memorize
UK/'memәraiz/US
TOEFLB1
Definitions
v.
To learn something so well that you can remember it exactly; to commit to memory
记住，熟记，背熟
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedmemor (memory) + -ize (to make/cause) = to actively put something into memory. Where 'remember' is recalling, 'memorize' is the deliberate work of getting it in there in the first place — memorizing a poem, a phone number, lines for a play.
Root memor still carries 12 more wordsUsage Guide
Spelling: memorize (American) / memorise (British) — both correct, pick one and stay consistent. Note the difference from 'remember': you memorize to learn, you remember to recall.
Example Sentences
- 1.
Actors have to memorize hundreds of lines for a play.
- 2.
I memorized the whole poem in one evening.
- 3.
It's easier to understand the rule than to memorize it.