spread
verbVerb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they spread | |
| he / she / it spreads | |
| past simple spread | |
| past participle spread | |
| -ing form spreading |
- [intransitive, transitive]
to affect or make something affect, be known by, or be used by more and more people 传播；散布；（使）流传 The news had spread and was causing great excitement. 消息传开了，引起了极大的轰动。 - + adv./prep.
Use of computers spread rapidly during that period. 在那个时期，计算机的应用迅速普及开来。 Within weeks, his confidence had spread throughout the team. 短短几个星期，他的信心感染了全体队员。 The disease spreads easily. 这种疾病容易传播。 The idea spread quickly in the years that followed. 这个想法在随后的几年里迅速传播开来。 - spread something
Someone's been spreading rumours about you. 有人一直在散布关于你的谣言。 He's using his rap music to spread the message that violence is wrong. 他用他的说唱音乐来传播暴力是错误的信息。 The disease is spread by mosquitoes. 这种疾病通过蚊子传播。 The virus is primarily spread from person to person through coughing and sneezing. 这种病毒主要通过咳嗽和打喷嚏在人与人之间传播。 The depression started in the US and spread quickly throughout the world. 大萧条始于美国，并迅速蔓延至全球。
Extra ExamplesTopics Illnessb1His fame had spread far and wide. 他声名远扬。 The disease can be spread by contact. 这种疾病通过接触传染。 I wish he would stop spreading lies about me. 希望他别再散布关于我的谎言。 The effects of this policy spread far beyond children now at school. 这一政策的影响已经远远超出了在校儿童的范围。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- fast
- like wildfire
- quickly
- …
- (all) across
- among
- around
- …
- be thinly spread
- spread yourself too thin
- [intransitive, transitive]
to cover, or to make something cover, a larger and larger area （使）蔓延，扩散，散开 There is no evidence that the cancer has spread. 没有证据表明癌症已经扩散。 - + adv./prep.
The fire rapidly spread to adjoining buildings. 大火迅速蔓延到了邻近的建筑物。 Water began to spread across the floor. 水开始漫过地板。 A smile spread slowly across her face. 微笑慢慢在她脸上绽开。 Allow plenty of space for this plant as its roots spread widely. 多给这种植物留点儿空间，因为它的根蔓生得很开。 - spread something
A strong wind spread the flames. 强风吹散了火焰。 Using too much water could spread the stain. 用水太多可能使污迹扩散。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- fast
- like wildfire
- quickly
- …
- (all) across
- among
- around
- …
- be thinly spread
- spread yourself too thin
- [transitive] spread somebody/something
to cause somebody/something to be in a number of different places 使分散；使分布 Seeds and pollen are spread by the wind. 种子和花粉是随风传播的。 We have 10 000 members spread all over the country. 我们有 1 万名成员分布在全国各地。
Extra ExamplesExpertise in this field is very thinly spread across the country. 该领域的专门技术在该国没有怎么得到推广。 Friends may be spread geographically. Neighbours, by definition, are nearby. 朋友可以散布在天南海北，而邻居，顾名思义就是邻近而居。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- fast
- like wildfire
- quickly
- …
- (all) across
- among
- around
- …
- be thinly spread
- spread yourself too thin
- [intransitive] spread (out) + adv./prep.
to cover a large area 延伸；伸展；扩张 - [transitive, intransitive]
to put a layer of a substance onto the surface of something; to be able to be put onto a surface 涂；敷 - spread something
They spread manure in both spring and autumn. 他们在春天和秋天都施肥。 - spread (A on/over B)
to spread butter on pieces of toast 在烤面包片上抹黄油 Birds spread the oil over their feathers to keep them warm and dry. 鸟儿把油涂在羽毛上，以保持羽毛温暖干燥。 - spread (B with A)
pieces of toast spread with butter 抹了黄油的烤面包片 If the paint is too thick, it will not spread evenly. 油漆如果太稠就涂不均匀。
Extra ExamplesTopics Cooking and eatingb2He spread jam on the toast. 他把果酱抹在面包片上。 Spread each slice generously with butter. 在每一片上都多抹点儿黄油。 If the paint is too thick, it will not spread easily. 油漆如果太稠就不容易涂抹。 She spread butter on a piece of toast. 她往烤面包片上抹黄油。 Spread the cake with cream and then sprinkle flakes of chocolate on top. 把奶油抹到蛋糕上，然后在上面撒些巧克力碎片。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- thickly
- lightly
- thinly
- …
- on
- with
- spread something
- [transitive]
to open something that has been folded so that it covers a larger area than before 展开；打开 - spread something (out)
The bird spread its wings. 鸟展开翅膀。 a bird with its wings spread wide 展开双翅的鸟儿 - spread something (out) on/over something
They spread a cloth on the table. 他们在桌子上铺了一块布。 Sue spread the map out on the floor. 休在地板上摊开地图。 We spread the rug out on the floor. 我们把地毯铺在地上。 He spread the blanket over the straw and went to sleep. 他把毯子铺在稻草上，睡着了。 - spread something + adj.
