embody
Definitions
To be a clear and perfect example of an idea or quality
体现，代表（某种理念或品质）
To include or contain something as a part of a whole
包含，使具体化（写入、纳入）
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedem- (to put into) + body = 'to give a body to.' Something abstract — courage, a principle, an era — is given a physical, living form. A leader embodies hope; a contract embodies the agreed terms (puts them into one 'body' of text).
Root body still carries 5 more wordsWhy It Means This
embody works because body can mean both 'physical form' and 'main substance.' When a person embodies a virtue, they make it visible in flesh; when a document embodies rules, it gathers them into one substantial whole. Both senses are about giving scattered or abstract things a single, solid form.
Common Collocations
- 1.embody the spirit of体现……的精神
- 2.perfectly embody完美体现
- 3.embody values体现价值观
Example Sentences
- 1.
She embodies everything a great leader should be.
- 2.
The monument embodies the spirit of the revolution.
- 3.
The new law embodies decades of activist demands.
- 4.
The design embodies simplicity and elegance.
Easily Confused
embody vs represent — represent can be a stand-in or symbol (a flag represents a country); embody means to BE the living, concrete form of it (a soldier embodies courage). embody is stronger and more physical.