sweep
sweep — 動詞
1. to remove dust and loose dirt from a floor or other flat area with a long-handle
清掃；打掃
用掃帚清理地板或表面
to remove dust and loose dirt from a floor or other flat area with a long-handled brush called a broom, gathering the unwanted material into a pile for disposal
Esteban sweeps the kitchen floor every morning before school starts.
Esteban 每天早上在上學前清掃廚房地板。
sweep + noun (surface) — daily routine
Ingrid swept the dust into a pile and then carried it to the bin outside.
Ingrid 把灰塵掃成一堆，然後拿到外面的垃圾桶倒掉。
Putri swept the fallen leaves off the front steps after the storm passed.
Putri 在暴風雨過後，把門前台階上的落葉掃走。
The garage floor was so dusty that Minho had to sweep it twice.
車庫地板灰塵太多，Minho 只好掃了兩次才乾淨。
Élise picked up the broom and began to sweep the old workshop clean.
Élise 拿起掃帚，開始把那間舊工作坊打掃乾淨。
- spill
opposite action — to cause dirt or liquid to scatter rather than collect
文法句型
sweep + noun (floor / room / surface)
sweep + noun + adjective (sweep + object + clean)
sweep + adverb of direction
sweep + noun + off / from + noun
用法筆記
The resultative pattern 'sweep something clean' is common in everyday speech. For a specific dirt substance, use 'sweep + object + off/from + surface'.
常見錯誤
2. to move in a fast, smooth, and confident way, especially through or across a spa
掠過；疾行
快速而平穩地移動
to move in a fast, smooth, and confident way, especially through or across a space
A cold wind swept across the playground and sent papers flying everywhere.
一陣冷風掠過操場，把紙張吹得到處都是。
sweep + across + noun (path swept)
Tanvi swept into the meeting room and took her seat at the head of the table.
Tanvi 快步走進會議室，在桌子主位坐了下來。
The dancer's arm swept gracefully through the air during the final pose.
舞者的手臂在最後一個姿勢中優雅地劃過空中。
Élise swept past the reception desk without stopping to sign in.
Élise 快步經過接待櫃檯，沒有停下來簽到。
The doors opened and the general swept out followed by his officers.
門打開了，將軍大步走出，後面跟著他的軍官們。
- tiptoe
to move slowly and quietly, the opposite of a sweeping entrance
文法句型
sweep + preposition (across / through / into / past / along)
sweep + adverb (past / by / out)
用法筆記
Often conveys an impression of elegance, power, or confidence. The subject can be a person, wind, water, or light.
常見錯誤
3. to spread very quickly through a place or group of people, so that many are affe
蔓延；席捲
迅速擴散影響許多人
to spread very quickly through a place or group of people, so that many are affected at once
A wave of excitement swept through the crowd when the singer appeared on stage.
當歌手出現在舞台上時，一股興奮的浪潮席捲了人群。
emotion + sweeps + through + noun (group)
News of the earthquake swept across the country within minutes of the first shake.
地震的消息在第一次搖晃後的幾分鐘內就傳遍了全國。
A feeling of panic swept over her when she realised her passport was gone.
當她發現護照不見了，一陣恐慌湧上心頭。
The fashion for wearing bright orange sweaters swept through the city last winter.
去年冬天，穿亮橘色毛衣的風潮迅速席捲了整座城市。
The disease swept through the village before the medical team could reach it.
醫療團隊還來不及抵達，疾病就已席捲了整個村莊。
文法句型
sweep + through / across / over + noun (area / population)
用法筆記
Common with emotions (fear, excitement, panic), news/information, fashions/trends, and diseases. Subject can be abstract or concrete.
常見錯誤
4. to move across every part of an area, examining it carefully in order to find so
搜索；掃視
仔細檢查整個區域以尋找目標
to move across every part of an area, examining it carefully in order to find someone or something
The rescue team swept the forest with torches all night looking for the lost child.
搜救隊整夜打著手電筒搜查森林，尋找失蹤的孩子。
sweep + area + with + tool + for + target
Nellie's eyes swept the room quickly to find her sister among the guests.
