refine
gb/ɹɪfˈaɪn/ us/ɹɪfˈaɪn/
B2
英语
~ 5400
义项
0 个义项
动词
B2
action
1
Improve something with small changes
To make something better by changing it a little in a careful way.
用法模式：
to refine [a process/plan/idea/skill]
常见错误：
Learners sometimes confuse 'refine' with 'define'. 'Refine' means to improve something that already exists by making small changes, while 'define' means to explain the meaning of a word or idea. Another mistake is using 'refine' for big changes; for large, major changes, 'change' or 'redesign' is usually more natural.
近义词
improve (More general; does not suggest the small, careful changes that 'refine' does.)
|
fine-tune (Very close in meaning; often used for technical systems or performance settings.)
|
polish (Often used for style, writing, or performance; suggests making something smoother or more elegant.)
反义词
worsen (To make something less good, the opposite of improving it by refinement.)
|
ruin (To damage something badly so it no longer works or is useful, the opposite of carefully improving it.)
搭配
refine a process
|refine a plan
|refine a design
|refine your skills
|refine the method
|refine the model
主题
work
|education
|technology
|creativity
|core_vocabulary
例句
- We need to refine our strategy before presenting it to the board.
- The team spent months refining the app based on user feedback.
- She refined her presentation until every slide was clear and concise.
- The company is refining its hiring process to make it more fair.
- Over the years, he refined his coaching style to suit different players.
学习者例句
- The chef refined the recipe many times.
- You should refine your plan before you start.
- He refined his speech and removed some hard words.
- They refined the product after listening to customers.
- Practice will help you refine your writing skills.
动词
B2
action
2
Remove impurities from a substance
To clean a material like oil or sugar so that only the good, pure part is left.
用法模式：
to refine [oil/sugar/metal]
常见错误：
Learners may think 'refine' is only used in abstract situations like ideas or plans. In science and industry, 'refine' is often used in a physical sense, especially with oil, sugar, and metals.
近义词
purify (Very close in meaning; slightly more general and often used in scientific and environmental contexts.)
|
process (Broader; includes many industrial steps, not only removing impurities.)
反义词
contaminate (To make something dirty or unsafe by adding harmful substances, the opposite of refining it.)
|
pollute (To make air, water, or land dirty, the opposite direction of refining toward purity.)
搭配
refine oil
|refine sugar
|refine crude
|refine metal
|refine gold
|refine raw materials
主题
science
|industry
|environment
|technology
|core_vocabulary
例句
- The company refines crude oil into gasoline and diesel.
- Sugar is refined in large factories before it reaches the supermarket.
- The laboratory developed a new method to refine recycled metals.
- This plant refines raw palm oil for use in food products.
- Gold is refined to remove other metals and increase its purity.
学习者例句
- The factory refines oil for cars and planes.
- This plant refines sugar from sugarcane.
- They refine the metal before they make tools.
- Clean water is refined and checked in a special center.
- The company refines crude oil into many products.
动词
formal
C1
action
3
Make behavior or tastes more cultured
To make a person’s manners or tastes more polite and careful.
用法模式：
to refine [someone's] manners/tastes/sensibilities
常见错误：
Learners may overuse this sense with objects instead of people. When talking about things like plans or products, use the more general sense of 'refine' meaning 'improve'. This sense is mainly about people’s manners, tastes, or feelings.
近义词
cultivate (Suggests careful development of tastes or skills over time.)
|
civilize (Stronger and sometimes negative or historical; implies moving from 'rough' to 'civilized'.)
反义词
coarsen (To make someone’s behavior or feelings less polite or sensitive.)
|
brutalize (To make someone more cruel or insensitive, the opposite of refining their character.)
搭配
refine his manners
|refine her tastes
|refine their sensibilities
|refine one’s palate
|refine social skills
主题
social
|culture
|education
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
例句
- Travel can refine a person's tastes and perspectives.
- Years of music training refined his ear for subtle harmonies.
- The school aims to refine students’ social skills as well as their academic abilities.
- Living abroad refined her palate and introduced her to new cuisines.
- Classical literature helped refine his sense of style in writing.
学习者例句
- Good teachers can help refine a child’s manners.
- Art classes can refine your taste in movies and music.
- Living in a big city refined his social skills.
- The program tries to refine students’ behavior.
- Reading many books refined her sense of language.
语法
词典原形
refine
IPA
GB/ɹɪfˈaɪn/
US/ɹɪfˈaɪn/
音节与重音
re - fine （2 个音节）
Stress on 2nd syllable (fine)
词形变化
Verb
- Base: refine
- 3rd Person Singular: refines
- Present Participle: refining
- Past: refined
词族
Forms
refines
verb
refining
verb
refined
verb
Core family
refinement
noun B2
Related words
refiner
noun
refinery
noun B2
Negative and opposite forms
unrefined
adjective
Advanced or less common
refinable
adjective
相关表达
refine a design
1/ɹɪfˈaɪn ə dɪzˈaɪn/
fixed phrase
Improve the details of a design
To change the small parts of a design so it looks or works better.
例句
- The architect spent weeks refining the design of the new library.
- We need to refine the design before sending it to the client.
- User feedback helped them refine the design of the website.
refine oil
1/ɹɪfˈaɪn ˈɔɪl/
fixed phrase
Process crude oil into fuels
To clean and change crude oil in a factory so it becomes fuel and other products.
例句
- This plant refines oil into gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
- The company plans to refine more oil locally instead of importing fuel.
- Modern refineries can refine oil more efficiently than older ones.
refine sugar
1/ɹɪfˈaɪn ʃˈʊɡɚ/
fixed phrase
Process sugar to make it pure
To clean and process raw sugar so that it becomes white and pure.
例句
- Factories refine sugar from sugarcane and sugar beets.
- The company uses a new method to refine sugar with less energy.
- Most white table sugar has been highly refined.
refine the process
1/ɹɪfˈaɪn ðə pɹˈɑsˌɛs/
fixed phrase
Improve a method step by step
To change a way of doing something in small steps so it works better.
例句
- We will refine the process after we see the first results.
- The team is working to refine the process to save time and money.
- Over the years, they refined the process until it became very efficient.
refine your search
1/ɹɪfˈaɪn jˈʊɹ sˈɚt͡ʃ/
fixed phrase
Make an online search narrower
To add or change words in a search box so you get fewer, more exact results.
例句
- If you get too many results, try to refine your search with more specific keywords.
- The website suggests related terms to help you refine your search.
- You can refine your search by using filters on the left side of the page.
refine your skills
1/ɹɪfˈaɪn jˈʊɹ skˈɪlz/
fixed phrase
Improve skills with practice
To practice and adjust what you can already do so that you do it better.
例句
- This course will help you refine your skills in public speaking.
- She took extra lessons to refine her skills before the competition.
- Working with a mentor is a great way to refine your skills.