invest
Definitions
To put money into a business, property, or financial product in order to make a profit
投资；把（钱）投入以求获利
To spend time, energy, or effort on something you expect to benefit from
投入（时间、精力）
To give someone official power, rank, or authority (often: invest someone with something)
授予（权力、职权）；任命
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedin- (on, onto) + vest (to clothe) = literally 'to clothe someone in something.' A king invested a lord by draping the robes of office over him, so invest first meant 'to grant power to.' From there came the financial metaphor: you 'clothe' your money in a new form — a business or stock — so it can grow into profit. (Note: this in- is the directional 'on,' not the negative 'not.')
Root vest_garment still carries 6 more wordsWhy It Means This
The leap from 'dressing someone in robes' to 'putting money into stocks' sounds wild, but it is one consistent image. Investiture — robing a duke into his office — gave the king's gift a physical form. Renaissance merchants borrowed the verb: committing capital to a venture was like 'clothing' bare money in a productive new shape, hoping it would return enriched. The authority sense (power is invested in the court) and the money sense are siblings, both descended from the act of clothing.
Usage Guide
- Finance (most common): invest in stocks/property/a company — followed by in.
- Effort: invest time/energy in something — same in pattern.
- Authority (formal/legal): invest someone with power, or power is vested in someone — here it takes with, not in.
Don't mix the patterns: 'invest in authority' is wrong; it's 'invest someone with authority.'
Example Sentences
- 1.
They decided to invest their savings in a small coffee shop.
- 2.
Investing in renewable energy now will pay off in a decade.
- 3.
She invested years of effort into building her own company.
- 4.
The constitution invests the president with the power to veto laws.
Easily Confused
invest vs spend — Both put money out, but invest expects a return (you get something back, hopefully more); spend is just consumption (the money is gone). You invest in a house you'll rent out; you spend money on dinner.