| 释义 |
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024-ize, suffix. -ize is used to form verbs with the meaning "to make;
cause to become:''fossil + -ize → fossilize (= to make something into a fossil);
sterile + -ize → sterilize (= to make something sterile).-ize is also used to form verbs with the meaning "to convert into, give a specified character or form to;
change to a state of:''computer + -ize → computerize (= make an office use computers);
dramat- + -ize → dramatize (= give the form of a drama to some other piece of work);
American + -ize → Americanize (= convert to an American character).-ize is also used to form verbs with the meaning "to subject to;
cause to undergo or suffer from (an emotion or a process, sometimes named after its originator)'': hospital + -ize → hospitalize (= cause to undergo treatment in a hospital);
terror + -ize → terrorize (= cause to suffer terror);
galvan- + -ize → galvanize (= to coat metal or stimulate electrically, as by the experiments of L. Galvani, Italian physicist).Also,[chiefly British,] -ise.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024-ize, - Pronounsa verb-forming suffix occurring originally in loanwords from Greek that have entered English through Latin or French (baptize;
barbarize;
catechize);
within English, -ize is added to adjectives and nouns to form transitive verbs with the general senses "to render, make'' (actualize;
fossilize;
sterilize;
Americanize), "to convert into, give a specified character or form to'' (computerize;
dramatize;
itemize;
motorize), "to subject to (as a process, sometimes named after its originator)'' (hospitalize;
terrorize;
galvanize;
oxidize;
simonize;
winterize). Also formed with -ize are a more heterogeneous group of verbs, usually intransitive, denoting a change of state (crystallize), kinds or instances of behavior (apologize;
moralize;
tyrannize), or activities (economize;
philosophize;
theorize).
Also,[esp. Brit.,] -ise 1. Cf. -ism, -ist, -ization. - Late Latin, as above
- Old French -iser
- Greek -izein; replacing Middle English -isen
- Late Latin -izāre
The suffix -ize has been in common use since the late 16th century; it is one of the most productive suffixes in the language, and scores of words ending in -ize are in daily use.Some words ending in -ize have been widely disapproved in recent years, particularly finalize (first attested in the early 1920's) and prioritize (around 1970). Such words are most often criticized when they become, as did these two, vogue terms, suddenly heard and seen everywhere, especially in the context of advertising, commerce, education, or government—forces claimed by some to have a corrupting influence upon the language. The criticism has fairly effectively suppressed the use of finalize and prioritize in belletristic writing, but the words are fully standard and occur regularly in all varieties of speech and writing, especially the more formal types.The British spelling, -ise, is becoming less common in British English, especially in technical or formal writing, chiefly because some influential British publishers advocate or have adopted the American form -ize. Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: -ize, -ise suffix forming verbs - to cause to become, resemble, or agree with: legalize
- to become; change into: crystallize
- to affect in a specified way; subject to: hypnotize
- to act according to some practice, principle, policy, etc: economize
Etymology: from Old French -iser, from Late Latin -izāre, from Greek -izeinIn Britain and the US -ize is the preferred ending for many verbs, but -ise is equally acceptable in British English. Certain words (chiefly those not formed by adding the suffix to an existing word) are, however, always spelt with -ise in both Britain and the US: advertise, revise |