invent
verb- invent something
to produce or design something that has not existed before 发明；创造 Who invented the steam engine? 谁发明了蒸汽机？ I wish mobile phones had never been invented! 要是手机没被发明就好了！ The term ‘sociology’ was invented by Auguste Comte. sociology（社会学）这个词是奥古斯特•孔德创造出来的。
Extra ExamplesHe practically invented the modern stand-up comedy act. 他实际上发明了现代单口喜剧的表演方式。 Louis Braille invented an alphabet to help blind people. 为了帮助盲人读书，路易•布拉耶发明了一种盲文。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- practically
- virtually
- single-handedly
- …
- newly invented
- invent something
to say or describe something that is not true, especially in order to trick people 编造；捏造；虚构 What excuse did he invent this time? 他这次编了什么借口？ Many children invent an imaginary friend. 很多儿童都有一个假想朋友。
Extra ExamplesTopics Personal qualitiesb1He considered inventing some pretext for calling her. 他考虑编个借口给她打电话。 I did not have to invent any tales about my past. 关于我的过去我不必编造任何故事。
Word Originlate 15th cent. (in the sense ‘find out, discover’): from Latin invent- ‘contrived, discovered’, from the verb invenire, from in- ‘into’ + venire ‘come’.