Nellie 的目光掃過整個房間，在人群裡尋找妹妹。
eyes + sweep + area (visual search)
The police swept the entire building with dogs trained to find explosives.
警方帶著受過訓練的嗅探犬搜查了整棟大樓。
Using a telescope, Eric swept the night sky looking for signs of the comet.
Eric 用望遠鏡掃視夜空，尋找那顆彗星的蹤跡。
The radar beam swept the ocean surface searching for any boats in trouble.
雷達波掃過海面，搜尋任何遇險船隻的蹤影。
文法句型
sweep + noun (area) + for + noun
sweep + adverb + for + noun
用法筆記
The object is the area being searched, not the thing being looked for. For the target of the search, use 'sweep + area + for + noun'.
常見錯誤
5. used when talking about a road, river, mountain range, or staircase that takes a
蜿蜒；延伸
道路、河流呈長而平滑的弧形
used when talking about a road, river, mountain range, or staircase that takes a long, smooth, sweeping curve as it extends across the landscape
The road sweeps around the hill and offers a beautiful view of the valley below.
道路繞著山丘蜿蜒而行，讓人能俯瞰山谷美景。
road + sweeps + around + noun
A long driveway sweeps up to the front door of the old country house.
一條長長的車道蜿蜒延伸至古老鄉間別墅的大門前。
driveway + sweeps + up to + noun
The river sweeps in a wide curve through the town before reaching the sea.
河流劃出一道寬闊的弧線穿過小鎮，最終流入大海。
The mountain range sweeps across the entire country from the coast to the desert.
這條山脈從海岸一直延伸到沙漠，橫跨了整個國家。
A set of wide stone steps sweeps down from the terrace into the garden below.
一排寬闊的石階從露臺蜿蜒而下，通往下方的花園。
文法句型
noun (road / river / mountain) + sweeps + preposition (around / across / down / up)
用法筆記
Only used for natural or architectural features that form a long, continuous curve. Not used for small or man-made objects.
常見錯誤
6. to force someone or something to travel in a certain direction because of natura
沖走；捲走
用強大力量推動或帶走
to force someone or something to travel in a certain direction because of natural forces such as water, wind, or a crowd, typically with great power and speed
The floodwaters swept the car away before the driver could get out of it.
洪水在駕駛還來不及逃出之前，就把車子沖走了。
floodwater + sweeps + object + away (forceful removal)
Folake was swept along by the crowd and ended up outside the stadium gates.
Folake 被人群推擠著前進，最後被帶到了體育館門外。
passive: be swept + along
The strong current swept the small fishing boat far out to sea.
強勁的水流把那艘小漁船沖到很遠的海上。
A huge wave swept two children off the rocks and into the cold water below.
一個巨大的海浪把兩個孩子從岩石上捲入冰冷的海水中。
The wind swept her straw hat off her head and carried it down the street.
風把她頭上的草帽吹落，沿著街道一路帶走。
- hold
to keep in place, the opposite of carrying away
文法句型
sweep + noun + adverb (away / along / off / up)
be swept + adverb
用法筆記
Common with natural forces (flood, wave, wind, current). In the passive voice ('be swept away/along'), it can also describe emotional impact: 'She was swept away by his charm.'
常見錯誤
7. to win every part of a competition, election, or series of events easily, withou
橫掃；全勝
贏得比賽的所有項目或獎項
to win every part of a competition, election, or series of events easily, without losing any part
The basketball team swept the series winning all four games against their strongest rivals.
籃球隊橫掃整個系列賽，贏得了與最強對手的所有四場比賽。
team + sweeps + series (win all games)
Yael's party swept the election and took control of every major city council.
Yael 所屬的政黨在選舉中大獲全勝，奪下了各大城市議會的控制權。
The young athlete swept all the gold medals at the national swimming championships.
那位年輕運動員在全國游泳錦標賽中橫掃了所有金牌。
The movie swept the awards ceremony winning every category it was nominated for.
那部電影橫掃頒獎典禮，贏得了所有提名獎項。
Minho's school team swept to victory in the final and became city champions.
