compensate

compensate 主要表示用金钱、行动或调整来“把失衡补回来”：可以补偿某人的付出，弥补损失或不足，也可以为变化而作出相应调整。

💡 记忆钩子

把天平想成核心画面：一边少了钱、造成了损失，或出现了不足，就在另一边加上报酬、行动或调整，让两边重新接近平衡。因此它既可以是给人补偿，也可以是弥补缺点，还可以是在变化后不断调整来抵消影响。

📝 学习建议

先掌握“付钱补偿某人”和“弥补某个损失或不足”这两条主线，再学习“为变化作调整”的用法。
不要把 compensate 只理解成“赔钱”；它也常表示用某种优点、行动或调整来弥补不足。

📖 中文释义

verb

common 用行动弥补过失

📖 表示在造成坏结果、伤害或不便之后，再做一些有益的事来弥补。重点不一定是付款，而是用后续行动把先前造成的不良影响抵消一部分。

💡 常用结构是 compensate for + 过失、损失或不便，也可以说 compensate someone for + 受到的影响。这个用法强调后续补救，而不是单纯承认错误；如果只表达“道歉”，用相关的道歉表达更自然。正式说明中常用它描述补救措施，日常对话中也能使用。

He tried to compensate for his mistake by helping with the repairs.

他试着通过帮忙维修来弥补自己的错误。
core 付钱酬谢或赔偿

📖 表示因工作、服务、时间或受到的损失而给某人报酬或补偿。这里的“平衡”体现为用金钱或其他有价值的东西回报对方的付出或损失。

💡 常用结构是 compensate someone for + 工作、时间或损失，也可用 compensate someone well 表示给某人优厚报酬。它比普通的“付钱”更强调付款是对付出或损失的对应回报。不要误把 for 后面的内容当成收钱的人；收钱的人通常放在 compensate 后面。

The company compensated the workers for the extra hours.

公司就加班时间向工人支付了补偿。

They compensate her well for managing the project.

他们为她管理这个项目支付了很好的报酬。
core 弥补不足；抵消影响

📖 表示用一个方面的优势、行动或结果去弥补另一个方面的缺点、损失或不足，使整体重新接近平衡。它不一定涉及钱，常用于评价能力、条件和结果之间的抵消。

💡 最常见结构是 compensate for + 缺点、损失或不足；也可说 A cannot compensate for B，表示 A 无法弥补 B。不要在这里机械地译成“补偿某人”，因为重点通常是弥补某件事本身。该用法可用于正式分析，也常见于普通评价和说明。

ambitransitive

A friendly attitude cannot compensate for poor service.

友好的态度无法弥补糟糕的服务。

The extra storage space compensates for the phone's higher price.

更大的存储空间弥补了这部手机较高的价格。
common 针对变化作调整

📖 表示发现某种偏差、损害或条件变化后，主动改变做法来抵消它的影响。画面仍是把偏向一边的天平拉回去，但这里强调持续的适应或修正。

💡 常用结构是 compensate for + 变化、偏差或缺失，或 compensate by + 调整方式。这个用法经常出现在驾驶、工程、身体动作和工作安排等语境中，强调实际调整而非一次性的赔偿。不要把它理解成“适应”本身；它通常还包含抵消某种负面影响的目的。

She leaned to the right to compensate for the strong wind.

她向右倾斜，以抵消强风的影响。

compensates present,singular,third-person compensating participle,present compensated participle,past compensated past compensate first-person,present,singular compensated first-person,past,singular compensate present,second-person,singular compensatest archaic,present,second-person,singular compensated past,second-person,singular compensatedst archaic,past,second-person,singular compensateth archaic,present,singular,third-person compensated past,singular,third-person compensate plural,present compensated past,plural compensate present,subjunctive compensated past,subjunctive compensate imperative,present - imperative,past

📘 英文释义 (WordNet) 共 6 组

make payment to; compensate

同义词集: compensate recompense remunerate

My efforts were not remunerated

上位: pay 下位: recoup, reimburse

make amends for; pay compensation for;

同义词集: compensate recompense repair indemnify

One can never fully repair the suffering and losses of the Jews in the Third Reich

She was compensated for the loss of her arm in the accident

上位: pay 下位: give

do or give something to somebody in return

同义词集: pay pay off make up compensate

Does she pay you for the work you are doing?

上位: settle 参见: fix, get, pay back, pay off

make reparations or amends for

同义词集: right compensate redress correct

right a wrongs done to the victims of the Holocaust

反义: wrong 上位: alter, change, modify 下位: aby, abye, atone, expiate 参见: correct, counterbalance, even off, even out, even up, make up

adjust for

同义词集: compensate counterbalance correct make up even out even off even up

engineers will work to correct the effects or air resistance

上位: balance, equilibrate, equilibrise, equilibrize 下位: carry, cover, overcompensate

make up for shortcomings or a feeling of inferiority by exaggerating good qualities

同义词集: cover compensate overcompensate

he is compensating for being a bad father

上位: correct, counterbalance, even off, even out, even up, make up

🌳 词源

源自拉丁语，原义与“把两样东西放在一起称量、使之平衡”有关，后来发展出“补偿、弥补”的意思。

Borrowed from Latin compēnsātus, perfect passive participle of compensō (“to weight together one thing against another, balance, make good”), -ate (verb-forming suffix) for more.

🔄 变式

- imperat compensated 1st_sg compensatedst archaic compensates present compensatest archaic compensateth archaic compensating present

🏷 单词标签 & 词根