He had a newspaper spread open on his knee. 他把报纸铺开放在膝上。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- carefully
- out
- across
- on
- over
- …
- spread something open
- spread your arms, legs, etc. out wide
- spread your arms, legs, etc. wide
- …
- spread something (out)
- [transitive]
to arrange objects so that they cover a large area and can be seen easily 摊开；使散开 - spread something out on/over something
Papers had been spread out on the desk. 各种报纸摊在书桌上。 - spread something out
She spread out photographs of her grandchildren so I could see how they'd grown. 她摊开孙子孙女的照片，这样我就能看到他们是如何长大的。 He was studying the various pages of notes spread over the quilt. 他正在研究铺在被子上的各种笔记。 He shuffled the cards and spread them in a fan. 他洗牌，然后用扇子摊开。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- carefully
- out
- across
- on
- over
- …
- spread something open
- spread your arms, legs, etc. out wide
- spread your arms, legs, etc. wide
- …
- spread something out on/over something
- [transitive]
to place the thumb and a finger of one hand on the screen of an electronic device such as a mobile phone or small computer and move them apart to make the image on the screen larger, as though it is closer （在手机等电子装置的屏幕上）两指张开以放大图文 Re-size the text by using the pinch and spread gestures on the screen. 使用屏幕上的收缩和伸展手势来调整文本大小。
- [transitive] spread something (out)
to move your arms, legs, fingers, etc. far apart from each other 张开；伸开 Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- carefully
- out
- across
- on
- over
- …
- spread something open
- spread your arms, legs, etc. out wide
- spread your arms, legs, etc. wide
- …
- [transitive]
to separate something into parts and divide them between different times or different people 分（若干次）进行；由（若干人）分摊 - spread something
Why not pay monthly and spread the cost of your car insurance? 你为什么不把汽车保险费按月分期支付呢？ - spread something (out) (over something)
A series of five interviews will be spread over two days. 一共五次面谈，分两天进行。 The course takes forty hours, spread over twenty weeks. 这门课程共需 40 个小时，分 20 周上完。 - spread something between somebody/something
We attempted to spread the workload between the departments. 我们试图把工作分摊给各部门。 We tried to spread the workload evenly between the departments. 我们试图在几个部门间平均分摊这些工作。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- equally
- evenly
- uniformly
- …
- try to
- among
- between
- over
- …
- spread something
among people在人们中间
cover large area覆盖大面积
soft layer稀软的层面
open/arrange展开；铺开
arms/legs双臂；双腿
divide/share划分；分摊
Word OriginOld English -sprǣdan (used in combinations), of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch spreiden and German spreiten.
Idioms
spread like wildfire
(of news, etc. 消息等 to become known by more and more people very quickly 像野火般蔓延；迅速传开 Rumours of his death spread like wildfire. 有关他去世的谣言像野火般迅速传开。 The news spread like wildfire. 消息不胫而走。
spread your net
spread your wings
to become more independent and confident and try new activities, etc. 展翅高飞（更自信地尝试新事物） Going to college gave her the chance to spread her wings. 上大学给了她展翅的机会。
spread the word
to tell people about something 散布消息 I'm always trying to spread the word about healthy eating. 我总是试图传播健康饮食的信息。
spread yourself too thin
to try to do so many different things at the same time that you do not do any of them well 样样都抓，哪样都抓不好 With four markets to manage, there's a danger that's she's spreading herself too thin. 她要管理四个市场，恐怕会分身乏术。