Minho 的校隊在決賽中壓倒性獲勝，成為全市冠軍。
- dominate
implies being best throughout but not necessarily winning everything
- win outright
clearer but more formal; less dynamic than sweep
文法句型
sweep + noun (series / election / competition)
sweep + to + noun (victory / power)
用法筆記
Often used in sports, politics, and entertainment. The noun phrase 'clean sweep' (meaning a complete victory) is very common.
常見錯誤
sweep — 名詞
1. a fast, wide movement of something through the air or across a surface, or a car
一揮；搜索
快速揮動或仔細搜查
a fast, wide movement of something through the air or across a surface, or a careful search across an area
With a single sweep of her hand she pushed all the papers off the desk.
她手一揮，就把桌上所有文件掃到地上。
sweep of + body part (gesture)
The police conducted a sweep of the abandoned building looking for stolen goods.
警方搜索了那棟廢棄建築，尋找被盜的財物。
conduct a sweep + of + area (search)
The eagle took off with a powerful sweep of its huge wings.
老鷹用力一揮巨大的翅膀，便騰空而起。
The search team completed a sweep of the beach at dawn but found nothing.
搜救隊在黎明時分完成了對海灘的搜索，但一無所獲。
Tuan cut the branch down with one clean sweep of his sharp axe.
Tuan 手起刀落，一斧頭乾淨俐落地砍下了樹枝。
文法句型
a / the + sweep + of + noun
a + adjective + sweep
make a sweep of + noun (area)
用法筆記
The phrase 'a clean sweep' has two distinct meanings: (1) a smooth single motion, and (2) winning everything — see noun sense 7.
2. a broad stretch of land, water, or other surface that extends in a long, smooth
綿延；遼闊
廣闊而延伸的區域
a broad stretch of land, water, or other surface that extends in a long, smooth curve
A great sweep of white sand stretched along the coast as far as the eye could see.
一大片白色沙灘沿著海岸綿延，一望無際。
sweep of + natural feature (landscape)
The river makes a wide sweep around the old castle before flowing into the lake.
河流繞著古堡劃出一道寬闊的弧線，然後流入湖中。
From the top of the tower you can see the full sweep of the valley below.
從塔頂可以俯瞰下方山谷的遼闊全景。
The garden had a beautiful sweep of green lawn in front of the main house.
花園的主屋前有一片美麗的翠綠草坪。
The building stands alone on a sweep of open ground near the airport runway.
那棟建築孤零零地矗立在機場附近一片開闊的土地上。
文法句型
a / the + sweep + of + noun (land / water / lawn)
a + adjective + sweep + of + noun
用法筆記
Often describes natural scenery (beaches, valleys, lawns) or the curve of a river. Use 'sweep of' followed by a landscape noun.
3. an act of cleaning a surface with a broom or brush
打掃；清掃
用掃帚清理的動作
an act of cleaning a surface with a broom or brush
The floor needs a good sweep before we put down the new rug.
鋪新地毯之前，地板需要好好打掃一番。
need a sweep (requires cleaning)
Layla gave the kitchen a quick sweep after dinner and wiped down the counters.
Layla 晚餐後快速清掃了廚房，並擦拭了流理臺。
give + noun + a + adjective + sweep
This broom is perfect for a daily sweep of the living room floor.
這把掃帚很適合每天清掃客廳地板。
The caretaker does a thorough sweep of all the classrooms every evening.
管理員每天晚上會徹底清掃所有教室。
A quick sweep of the patio cleared away all the fallen leaves and dust.
快速清掃露臺，就把所有落葉和灰塵都清掉了。
文法句型
a / the + sweep + of + noun (floor / room)
give + noun + a sweep
need a sweep
用法筆記
Countable noun — you can say 'a sweep' meaning one cleaning action. Often used with 'give' or 'need'.
常見錯誤
4. a person whose job is to clean the inside of chimneys, removing soot and blockag
煙囪清潔工
負責清理煙囪的工人
a person whose job is to clean the inside of chimneys, removing soot and blockages
The chimney sweep arrived with a set of long brushes and a metal ladder.
煙囪清潔工帶著一組長刷子和一把金屬梯子來了。
chimney sweep + carries + tools (profession)
In old storybooks chimney sweeps were shown with blackened faces and hands.
