thaw
thaw — 動詞
- thawpresent simple I / you / we / they
- thawshe / she / it
- thawedpast simple
- thawing-ing form
1. to cause frozen things (ice, snow, or food items) to become no longer frozen whe
融化；解凍
冰或食物遇暖解凍變軟
to cause frozen things (ice, snow, or food items) to become no longer frozen when the temperature rises, or to change in this way naturally — for example, ice thawing on a pond after a warm day, or a cook thawing frozen chicken for dinner.
The ice on the lake began to thaw after three days of warm rain.
下了三天溫暖的雨之後，湖面的冰開始融化。
intransitive: ice / snow / permafrost thaws
Kevin forgot to thaw the chicken before putting it in the oven.
Kevin 忘了在放進烤箱之前先解凍雞肉。
transitive: thaw + frozen food object
Esteban took the frozen steak out and left it on the counter to thaw.
Esteban 從冷凍庫拿出牛排，放在流理臺上讓它自然解凍。
The ground thaws quickly once the spring sun gets stronger each day.
春天的陽光一天比一天強，地面很快就解凍了。
Lakshmi thawed the frozen peas in a bowl of warm water for ten minutes.
Lakshmi 把冷凍豌豆放進一碗溫水裡解凍了十分鐘。
- melt
wider use — for any solid becoming liquid (ice cream, butter, metal); 'melt' does not necessarily imply it was frozen
- freeze
the opposite process — from liquid to solid because of cold
文法句型
thaw (something)
thaw out
用法筆記
This sense can be used with or without an object. With an object ('thaw the meat'), it means making something unfrozen. Without an object ('the ice thawed'), it describes a natural change. The phrasal verb 'thaw out' is also common in informal speech.
常見錯誤
2. to start acting in a warmer, less guarded way toward someone after a time of col
變和緩；解凍
關係、氣氛變得友善融洽
to start acting in a warmer, less guarded way toward someone after a time of coldness, awkwardness, or distance — for example, two colleagues who had been arguing finally thawing toward each other during a coffee break.
Eli thawed a little after his brother told a silly joke about their shared childhood.
Eli 的兄弟講了一個他們童年時代的蠢笑話後，他的態度稍微緩和了一些。
thaw after [something happens]
The relationship between the two neighbours slowly thawed over cups of tea.
兩位鄰居一起喝了幾杯茶之後，彼此之間的關係慢慢融冰了。
Ezra could feel the awkward atmosphere thaw as people started to laugh and talk.
Ezra 能感覺到尷尬的氣氛隨著大家開始說笑而逐漸緩和。
Amira's cold expression began to thaw when her manager praised her work at the meeting.
Amira 冰冷的表情在主管於會議上肯定她的工作後，開始緩和下來。
文法句型
thaw (toward / between)
用法筆記
Often used with 'toward' or 'between' to show the relationship that is warming. Common subjects: atmosphere, tension, silence, coldness, relationship. This sense does not take an object.
常見錯誤
thaw — 名詞
1. a period of warmer weather that melts ice and snow after a freezing time — for e
解凍期；融雪
天氣回暖冰雪融化的時期
a period of warmer weather that melts ice and snow after a freezing time — for example, the first thaw of March turning the snowy streets into muddy puddles.
A sudden thaw in January turned the ski slopes into wet, slushy messes.
一月突然回暖把滑雪坡道變成又濕又泥濘的爛泥坑。
a thaw / sudden thaw
The farmers hoped for an early thaw so they could start planting seeds in March.
農夫們期盼早日解凍，以便三月開始播種。
After the long winter, the spring thaw brought flooding to villages near the river.
漫長的冬天過後，春季融雪導致河邊村莊淹水。
Hui checked the weather forecast each morning for any sign of a thaw after the two-week freeze.
Hui 每天早上查看天氣預報，想知道歷經兩週寒流後是否會回暖。
- melt
less common as a noun for weather; usually 'the melt' in specific contexts like snowmelt
- freeze
a period of very cold weather when water turns to ice
文法句型
a thaw
the thaw
用法筆記
Often appears as 'the thaw' or 'a thaw' with a modifier ('spring thaw', 'early thaw', 'sudden thaw'). The verb 'thaw' is more common than the noun in everyday speech.
2. an improvement in a tense or unfriendly relationship, making it more relaxed and
破冰；和緩
緊張、敵對的關係變融洽
an improvement in a tense or unfriendly relationship, making it more relaxed and cooperative — for example, a thaw in relations between two countries that had been arguing over trade.
The trade talks produced a thaw in the long-running dispute between the two nations.
這輪貿易談判為兩國間長期的爭端帶來了緩和。
a thaw in [relationship/relations/dispute]
After a month of cold silence, a noticeable thaw began when Marta brought cookies to the office kitchen.
經過一個月的冷淡沉默，Marta 帶餅乾到辦公室廚房後，同事之間開始明顯融冰。
Kian's friendly email started a thaw in the tension that had lingered since their argument.
Kian 那封友善的電子郵件，開始緩和他們爭執後一直存在的緊張氣氛。
The student exchange program between Tokyo and Seoul helped bring about a thaw in diplomatic relations.
東京與首爾之間的學生交流計畫，有助於兩國外交關係出現融冰。
- rapprochement
formal term specifically for improving international relations
- detente
formal, almost exclusively for political tensions between countries
- cold war
a state of prolonged tension and hostility without open conflict
文法句型
a thaw in [something]
用法筆記
Common in political or diplomatic contexts ('a thaw in relations'). Often found with 'in' to specify the domain where friendliness increases.
3. the process or action of changing from frozen to unfrozen — for example, leaving
解凍；融化
由冷凍狀態恢復常溫的過程
the process or action of changing from frozen to unfrozen — for example, leaving frozen meat on the kitchen counter for a slow thaw overnight.
The thaw of the frozen pipes took several hours after the heating came back on.
暖氣恢復後，凍住的水管花了幾個小時才解凍。
the thaw of [something]
Wren put the frozen fish in the fridge for a slow overnight thaw.
Wren 把冷凍魚放進冰箱讓它慢慢解凍過夜。
Rapid thaw in the microwave can leave cold spots in the middle of frozen lasagna.
用微波爐快速解凍冷凍千層麵，有時中間會留下未解凍的冷點。
Eleni read the package instructions to find out how long the turkey would need for a full thaw.
Eleni 閱讀包裝上的說明，想知道火雞完全解凍需要多久時間。
The thaw of the permafrost is a serious concern for scientists who study climate change.
永凍層的融化是研究氣候變遷的科學家非常關心的問題。
- defrosting
more common for food; less natural for weather or large-scale ice
- freezing
the process of becoming frozen
文法句型
the thaw of [something]
用法筆記
When talking about food, 'defrosting' is more common in everyday speech. 'Thaw' as a noun is more likely in technical or weather contexts ('the thaw of the permafrost').