释义 |
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024whom /hum/USA pronunciation pron. - the form of the pronoun who used as the object of a verb or a preposition:Whom did you call? To whom should I send this? The man whom you called has returned.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024whom (ho̅o̅m),USA pronunciation pron. - the objective case of who: Whom did you call? Of whom are you speaking? With whom did you stay?
- the dative case of who: You gave whom the book?
- bef. 900; Middle English; Old English hwām, dative of hwā who
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: whom /huːm/ pron - the objective form of who, used when who is not the subject of its own clause: whom did you say you had seen?, he can't remember whom he saw
Etymology: Old English hwām, dative of hwā whoUSAGE It was formerly considered correct to use whom whenever the objective form of who was required. This is no longer thought to be necessary and the objective form who is now commonly used, even in formal writing: there were several people there who he had met before. Who cannot be used directly after a preposition – the preposition is usually displaced, as in the man (who) he sold his car to. In formal writing whom is preferred in sentences like these: the man to whom he sold his car. There are some types of sentence in which who cannot be used: the refugees, many of whom were old and ill, were allowed across the border |