dwell on
2017.07.26
Meaning:
‘dwell on’ means ‘think or speak about something for a very long time’. It has a negative nuance; it suggests thinking too heavily and seriously (probably about sad things). So we might say, ‘Don’t dwell on the past!’ The base verb ‘dwell’ means ‘live’ – eg Koalas dwell in Eucalyptus trees. So ‘dwell on’ means to spend so much time thinking about a sad topic that it feels like living there!
Example:
A: I can’t believe I failed my English exam. I’m so sad.
B: Yeah, it’s tough. But don’t dwell on it. Just study hard for the next exam!
A: I can’t! I’m too sad! And I might fail the next exam too.
B: Come on! You are always dwelling on things. Just accept your failure, and try harder next time. That’s the key to success!
A: Maybe I need to dwell on things to understand my failures. I want to learn from my failures. That’s the key to success, I think.
Talking Point(s):
Do you sometimes dwell on sad things? How do you take your mind off sad thoughts?
大人からの英会話getgo 西船橋・荻窪・津田沼・本八幡