在古老的故事書裡，煙囪清潔工經常被畫成滿臉和雙手黑黑的模樣。
Our chimney sweep comes once a year to check that the fireplace is safe to use.
我們的煙囪清潔工每年來一次，檢查壁爐是否安全可用。
The street artist painted a picture of a chimney sweep from a hundred years ago.
街頭藝術家畫了一幅一百年前煙囪清潔工的畫像。
The chimney sweep discovered a bird's nest blocking the flue and removed it carefully.
煙囪清潔工發現一個鳥巢堵住了煙道，於是小心地把它移除了。
用法筆記
Often shortened to just 'sweep' in informal British English. 'I need to call the sweep' is a common phrase in older houses with fireplaces.
5. a cricket shot where the batter crouches on one knee and swings the bat across t
掃擊（板球）
板球中彎膝擊球至腿側
a cricket shot where the batter crouches on one knee and swings the bat across the body, striking the ball toward the leg side
The batter played a perfect sweep shot that sent the ball racing to the boundary.
打者打出一記完美的掃擊，球迅速飛向邊線。
play a sweep (cricket shot)
The coach taught the young players how to execute a safe sweep without getting out.
教練教年輕球員如何在不出局的情況下安全地執行掃擊。
His favourite stroke in cricket is the sweep because it gives him good control of the ball.
他在板球中最喜歡的擊球方式是掃擊，因為能很好地控制球。
The bowler aimed at the stumps but the batter hit a sweep for four runs.
投手瞄準三柱門，但打者一記掃擊打出四分。
Esteban practised the sweep for hours until he could time the shot perfectly.
Esteban 練習掃擊好幾個小時，直到能把時機掌握得完美無缺。
用法筆記
A specialised cricket term. Learners from countries where cricket is not played are unlikely to need this sense.
6. a fixed period of several weeks during which television audience numbers are mea
收視率調查期
測量電視收視率的固定時段
a fixed period of several weeks during which television audience numbers are measured to determine advertising prices for the coming months
TV channels always show their best programmes during the sweep period in November.
電視台總是在十一月的收視率調查期播出最好的節目。
during the sweep period (fixed time window)
The networks compete fiercely during the sweeps to attract the largest possible audience.
各家電視網在收視率調查期間激烈競爭，想吸引最多的觀眾。
during the sweeps (plural, meaning the period)
The company sets its advertising costs based on the data from the last sweep.
該公司根據上次調查期的數據來設定廣告費用。
During the February sweep every channel puts out its strongest shows and movies.
在二月的調查期間，每家電視頻道都會推出最強的節目和電影。
The ratings from this sweep will decide how much advertisers have to pay next season.
這次調查期的收視率將決定廣告商下一季必須支付的費用。
文法句型
the + sweep + period
during the + sweeps
用法筆記
Typically pluralised as 'the sweeps' or used attributively as 'sweep period'. Most common in the US television industry.
7. the result when a single person, team, or group wins every available prize, game
全勝；大滿貫
贏得所有獎項或比賽
the result when a single person, team, or group wins every available prize, game, or competition without exception
The team completed a clean sweep by winning all three major competitions this year.
該隊今年贏得了所有三項重要賽事，完成全勝紀錄。
complete a clean sweep + of + competitions
Japan made a clean sweep of the gold medals in all the swimming events.
日本在所有游泳項目中橫掃了金牌。
make a clean sweep + of + medals/prizes
The company achieved a clean sweep of all the industry awards at the ceremony.
該公司在頒獎典禮上橫掃了所有行業獎項。
The tennis player won a clean sweep of all four major tournaments this season.
那位網球選手本賽季贏得了全部四項大滿貫賽事。
A clean sweep by one party in the election can change the country's direction completely.
一個政黨在選舉中取得全勝，可能完全改變國家的發展方向。
- grand slam
more specific — usually refers to winning all major tournaments in a sport
- perfect season
refers to winning every match or game, not just every competition
文法句型
a + clean + sweep
make a clean sweep + of + noun
用法筆記
Almost always used in the fixed phrase 'a clean sweep'. Rarely used without the adjective 'clean'.