prove
Word family
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++prove /pruːv/ ●●● S2 W1 verb (past tense proved, past participle proved or proven /ˈpruːvən/ especially American English) 1 show STH is true 显示某事是真实的 [transitive]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。5 ► You prove something to someone: I will prove to you (NOT prove 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。n GrammarYou prove something to someone: I will prove to you that I’m right. ✗Don’t say: I will prove you that I’m right.2 be 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。n GRAMMAR: Linking verbsProve 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.3 prove 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。4 prove yourself (to be) something to 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。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〕6 prove a point if 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〕7. bread 面包 [intransitive]DFC if dough (=unbaked bread mixture) proves, it rises and becomes light because of the yeast in it 〔面团〕发酵8. law 法律 [transitive] lawSCL to show that a will has been made in the correct way 检验，认证〔遗嘱〕 —provable adjectiven COLLOCATIONSnounsprove somebody’s guilt/innocenceThere was no way she could prove her innocence.prove the existence of somethingThese pictures do not prove the existence of water on Mars.prove a theoryNo evidence emerged to prove either theory.prove your caseThe state had failed to prove its case.prove your pointTo prove her point, Dr Hurdal showed her audience a scan of a patient’s brain.phrasesprove somebody wrong/rightSee if you can prove me wrong.prove somebody guilty/innocentThe law states that you are innocent until proved guilty.→ See Verb tableExamples 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 prove inadequate for any unforeseeable expenses.• 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 destroyed records 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 proved worthwhile.• I can only hope I am proved wrong: things have gone too far to turn back the tide.prove his point• He needed some nice girl 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 electoral college certification on December 12 has been unswerving.• The new federal building going up on West Congress proves his point, he says.• Half an hour after the inspector left, as if to prove his point, the lavatory refused to flush.prove to be something• But the pool table proved to be a bigger bone of contention.• It will certainly prove to be a photogenic spot once things get rolling.• It would prove to be a real test of my resolve.• It was a nice idea and had some basis in reality, however wrong it proved to be in the end.• The organisation may prove to be inflexible and unable to respond to changing circumstances. 4.• That assurance proved to be more valuable than any particular body of knowledge I learned that year.• And in this case, the truth proved to be powerful indeed.• Belbin's description of team roles has proved to be very useful, especially in creating teams for specific purposes.Origin prove (1100-1200) Old French prover, from Latin probare; → PROBE2prove verb →n GRAMMAR1 →n GRAMMAR2
→n COLLOCATIONS1LDOCE OnlineChinese
→n COLLOCATIONS1LDOCE OnlineChinese
Corpus that to something show true is
prove
prove S2 W1 /pruːv/
verb (past tense proved, past participle proved or proven /ˈpruːvən/ especially American English)1. SHOW SOMETHING IS TRUE [transitive] to show that something is true by providing facts, information etc ⇨ proof:
You’re wrong, and I can prove it.
prove (that)
Tests have proved that the system works.
prove something to somebody
I knew he had done it, but there was no way I could prove it to Eddie.
prove sb’s guilt/innocence
He claims the police destroyed records that could prove the officer’s guilt.
prove somebody wrong/innocent etc
They say I’m too old, but I’m going to prove them all wrong.
To prove his point (=show that he was right), he mentioned several other experiments which had produced similar results.
► You prove something to someone: I will prove to you (NOT prove you) that I’m right.
2. BE [linking verb] if someone or something proves difficult, helpful, a problem etc, they are difficult, helpful, a problem etc:
The recent revelations may prove embarrassing to the President.
prove to be something
The design proved to be a success.
3. prove yourself/prove something (to somebody) to show how good you are at doing something:
When I first started this job, I felt I had to prove myself.
4. prove yourself (to be) something to show other people that you are a particular type of person:
She’s proved herself to be a very reliable worker.
5. what is somebody trying to prove? spoken said when you are annoyed by someone’s actions and do not understand them
6. prove a point if someone does something to prove a point, they do it to show that they are right or that they can do something:
I’m not going to run the marathon just to prove a point.
