cause

cause 的核心是“导致某事的源头或理由”：作名词时可指原因、理由、事业或法律案件，作动词时指导致、使发生。

💡 记忆钩子

把 cause 想成一条从“源头”流向“结果”的线：源头是事情发生的原因，因而也可以是提出某事的理由；当这个理由代表共同追求的目标时，就是一项事业；在法律中，它又指围绕某项权利展开的案件。作动词时，cause 就是把某个结果推出来，即“导致、使发生”。

📝 学习建议

先掌握名词“原因”和动词“导致”这两个核心义，再扩展到“事业”和法律义。
不要把 cause 只理解成坏事的原因；它也可以说明中性或积极结果。

📖 中文释义

noun

core 原因；起因

📖 指引起某件事或某种结果的源头，尤其常用于解释问题、损害等不良结果是怎样发生的。

💡 最常见的结构是 “the cause of + 名词或动名词”，也可以说 “the cause was + 名词”。cause 通常说明一个结果背后的成因，不要把它误当成表示结果本身的 effect；谈多个成因时可用 causes。

countable often with-of

The doctor is trying to find the cause of her headaches.

医生正在设法找出她头痛的原因。

Investigators found the cause of the fire.

调查人员找到了这场火灾的起因。
core 理由；充分理由

📖 指足以支持某种担心、行动或判断的理由；这里关注的不是事情的物理起因，而是“有没有理由这样做或这样想”。

💡 常见结构是 “cause for + 名词”，尤其是 “cause for concern/alarm”，否定形式 “no cause for ...” 很常用。这个义项多出现在固定表达和较正式的说明中，不要直接用它替换一般的 reason。

especially uncountable

There is no cause for concern; the problem has been fixed.

不用担心，问题已经解决了。
common 事业；目标

📖 从“理由”进一步发展为值得人们支持或为之努力的共同目标，通常带有公益、道德或社会理想色彩。

💡 常见于 “support a cause”“work for a cause” 等结构，也常用 good、worthy 或 just 修饰。这个义项通常不是个人的小目标，而是具有公共意义、能吸引他人支持的事业。

countable

Many people donated money to support the cause.

许多人捐款支持这项事业。
rare 为了；利益

📖 这是旧式用法，表示为了某人的利益或缘故，可看作“理由、目标”义向“为某人着想”的延伸。

countable obsolete uncountable
rare 事情；事项

📖 这是过时用法，泛指正在讨论或处理的事情，与“某个需要处理的事项”相近。

countable obsolete
common 诉讼案件

📖 在法律语境中，cause 指一方为主张自己的权利而提起或参与的诉讼案件，是“需要依法处理的事情”这一概念的专门用法。

💡 法律语境中常见 “a cause of action” 和 “bring a cause”，也可与 court、case 等词连用。这个义项很正式，日常谈普通案件时通常优先用 case；不要把法律上的 cause 理解成案件的“原因”。

countable

The judge dismissed the cause after reviewing the evidence.

法官审查证据后驳回了这起诉讼。

causes plural

verb

core 导致；造成

📖 表示某个因素把结果推了出来，使某件事发生；它正是“源头流向结果”这条记忆线的动词形式。

💡 常用结构是 “cause + 结果或事物”，例如表示某事造成损害；若后面接人或事物再接动作，用 “cause + 宾语 + to do”。cause 通常接不定式 to do，不说 “cause someone do”；它比 make 更正式。

transitive

Heavy rain caused serious flooding in the town.

暴雨导致这个城镇发生了严重洪灾。

The broken window caused water to enter the house.

破窗使水进入了屋里。
common 促成；使……成功

📖 强调通过坚持、力量或权威主动促成某个结果，仍然是把结果推出来，只是施加作用的意味更明显。

💡 常用结构是 “cause + 人或事物 + to do”，有时也可接表示结果的名词。这个结构不一定表示强迫，重点是某人的行动或力量促成了后果；若只是表达个人直接要求他人做事，通常用 make 或 ask 更自然。

ditransitive

Her careful planning caused the project to finish on time.

她周密的计划促使项目按时完成。
rare 说明理由

📖 这是过时用法，表示提出理由或借口来解释自己的行为，可看作名词“理由”义的动词化。

obsolete

causes present,singular,third-person causing participle,present caused participle,past caused past cause first-person,present,singular caused first-person,past,singular cause present,second-person,singular causest archaic,present,second-person,singular caused past,second-person,singular causedst archaic,past,second-person,singular causeth archaic,present,singular,third-person caused past,singular,third-person cause plural,present caused past,plural cause present,subjunctive caused past,subjunctive cause imperative,present - imperative,past

📘 英文释义 (WordNet) 共 7 组

any entity that produces an effect or is responsible for events or results

同义词集: causal agent cause causal agency

下位: agent, catalyst, cause of death, danger, destiny, engine, fate, force, individual, killer, manipulator, mortal, nature, occult, operator, person, power, somebody, someone, soul, supernatural

cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner; ;

同义词集: induce stimulate cause have get make

The ads induced me to buy a VCR

My children finally got me to buy a computer

My wife made me buy a new sofa

下位: bring, compel, decide, encourage, inspire, instigate, lead, let, obligate, oblige, persuade, prompt, solicit

a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end; ; ; ;

同义词集: campaign cause crusade drive movement effort

he supported populist campaigns

they worked in the cause of world peace

the team was ready for a drive toward the pennant

the movement to end slavery

contributed to the war effort

上位: venture 下位: campaigning, candidacy, candidature, consumerism, electioneering, feminism, feminist movement, political campaign, reform, war, women's lib, women's liberation movement

a comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy

同义词集: lawsuit suit case cause causa

the family brought suit against the landlord

上位: legal proceeding, proceeding, proceedings 下位: moot

give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally; ;

同义词集: cause do make

cause a commotion

make a stir

cause an accident

上位: create, make 下位: actuate, breed, call forth, determine, effect, effectuate, engender, evoke, facilitate, force, impel, incite, influence, initiate, kick up, make, mold, motivate, move, occasion, pioneer, prompt, propel, provoke, regulate, set up, shape, spawn

a justification for something existing or happening;

同义词集: cause reason grounds

he had no cause to complain

they had good reason to rejoice

上位: justification

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

同义词集: cause

they are trying to determine the cause of the crash

上位: inception, origin, origination 下位: factor, producer

🌳 词源

名词来自中古英语和古法语，最终源自拉丁语，原有“理由、事情、原因”等意思；动词来自中古英语和古法语。它与 chose 是同源异形词。

* From Middle English cause (also with the sense of “a thing”), borrowed from Old French cause (“a cause, a thing”), borrowed from Latin causa (“reason, sake, cause”), from Proto-Italic *kaussā, which is of unknown origin. Doublet of chose (“(law) a thing; personal property”). See accuse, excuse, recuse, ruse. Displaced native Old English intinga. * From Middle English causen, Old French causer and Medieval Latin causāre.

🔄 变式

- imperat caused 1st_sg causedst archaic causes plural causest archaic causeth archaic causing present

🏷 单词标签 & 词根