alter

Word family

Related topics: Clothes & fashion

al·ter /ˈɔːltə $ ˈɒːltər/ S3 W3 AWL verb → altar

1 [intransitiveI, transitiveT]CHANGE/BECOME DIFFERENTCHANGE FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHER to change, or to make someone or something change （使）变化，（使）改变

Her face hadn’t altered much over the years.

过了这么多年，她的容貌并没有多大改变。

The city centre has altered beyond recognition (=changed very much).

市中心变得都认不出来了。

Nothing can alter the fact that the refugees are our responsibility.

我们有责任帮助难民，这一事实无法改变。

2 [transitiveT]DC to make a piece of clothing longer, wider etc so that it fits 修改〔服装〕

have/get something altered

She had the dress altered for the wedding.

她让人把礼服改一下婚礼上穿。

Examples from the Corpus

alter• His mood suddenly altered and he seemed a little annoyed.• At the hypothalamic level, emotions of rage and pleasure are little altered by any environmental stimuli.• His defence lawyer said that Wilson's lifestyle had altered dramatically since the offences three years ago.• I got the dress altered for the wedding.• Today is the last day Granada can alter its bid unless a new bidder prepares a competitive offer.• Since deregulation of bus services some routes may have been altered or replaced.• Treatment of blacks altered slightly with the great depression of the thirties and the economic boom of the wartime forties.• Similarly, practices could appeal if they had evidence that the population characteristics had altered substantially since the last census.• You can alter the color and size of the image using a remote control.• It would only shift if the government chose to alter the money supply.• The border was closed, and they were forced to alter their plans.• The plan will alter traffic patterns in the area.• Whether you like it or not you're going to have to change your ways and alter your lifestyle.

Origin alter

(1300-1400) French altérer, from Medieval Latin alterare, from Latin alter “other”

al·ter verb

Chinese

Syllable

Corpus

TOEFL IELTS BNC: 2121 COCA: 2889

alter

verb

ADVERB | PHRASES

ADVERB

➤completely, considerably, dramatically, drastically, fundamentally, greatly, profoundly, radically, significantly, substantially完全改變；變化相當大；劇變；根本性改動；極大地改變；徹底改變；重大改變；實質上有所改變

◇He had not altered greatly in the last ten years.過去 10 年中他變化不大。

➤slightly有所改變

▸➤forever, irreversibly, irrevocably, permanently永遠／不可逆轉地／無法更改地／永久改變

PHRASES

➤not alter the fact that沒有改變⋯的事實

◇Unemployment has come down slightly but this does not alter the fact that it is still a major problem.失業率下降了一點兒，但這不能改變失業問題仍是一大困擾的事實。