| 释义 |
explain away
ex·plain E0287800 (ĭk-splān′)v. ex·plained, ex·plain·ing, ex·plains v.tr.1. To make plain or comprehensible.2. To define; expound: We explained our plan to the committee.3. a. To offer reasons for or a cause of; justify: explain an error.b. To offer reasons for the actions, beliefs, or remarks of (oneself).v.intr. To make something plain or comprehensible: Let me explain.Phrasal Verb: explain away To dismiss or minimize the significance of (something) by means of an explanation or excuse: There is no way to explain away my carelessness.
[Middle English explanen, from Latin explānāre : ex-, intensive pref.; see ex- + plānus, clear; see pelə- in Indo-European roots.]
ex·plain′a·ble adj.Synonyms: explain, elucidate, explicate, interpret, construe
These verbs mean to make the nature or meaning of something understandable. Explain is the most widely applicable: The professor used a diagram to explain the theory of continental drift. The manual explained how the new software worked. To elucidate is to throw light on something complex: "Man's whole life and environment have been laid open and elucidated" (Thomas Carlyle).
Explicate implies detailed and usually learned and lengthy exploration or analysis: "Ordinary language philosophers tried to explicate the standards of usage" (Jerrold J. Katz).
To interpret is to reveal the underlying meaning of something by the application of special knowledge or insight: "A radiologist can interpret images made in Saudi Arabia and beamed to Boston, sending back a diagnosis within hours" (Richard Saltus).
Construe involves putting a particular construction or interpretation on something: "I take the official oath today ... with no purpose to construe the Constitution or laws by any hypercritical rules" (Abraham Lincoln).explain away vb (tr, adverb) to offer excuses or reasons for (bad conduct, mistakes, etc) Thesaurusexplainverb1. To make understandable:construe, decipher, explicate, expound, interpret, spell out.Archaic: enucleate.Idiom: put into plain English.2. To find a solution for:clear up, decipher, resolve, solve, unravel.Informal: dope out, figure out.Idiom: get to the bottom of.3. To offer reasons for or a cause of:account for, justify, rationalize.phrasal verb
explain awayTo conceal or make light of a fault or offense:extenuate, gloss over, gloze (over), palliate, sleek over, whitewash.Translationsexplain (ikˈsplein) verb1. to make (something) clear or easy to understand. Can you explain the railway timetable to me?; Did she explain why she was late? 說明 说明2. to give, or be, a reason for. I cannot explain his failure; That explains his silence. 解釋 解释explanation (ekspləˈneiʃən) noun1. the act or process of explaining. Let me give a few words of explanation. 說明 说明2. a statement or fact that explains. There are several possible explanations for the explosion. 解釋 解释exˈplanatory (-ˈsplӕnə-) adjective giving an explanation. There are explanatory notes in this book. 解釋的 解释的explain away to get rid of (difficulties etc) by clever explaining. She could not explain away the missing money. 自圓其說 巧辩过去explain away
explain awayTo try to minimize a problem or issue through explanation. A noun or pronoun can be used between "explain" and "away." He's trying to explain it away, but I know he lied to me.See also: away, explainexplain something awayto explain something so that it is no longer a problem. You can try to explain it away if you want, but that won't solve the problem. You can't just explain away all your problems.See also: away, explainexplain awayDismiss or minimize the importance of something, especially something detrimental. For example, "His words were taken down, and though he tried to explain them away, he was sent to the Tower" (Thomas Macaulay, The History of England, 1855). [c. 1700] See also: away, explainexplain awayv. To dismiss or minimize the significance of something by explanation: The candidate tried to explain his earlier misstatements away. The researcher explained away the criticisms that were raised against her hypothesis.See also: away, explainThesaurusSeeexplain |