexts. The object is typically a rule, activity, service, license, or official process — not casual personal actions. This sense often appears in passive voice when the focus is on the thing being stopped rather than who stops it.

常見錯誤

❌I suspended my reading for an hour.
✅I put aside my reading for an hour.
💡'Suspend' sounds too formal and official for everyday personal activities. Reserve it for institutional or legal contexts.

2. to officially order that a person must not work, attend school, or join a group

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

停職；停學

因犯錯而暫時禁止參與

to officially order that a person must not work, attend school, or join a group activity for a set period of time, often because they have broken a rule or while an investigation is carried out.

例句

The school suspended Ife for two weeks after she was caught vandalizing the gymnasium.

Ife 被發現破壞體育館後，學校將他停學兩週。

suspend + person + for + time period

The police officer was suspended from duty while the internal investigation continued.

該名警察在內部調查進行期間被停職。

passive: be suspended from + role

同義詞
  • expel

    means to permanently remove someone from a school or organization; stronger and permanent rather than temporary

  • exclude

    means to keep someone out; less formal and can apply to both temporary and permanent situations

  • ban

    means to officially forbid someone from doing something; often used for events or places

反義詞
  • reinstate

    to give someone back their job or position after a suspension

文法句型

suspend + person + from + noun phrase

be suspended + from + noun phrase

suspend + person + for + reason

用法筆記

Almost always involves an authority figure (school, employer, sports organization, professional body) imposing the suspension. The person being suspended has usually been found to have broken a rule. Frequently used in passive voice when the focus is on the person being punished rather than the punishing body.

常見錯誤

❌The teacher suspended John from the classroom for talking.
✅The school suspended John for three days for bullying.
💡'Suspend' implies a formal, institutional punishment, not a minor classroom removal by a single teacher.
❌She was suspended of her duties.
✅She was suspended from her duties.
💡The correct preposition is 'from,' not 'of.'

3. to attach or hang something from a point above so that it dangles freely in the

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

懸掛

從上方掛起使垂下

to attach or hang something from a point above so that it dangles freely in the air, without support from below.

例句

Mira suspended a paper lantern from the balcony ceiling to create a cozy atmosphere.

Mira 在陽台天花板懸掛了一盞紙燈，營造出溫馨的氣氛。

suspend + object + from + place

The workers suspended the heavy chandelier from a steel cable bolted to the roof beam.

工人們用一條固定在屋樑上的鋼纜，將沉重的吊燈懸掛起來。

同義詞
  • hang

    the everyday word for attaching something so it drops down; less formal than 'suspend'

  • dangle

    means to hang loosely, often with a swinging motion; more vivid but less formal

  • hoist

    means to lift and pull something up using ropes or machinery; focuses on the raising action

反義詞
  • lower

    to move something down from a higher position

文法句型

suspend + noun phrase + from + noun phrase

be suspended + from + noun phrase

be suspended + above/over + noun phrase

用法筆記

More formal than everyday 'hang.' Use 'suspend' when the focus is on the point of support above or the act of hanging something deliberately. For attaching a picture to a wall or hanging clothes, use 'hang' instead.

常見錯誤

❌She suspended the painting on the wall.
✅She hung the painting on the wall.
💡'Suspend' means to hang from above, not to attach to a vertical surface.
❌He suspended his coat on the hook.
✅He hung his coat on the hook.
💡For everyday actions like hanging clothes, 'hang' is the natural choice; 'suspend' sounds too technical.

4. to cause tiny solid pieces to be spread evenly throughout a liquid or gas withou

4.動詞及物C1
釋義

懸浮

固體微粒飄浮於液體或氣體中

to cause tiny solid pieces to be spread evenly throughout a liquid or gas without sinking to the bottom, forming a mixture called a suspension.

例句

Fine dust particles were suspended in the air, catching the sunlight from the studio window.

細小的灰塵微粒懸浮在空氣中，捕捉著從工作室窗戶照進來的陽光。

passive: be suspended in + gas

Nora watched tiny clay particles become suspended in the clear water during chemistry class.

Nora 在化學課上看著細小的黏土微粒懸浮在清澈的水中。

同義詞
  • float

    means to stay on or near the surface of a liquid; less technical than 'suspend'

  • disperse

    means to spread particles throughout a substance; focuses on the distribution rather than the floating

  • diffuse

    means to spread out slowly through a substance; more about gradual mixing than suspension

反義詞
  • settle

    to sink to the bottom of a liquid over time

  • precipitate

    to separate out from a solution as solid particles

文法句型

be suspended + in + noun phrase

become suspended + in + noun phrase

用法筆記

Technical or scientific sense. Used almost exclusively in passive voice or with 'become.' The subject is always small pieces of a solid or droplets of one liquid distributed within another substance. This sense is the root of the noun 'suspension' in chemistry (a mixture where particles are dispersed but not dissolved).

常見錯誤

❌The boat was suspended in the water.
✅The boat floated on the water.
💡'Suspend' in this sense describes tiny particles, not large objects like boats.
❌The stone was suspended at the bottom of the river.
✅The fine sand was suspended in the river water.
💡Something that sinks to the bottom is not suspended; suspension means the particles stay distributed in the fluid.