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settle

★★★★

🇺🇸 /sˈɛtʌl/ 🇬🇧 /ˈsɛ.təl/

name 编号: S02022 牛津3000 BNC #1295 COCA #1316

settle 的核心意思是“让某事物落定”：可以是解决争议、使人或天气平静下来、安顿居住，也可以是让液体中的杂质沉到底部；它还可作古旧名词和地名、人名。

💡 记忆钩子

想象一阵摇晃的水终于落定：争议落定，就是解决问题；人的情绪和天气落定，就是平静下来；人落定在某个地方，就是安顿居住；咖啡渣落到底部，就是沉淀。由“落定”还可引申为把事情安排妥当、把位置固定好。

📝 学习建议

先掌握“解决、平静、安顿”这条主线，再学习“沉淀”等较具体的意思。
settle 不只是“定居”；在 settle a bill、settle an argument 中，它分别表示结清账单和解决争议，不能望文生义地理解成“把东西放下”。

📖 中文释义

name

rare 英国地名

📖 指英国北约克郡的一个城镇和民政教区。这是专名用法，不是普通动词或普通名词意义。

countable uncountable
rare 美国地名

📖 指美国肯塔基州艾伦县的一个非建制社区，属于特定地名用法。

countable uncountable
rare 姓氏

📖 可作源自古英语的姓氏。看到它作为姓名时，不应按普通动词“解决”来理解。

countable uncountable

Settles plural

noun

rare 座位

📖 古旧用法，泛指供人坐的座位；它和动词“坐稳、落定”的意象有关。

archaic
rare 高背长椅

📖 指一种有高靠背和扶手的长椅，下面常带有箱体或储物空间，是旧式家具。

archaic
rare 低台或凹下处

📖 指比周围部分低的平台、台阶或凹下的地方，可以理解为“落低的一层”。

obsolete

settles plural

verb

core 解决；定夺

📖 把争议、问题或疑虑处理到有明确结果，像让摇晃的东西终于落定。它常表示解决冲突，也可以表示使某人的担忧平息。

💡 常用句型是 settle + 问题、争议或疑虑，也可说 settle an argument 或 settle the matter。它通常是及物动词，后面直接接要解决的事情。不要只把它理解成“定居”；涉及争论和疑虑时，重点是“解决或平息”。

transitive

We need to settle this argument before the meeting.

我们得在会议前解决这场争论。

Her kind words settled my fears.

她温和的话让我的担忧平息了。
common 结清；付清

📖 把账款处理到不再拖欠的状态，尤其常指付清账单或费用。

💡 常用句型是 settle + the bill、the account 或 a debt。这个意思在日常口语中很常见，但比单纯的 pay 更强调“把账彻底处理完”。不要把 settle a bill 误解为“安排一张账单”。

colloquial transitive

I'll settle the bill when the meal is finished.

饭吃完后我来结账。
common 与债权人清账

📖 表示与债权人或另一方达成清账安排，最终把欠款关系处理完。

💡 常见句型是 settle with + 人，尤其用于 settle with creditors。这里通常需要 with，不能直接把人当作普通宾语放在 settle 后面。它比 settle a debt 更突出“与对方达成清偿安排”的过程。

intransitive

The company finally settled with its creditors.

这家公司终于和债权人清了账。
common 安排妥当；处理完

📖 把事务、财产或个人安排到妥善的最终状态，不一定涉及争议，而是强调善后和定案。

💡 常用句型是 settle + affairs、property 或 arrangements。它是及物用法，宾语通常是需要处理妥当的事务，而不是地点。和“解决争议”的意思相近但不完全相同：这里更强调安排、处置或善后。

transitive

She stayed late to settle her affairs before the trip.

她为了在出发前安排好自己的事务而加班。
rare 使处于妥善状态

📖 方言或英国部分旧用法，表示把某事物安排到所需的稳定状态，可看作“安排妥当”的特殊变体。

British dialectal transitive
core 平静下来

📖 指人、情绪、天气或局面从动荡、激动变得安静有序，也就是“落定”下来。

💡 常用句型是主语 + settle，也常见 settle down。它是不及物用法，不能直接说 settle 某人来表示“某人平静下来”；如果是使某人平静，通常用 settle someone。settle down 比单独的 settle 更明确地带有“安定下来”的感觉。

intransitive

The children settled down after a few minutes.

