prove /pruːv/ ●●●S2W1 verb (past tensepstproved, past participleppproved or proven /ˈpruːvən/ especially American EnglishAmE)
1show STH is true 显示某事是真实的 [transitiveT]PROVE to show that something is true by providing facts, information etc 证明,证实 → proof
You’re wrong, and I can prove it.
你错了,我可以证明。
prove (that)
Tests have proved that the system works.
实验证实该体系行得通。
prove something to somebody
I knew he had done it, but there was no way I could prove it to Eddie.
我知道他干了那件事,不过我没有办法向埃迪证明。
prove somebody’s guilt/innocence
He claims the police destroyed records that could prove the officer’s guilt.
他声称警方毁掉了能证明那名警察有罪的记录。
prove somebody wrong/innocent etc
They say I’m too old, but I’m going to prove them all wrong.
他们说我太老了,不过我要证明他们全都错了。
To prove his point (=show that he was right), he mentioned several other experiments which had produced similar results.
为了证明自己的观点,他提到了另外几个结果相似的实验。
5You prove something to someone: I will prove to you (NOTprove you) that I’m right.
表示证明某事给某人看要用prove something to someone 这个结构: I will prove to you (不说prove you) that I’m right.我要向你证明我是对的。
nGrammar
You prove something to someone:
I will prove to you that I’m right.
✗Don’t say: I will prove you that I’m right.
2be 是 [linking verb]BE if someone or something proves difficult, helpful, a problem etc, they are difficult, helpful, a problem etc 证明是,被发现是,显示出是
The recent revelations may prove embarrassing to the president.
最近披露的事情可能会使总统很尴尬。
prove to be something
The design proved to be a success.
那个设计后来证明很成功。
nGRAMMAR: Linking verbs
Prove is a linking verb in this meaning. This type of verb links the subject of the sentence with an adjective or noun:
The task proved difficult.
He has proved a loyal friend.
You can also say:
The task proved to be difficult.
He has proved to be a loyal friend.
3prove yourself/prove something (to somebody)PROVEto show how good you are at doing something (向某人)展现,展示,证明〔自己的实力〕
When I first started this job, I felt I had to prove myself.
我刚开始干这份工作的时候,觉得必须证明一下自己的实力。
4prove yourself (to be) somethingto show other people that you are a particular type of person 〔向别人〕证明自己是〔某一类人〕
She’s proved herself to be a very reliable worker.
她证明了自己在工作上是非常可靠的。
Examples from the Corpus
prove yourself (to be) something• Entrepreneur Larry Wilson defined the difference between desire and drive as the difference between expressing yourself and proving yourself.• He was posted first to Reading, and was soon proving himself a soldier and horseman of rareincompetence.• In the meantime you have to prove yourself by being extra good, and doing helpful things around the house.• The fourteen-year-old Gertrude was appointed as the abbess and proved herselfdeserving of the title.• Despite this, I felt it would be better to prove myself in basic training before allowing my realpersonality to resurface.• For them an elite must prove itself in this ability to murder.• Outstanding Spartak have proved themselves the masters of away goals and just one tonight will seriously jeopardise Liverpool's hopes.• Unfortunately, molecular evidence, which has proved itselfuseful in other areas of disagreement, has yet to prove itself here.
5.what is somebody trying to prove?spoken said when you are annoyed by someone’s actions and do not understand them 某人想证明什么?〔表示对某人的行为感到生气和不理解〕
6prove a pointif someone does something to prove a point, they do it to show that they are right or that they can do something 证明自己〔是对的或能做某事〕
I’m not going to run the marathon just to prove a point.
我不会为了证明点什么就去参加马拉松比赛。
Examples from the Corpus
prove a point• That he didn't seemed to prove a point.• But the Razor wanted to prove a point and demanded a return.• That proves a point, doesn't it?• I'm not going to run the marathon just to prove a point. I know I could do it if I wanted to.• To prove a point I smashed a piece open and applied the magnets.• As others may have different theories a genuinedesire to prove a point of viewleads to some livelydebate.• He does not try to prove points one way or the other, but he does askmeaningful and relevantquestions.• Is Wilko trying to prove a point or does he just want rid of Rocky???• They rose to the bait and decided they needed to prove a point, putting together their nine-piece Bootsy Collins-featuring live band.
7.bread 面包 [intransitiveI]DFC if dough (=unbaked breadmixture) proves, it rises and becomes light because of the yeast in it 〔面团〕发酵
8.law 法律 [transitiveT] lawSCL to show that a will has been made in the correct way 检验,认证〔遗嘱〕
—provableadjectiveadj
nCOLLOCATIONS
nouns
prove somebody’s guilt/innocence
There was no way she could prove her innocence.
prove the existence of something
These pictures do not prove the existence of water on Mars.
prove a theory
No evidence emerged to prove either theory.
prove your case
The state had failed to prove its case.
prove your point
To prove her point, Dr Hurdal showed her audience a scan of a patient’s brain.
phrases
prove somebody wrong/right
See if you can prove me wrong.
prove somebody guilty/innocent
The law states that you are innocent until proved guilty.
Examples from the Corpus
prove• His guilt has never been conclusively proven.• Until there is evidence to prove any of these claims, we cannot pass judgement.• To prove her point, Garth cites a book by John Quincy Adams.• I would love to prove him wrong.• And that may in the end proveinadequate for any unforeseeableexpenses.• I'm telling the truth, and I can prove it to you.• We're sure Jason took the money, but we can't prove it.• Meadows' career in acting would prove relatively short, however.• He wanted to prove that he was just as clever as his sister.• The managers soon recognized they had to prove that they deserved their subordinates' respect and trust.• Can you prove that you were at home at the time of the attack?• He claims the police destroyedrecords that could prove the officer's guilt.• Employees must forge their own career paths, seek out promotions and prove their worth every single day.• Don't trust anyone who turns up at your door, unless they can prove who they are.• They both felt that all the preparation had provedworthwhile.• I can only hope I am proved wrong: things have gone too far to turn back the tide.
prove his point• He needed some nicegirl of Anthony's age to prove his point.• Instances from Maryland proved his point.• One even brought his children out to prove his point.• So far, at least, one could say that Mr Goodman had proved his point.• Gore's determination to prove his point and claim the prize before the electoralcollegecertification on December 12 has been unswerving.• The new federal building going up on WestCongressproves his point, he says.• Half an hour after the inspector left, as if to prove his point, the lavatoryrefused to flush.