Pack Verb: Meaning, Usage & Example Sentences

Meaning 1：put things into a container (pack)

pack 🔊

/pæk/

To put your things into a bag, suitcase, or box in order to take them somewhere or put them away.

Illustration of packing: hands folding a t-shirt into a suitcase on a bed.

put things into a container 🔊

➕

/pʊt θɪŋz ˈɪntə ə kənˈteɪnər/

It refers to the common act of arranging and placing personal items inside luggage or boxes, typically for storage or a journey.

📁 Category：Transportation & Travel 🔖 Level：初级

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Middle English 'pakken', likely from Middle Dutch 'pac', related to bundle.

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a **pack** of travelers each holding a **packed** bag, ready to go.

📖 Example

I need to pack my suitcase tonight because our flight to Thailand is early tomorrow morning. 🔊 A statement about preparing luggage for an upcoming international flight.

🔗 Collocations

pack a bag – to fill a bag with items

pack for a trip – to prepare luggage in anticipation of a journey

pack up – to put things into containers, often concluding an activity

🔄 Synonyms

fill (v.) – to make something full

load (v.) – to put a large quantity of things into or onto something

stow (v.) – to pack or store something neatly and safely

🚫 Antonyms

unpack (v.) – to remove things from a container

empty (v.) – to remove all the contents from something

unload (v.) – to remove a load from something

🌱 Derivatives

packer (n.) – a person or machine that packs things

packing (n.) – the action or process of packing

package (n.) – a wrapped or boxed object; a parcel

📖 Cultural Story

The word reflects the universal human activity of preparing for mobility. In modern English culture, 'to pack' is a quintessential prelude to business trips and vacations, a routine laden with anticipation and planning.