sweep 1 W3 / swip / 动词 ( past tense and past participle swept / swept / )
1 clean something [及物动词] to clean the dust, dirt etc from the floor or ground, using a brush with a long handle 同义词 brush :
Bert swept the path in front of the house.
sweep something off/out/up etc
Will you sweep the leaves off the patio?
2 push something somewhere [ transitive always + 副词 / 介词 ] to move things from a surface with a brushing movement :
I swept the papers quickly into the drawer.
3 push somebody/something with force [ transitive always + 副词 / 介词 ] to force someone or something to move in a particular direction :
The windsurfer was swept out to sea.
Jessie was swept along by the angry crowd.
4 group moves [ intransitive always + 副词 / 介词 ] if a group of people or animals sweep somewhere, they quickly move there together
sweep through/along etc
The crowd swept through the gates of the stadium.
5 wind/waves etc [ intransitive, transitive always + 副词 / 介词 ] if winds, waves, fire etc sweep a place or sweep through, across etc a place, they move quickly and with a lot of force :
Thunderstorms swept the country.
sweep across/through etc
Ninety-mile per hour winds swept across the plains.
6 become popular [ intransitive, transitive always + 副词 / 介词 ] written if an idea, feeling, or activity sweeps a group of people or a place, it quickly becomes very popular or common
sweep the country/nation/state etc
a wave of nationalism sweeping the country
sweep across/through etc
the latest craze sweeping through the teenage population
7 feeling [ intransitive always + 副词 / 介词 ] if a feeling sweeps over you, you are suddenly affected by it
sweep over
A feeling of isolation swept over me.
8 person [ intransitive always + 副词 / 介词 ] if someone sweeps somewhere, they move quickly and confidently, especially because they are impatient or like to seem important
sweep into/through etc
Eva swept into the meeting and demanded to know what was going on.
9 politics [不及物和及物动词] to win an election easily and in an impressive way
sweep to power/victory
Nixon and Agnew swept to victory with 47 million votes.
Herrera was swept into office on the promise of major reforms.
10 sports [及物动词] American English to win all of the games in a series of games against a particular team :
Houston swept Orlando to become NBA champions.
11 sweep the board British English to win everything that can be won, especially very easily
12 form a curve [ intransitive always + 副词 / 介词 ] to form a long curved shape
sweep down/along etc
The hills swept down to the sea.
13 look [ intransitive, transitive always + 副词 / 介词 ] to look quickly at all of something :
The general’s eyes swept the horizon.
sweep over/across/around etc
the beam from the lighthouse sweeping across the sea
14 sweep somebody off their feet to make someone feel suddenly and strongly attracted to you in a romantic way :
Jill’s been swept off her feet by an older man.
15 sweep/brush something under the carpet ( also sweep something under the rug American English ) to try to keep something a secret, especially something you have done wrong
16 hair [ transitive always + 副词 / 介词 ] to pull your hair back from your face
sweep something back/up
Kerry swept her hair back into a ponytail.
sweep somebody along 短语动词
to sweep someone away
sweep something ↔ aside 短语动词
to refuse to pay attention to something someone says :
Branson swept all the objections aside.
sweep somebody/something away 短语动词
1 sweep something ↔ away to completely destroy something or make something disappear :
houses swept away by the floods
A sudden feeling of grief swept all my anger away.
2 sweep somebody away ( also sweep somebody along ) [通常被动态] if a feeling or idea sweeps you away or along, you are so excited that you do not think clearly or you forget about other things :
We couldn’t help being swept away by Bette’s enthusiasm.
Nineteenth-century scientists were swept along on the tide of Darwin’s theories.
sweep up 短语动词
1 to clean the dust, dirt etc from the floor or ground using a brush with a long handle :
The janitor was just sweeping up as I left the building.
sweep something ↔ up
Jan was sweeping up the bits of paper and broken glass.
2 sweep somebody ↔ up to pick someone up in one quick movement :
Harriet swept the child up in her arms and hugged her.