7. BREAD [intransitive] if dough (=unbaked bread mixture) proves, it rises and becomes light because of the yeast in it
8. LAW [transitive] law to show that a will has been made in the correct way
—provable adjective
■ 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.
▪ confirm if a piece of new information confirms an idea or belief that people already have, it shows that it is definitely true: Police have found new evidence that confirms his story. | The discovery seems to confirm that people lived here over 10,000 years ago.
▪prove to show that something is definitely true by providing facts: DNA tests proved that he was the father of the child. | I think we’ve proved that we are a good team.
▪back up to provide additional information to help prove that a statement, belief, or explanation is correct: When you write a history essay, you should back up all your points with facts. | Wright was accused of pretending to be injured, and this was backed up by video evidence.
▪support to help to prove that a belief, idea etc is probably true: Do you have any evidence to support these claims? | The notion that women are worse drivers than men is simply not supported by the facts.
▪bear something out if facts or information bear out a claim or opinion, they suggest that something is likely to be true: Most of the available evidence bears out the view that students learn better in small classes. | Marriage is not always easy; a fact that is clearly borne out in divorce statistics.
▪corroborate formal to provide additional information which supports or agrees with something – used in scientific and legal contexts: Levine claims that a third car was involved in the accident and witnesses have corroborated this. | Professor Carling’s findings have been corroborated by more recent research.
▪substantiate formal to provide additional information that helps to prove that a statement is correct, especially if the statement is difficult to believe: A police investigation failed to substantiate the claim that he had been sexually abused.
▪validate formal to prove that information or results are correct by using scientific tests or very careful checking – used in scientific or technical contexts: All the information used in this report has been validated by an independent panel of experts.
prove S2 W1 /pruːv/
verb (past tense proved, past participle proved or proven /ˈpruːvən/ especially American English)1. SHOW SOMETHING IS TRUE [transitive] to show that something is true by providing facts, information etc ⇨ proof: prove (that)
prove something to somebody
prove sb’s guilt/innocence
prove somebody wrong/innocent etc
► You prove something to someone: I will prove to you (NOT prove you) that I’m right.
2. BE [linking verb] if someone or something proves difficult, helpful, a problem etc, they are difficult, helpful, a problem etc:
prove to be something
3. prove yourself/prove something (to somebody) to show how good you are at doing something:
4. prove yourself (to be) something to show other people that you are a particular type of person:
5. what is somebody trying to prove? spoken said when you are annoyed by someone’s actions and do not understand them
6. prove a point if someone does something to prove a point, they do it to show that they are right or that they can do something:
7. BREAD [intransitive] if dough (=unbaked bread mixture) proves, it rises and becomes light because of the yeast in it
8. LAW [transitive] law to show that a will has been made in the correct way
—provable adjective
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Giving proof 提供证据
◆ There is clear evidence that TV advertising influences what children buy.有明确的证据表明电视广告影响儿童的购买行为。 ◆ It is clear from numerous studiesthat TV advertising influences what children buy.众多研究清楚地表明电视广告影响儿童的购买行为。 ◆ Recent research demonstrates that TV advertising influences children's spending habits.最近的研究表明电视广告影响儿童的消费习惯。 ◆ Many parents think that TV advertising influences their children. This view is supported by the findings of a recent study, whichshow a clear link between television advertisements and children's spending habits.许多家长认为电视广告对他们的孩子会产生影响。这一观点得到近期研究结果的支持，即电视广告和儿童消费习惯之间有明显的关联。 ◆ The findings also reveal that most children are unaware of the persuasive purpose of advertising.这些研究结果还显示大多数儿童没有意识到广告的说服意图。 ◆ There is little evidence that children understand the persuasive intent of advertising.几乎没有证据表明儿童能够理解广告的说服意图。 ◆ The results contradict claims that advertising is unrelated to children's spending habits.这些研究结果否定了广告与儿童消费习惯无关的说法。 ◆ Manufacturers argue that it is difficult to prove that advertising alone influences what children buy.生产厂商争辩说，很难证明单凭广告就能影响儿童的购买行为。
