occupy

占める、住む

ある場所にいる、そこに住む、または場所を取る。

やさしい英語で： To be in a place, live there, or take up space.

• The sofa occupies most of the room.
• Two families occupied the house before us.
• Does anyone occupy the apartment upstairs?

類義語： take up, inhabit

反対語： vacate

よく使う表現： occupy a room, occupy a building, occupy space

占領する

普通は兵士を使って、ある場所を支配下に置く。

やさしい英語で： To take control of a place, usually by using soldiers.

• The army occupied the city.
• Foreign troops occupy the northern region.
• The island was occupied during the war.

類義語： take over, hold

反対語： liberate

よく使う表現： occupy a country, occupy a territory, occupy a city

忙しくさせる、費やす

人を何かに取り組ませたり、その人の時間を使ったりする。

やさしい英語で： To keep someone busy or use their time.

• This puzzle will occupy the children.
• Repairs occupied most of my weekend.
• How do you occupy yourself on rainy days?

使い方： occupy yourself with something (She occupied herself with a puzzle while she waited.)

類義語： keep busy, engage

よく使う表現： occupy someone, occupy someone’s time, occupy yourself with something

占める、とらえる

頭から離れず、相手にそのことを繰り返し考えさせる。

やさしい英語で： To fill someone’s thoughts so they keep thinking about something.

• The problem occupied my mind all day.
• Thoughts of home occupy her whenever she feels lonely.
• His thoughts were occupied by the coming exam.

類義語： preoccupy, absorb

よく使う表現： occupy someone’s mind, occupy someone’s thoughts

就く、務める

特定の仕事や肩書き、役割を持つ。

やさしい英語で： To have a particular job, title, or role.

• She occupies a senior position.
• He occupied the same post for fifteen years.
• Few women occupy leadership roles in this organization.

類義語： hold, fill

よく使う表現： occupy a position, occupy a post, occupy a role

引きつける

人の興味を保ち、注意を引きつけ続ける。

やさしい英語で： To keep someone interested and paying attention.

• The story occupied the children’s attention.
• She occupied the guests with amusing stories.
• His performance occupied our attention until the very end.

類義語： engage, absorb, hold

よく使う表現： occupy someone’s attention, occupy an audience