几分钟后孩子们安静了下来。

The weather should settle by tomorrow.

天气应该会在明天稳定下来。
common 使固定；使稳住

📖 把某人的表情、姿势或某物固定在稳定的位置或状态上，使它不再摇摆变化。

💡 常用句型是 settle + 人或物 + in/on + 位置，或直接说 settle one’s gaze、expression 等。它是及物用法，重点是“固定、稳住”，不是解决问题。与 settle down 相比，这里更强调某个具体对象被放到稳定位置。

transitive

He settled his gaze on the far end of the room.

他把目光稳稳地落在房间的另一头。
rare 任命并安置

📖 美国旧用法，表示把某人安置到职位上，可看作“使某人处于固定位置”。

US obsolete transitive
rare 稳定下来

📖 古旧不及物用法，表示某事物以稳定、合适的方式落定。

intransitive obsolete
common 安定下来

📖 指人结束漂泊或动荡，进入较稳定的生活状态，常包括成家、工作稳定或生活有了着落。

💡 常用句型是 settle 或 settle down，也可说 settle down with someone。它通常描述人生状态的稳定，不只是短暂地坐下或安静。不要把“安定下来”一律翻成 live；settle 强调从不稳定到稳定的变化。

intransitive

After years of traveling, they settled down near the coast.

多年旅行后，他们在海边安定了下来。
common 稳定在某状态或方向

📖 指风、天气或形势稳定在某个方向或状态，不再频繁变化。

💡 常用结构是 settle in、settle on 或 settle into + 状态、方向或位置，具体介词不能随意省略或替换。它常用于天气、风和局势等持续状态。和 settle down 相比，介词结构更明确地说明稳定在哪里或稳定成什么样。

intransitive usually

The wind settled in the west during the night.

夜里风稳定地转为西风。
core 定居

📖 把自己的住所固定在某个地方，从而在那里长期生活；这是“人落定在一处”的核心引申义。

💡 常用句型是 settle in/near + 地点，或 settle down in + 地点。这里通常是不及物用法，不能直接说 settle a place 来表示“在某地定居”。表示“某人定居到某地”时，地点前通常需要 in、near 等介词。

intransitive

My grandparents settled in this village after the war.

我的祖父母在战后定居在这个村子里。

Many artists have settled in the old harbor district.

许多艺术家已经在老港区定居。
common 使人定居

📖 把人安置到某地，让他们在那里建立住所并长期生活；也可以用于某个群体在土地上建立居所。

💡 常用句型是 settle + 人 + in/near + 地点，或 settle + 地点，后者较少见且语境要求更高。与不及物的 settle in a place 相比，这里有明确的施事者和被安置的人。不要把它和单纯的 visit 或 move 混淆，因为它含有长期建立住所的意思。

intransitive transitive

The organization helped the refugees settle in a new town.

这个组织帮助难民在一座新城镇安顿下来。
rare 迁入殖民

📖 历史语境中，指把一批人迁到某地，使他们在那里建立居住地或殖民地。

transitive
common 使沉淀

📖 让液体中的固体杂质向下沉，直到液体变清或沉积物变得紧实；这是“落定”在物理状态上的用法。

💡 常用句型是 settle + 液体或沉淀物，也常见 settle the grounds in coffee。它是及物用法，表示有人或某个过程让杂质沉下去；如果强调杂质自己沉下去，要用不及物用法。不要把这个意思和“搅匀”混淆，结果是更清澈而不是更混浊。

transitive

Let the tea settle before you pour it.

先让茶沉淀一下再倒。
common 沉淀下来

📖 指杂质或颗粒自己沉到液体底部，液体因此逐渐变清。

💡 常用句型是颗粒或杂质 + settle，或让液体 + settle。这里通常是不及物用法，不要在 settle 后直接加沉淀物来表示“沉下去”。如果需要表达“让它沉淀”，则改用及物结构。

intransitive

Wait for the sand to settle before reading the water level.

