devote
Definitions
To give your time, energy, or attention entirely to a particular purpose, activity, or person.
致力于；把（时间/精力）投入于
To dedicate yourself wholly to a cause, belief, or person (often reflexive: devote oneself to).
献身于；专心于
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedde- (here an intensifier, 'thoroughly') + vote (vow) = 'to vow completely.' To devote is to make a total vow of yourself — to hand over your time, energy, or life to something as if it were a sacred offering. The vow sense of vot survives here almost untouched.
Root vot still carries 4 more wordsWhy It Means This
Unlike its sibling vote, which drifted into politics, devote stayed close to the root's sacred origin. The image is of laying yourself on an altar: when you devote your weekends to volunteering or devote your life to medicine, you are making something like a vow. That is why devote feels weightier than merely 'spend' or 'give' — it implies wholehearted, lasting commitment.
Common Collocations
- 1.devote time to把时间投入于
- 2.devote oneself to献身于
- 3.devote attention to把注意力放在
- 4.devote resources to投入资源于
- 5.devote your life to把一生献给
Example Sentences
- 1.
She devoted most of her career to researching rare diseases.
- 2.
He devotes himself entirely to caring for his elderly parents.
- 3.
The museum devotes an entire floor to modern sculpture.
- 4.
If you devote more time to practice, your skills will improve quickly.
Synonym Comparison
- devote — give wholly and lastingly, with a sense of dedication: devote your life to a cause
- dedicate — very close to devote, but also means to formally set apart (dedicate a building) or address a work to someone (dedicate a book)
- commit — promise and bind yourself, often to a course of action: commit to a deadline
- spend — neutral, just about using up time or money, no emotional weight: spend an hour
- allocate — formal, administrative, about assigning a share of resources: allocate a budget