conspire
/kən'spaiə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Two executives secretly meet in a dimly lit restaurant to conspire against their competitor.
Definition
- Verb:
- To secretly plan with others to do something unlawful or harmful.
- To seemingly work together, as if by secret agreement, to bring about a particular (often negative) outcome.
Usage
- Basic Usage: The verb "conspire" is used to describe a secret agreement between people to commit an illegal or wrongful act. It implies a shared, hidden purpose.
- Grammatical Patterns: It is often followed by an infinitive ("to conspire to do something") or used with "against" ("to conspire against someone"). It can also be used intransitively.
- Context: Commonly used in legal, political, and dramatic contexts involving plots, schemes, or treachery.
Examples
- Verb:
- The executives were accused of conspiring to fix prices.
- Historians believe a small group of senators conspired against the emperor.
- It felt as though fate had conspired to ruin our plans. (Here, it means events combined as if by secret design).
Advanced Usage
- "to conspire with someone": To make a secret plan jointly with a specific person or group.
- He conspired with his brother to steal the documents.
- Impersonal/Figurative Use: Used when circumstances or events seem to combine to produce a result.
- Bad weather and traffic delays conspired to make us miss our flight.
Variants and Related Words
- Conspiracy (n): A secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful.
- The police uncovered a conspiracy to kidnap the ambassador.
- Conspirator (n): A person who takes part in a conspiracy.
- The conspirators met in a hidden location.
- Conspiratorial (adj): Relating to or suggestive of a conspiracy; secretive.
- They exchanged a conspiratorial glance.
Synonyms
- Plot: To secretly make plans to carry out (an illegal or harmful action).
- Scheme: To make secret and often intricate plans.
- Collude: To cooperate secretly or illegally, especially to cheat or deceive others.
Phrasal Verbs / Related Constructions
- Conspire against: To secretly plan harm for a person, group, or system.
- The generals conspired against the government.
- Conspire to do something: To join in a secret agreement to achieve a specific (usually bad) end.
- They conspired to defraud the investors.
Related Idioms
- "to be in conspiracy with": To be part of a secret plan with someone. (Note: This uses the noun "conspiracy").
- He was found to be in conspiracy with the rebels.
Two executives secretly meet in a dimly lit restaurant to conspire against their competitor.
Verb
- act in unison or agreement and in secret towards a deceitful or illegal purpose
- The two companies conspired to cause the value of the stock to fall
- engage in plotting or enter into a conspiracy, swear together
- They conspired to overthrow the government