等沙子沉淀后再读水位。
rare 使动物受孕

📖 农业或兽医学用语，指使雌性动物受孕，或指雌性动物成功怀孕；可看作使繁殖状态“落定”。

ambitransitive

settles present,singular,third-person settling participle,present settled participle,past settled past

📘 英文释义 (WordNet) 共 23 组

come as if by falling;

同义词集: fall descend settle

Night fell

Silence fell

上位: come

take up residence and become established

同义词集: settle locate

The immigrants settled in the Midwest

下位: colonise, colonize

form a community

同义词集: settle

The Swedes settled in Minnesota

下位: homestead

become settled or established and stable in one's residence or life style

同义词集: settle root take root steady down settle down

He finally settled down

上位: stabilise, stabilize 下位: roost

make final; put the last touches on; put into final form

同义词集: finalize finalise settle nail down

let's finalize the proposal

上位: end, terminate

establish or develop as a residence;

同义词集: settle

He settled the farm 200 years ago

This land was settled by Germans

上位: build up, develop

become resolved, fixed, established, or quiet; ; ; ;

同义词集: settle

The roar settled to a thunder

The wind settled in the West

it is settling to rain

A cough settled in her chest

Her mood settled into lethargy

上位: become, get, go

bring to an end; settle conclusively; ;

同义词集: decide settle resolve adjudicate

The case was decided

The judge decided the case in favor of the plaintiff

The father adjudicated when the sons were quarreling over their inheritance

上位: end, terminate 下位: adjust, judge

settle conclusively; come to terms

同义词集: settle square off square up determine

We finally settled the argument

上位: conclude, resolve 下位: clear, clinch, compromise, concert, solve

end a legal dispute by arriving at a settlement

同义词集: settle

The two parties finally settled

上位: agree, concord, concur, hold

come to terms

同义词集: reconcile patch up make up conciliate settle

After some discussion we finally made up

上位: agree, concord, concur, hold 下位: appease, propitiate

accept despite lack of complete satisfaction

同义词集: settle

We settled for a lower price

上位: accept, consent, go for

get one's revenge for a wrong or an injury

同义词集: settle get back

I finally settled with my old enemy

上位: contend, fight, struggle

arrange or fix in the desired order

同义词集: settle

She settled the teacart

上位: arrange, set up

fix firmly

同义词集: ensconce settle

He ensconced himself in the chair

上位: lay, place, pose, position, put, set

sink down or precipitate

同义词集: subside settle

the mud subsides when the waters become calm

上位: go down, go under, sink

cause to become clear by forming a sediment (of liquids)

同义词集: settle

上位: sink

become clear by the sinking of particles

同义词集: settle

the liquid gradually settled

上位: change

come to rest

同义词集: settle

上位: halt, stop

settle into a position, usually on a surface or ground

同义词集: settle settle down

dust settled on the roofs

上位: lay, place, pose, position, put, set 下位: sediment

go under

同义词集: sink settle go down go under

The raft sank and its occupants drowned

反义: float, swim 上位: come down, descend, fall, go down 下位: founder, subside 参见: filter, percolate, permeate, sink in

dispose of; make a financial settlement

同义词集: settle

上位: arrange, fix up 下位: compensate, liquidate, make up, pay, pay off, square

a long wooden bench with a back

同义词集: settle settee

上位: bench

🌳 词源

动词 settle 源自两个中古英语动词的合流：一个与“座位、坐下”有关，另一个与“和解、平息”有关；名词则直接源自表示“座位”的古英语词。

From a merger of two verbs: * Middle English setlen, from Old English setlan (“to settle, seat, put to rest”), from Old English setl (“seat”) (compare Dutch zetelen (“to be established, settle”)) and * Middle English sahtlen, seihtlen (“to reconcile, calm, subside”), from Old English sahtlian, ġesehtlian (“to reconcile”), from Old English saht, seht (“settlement, agreement, reconciliation, peace”) (see saught, -le). German siedeln (“to settle”) is related to the former of the two verbs, but is not an immediate cognate of either of them.

🔄 变式

settled past Settles plural settling present

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