1
whet sth (on/with a whetstone)
本义是“磨快”，通常用磨石；on/with 引出磨具，也可省略。
He whetted the knife on a whetstone.
他在磨石上磨刀。
刺激；使敏锐；激起
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
刺激；使敏锐；激起
make keen or more acute
He whetted the knife on a whetstone.
他在磨石上磨刀。
常与 appetite 等连用，表示激发兴趣或欲望
在磨石等物体上摩擦使(刀剑等)锋利；磨砺。
To sharpen (something, such as a knife or sword) by rubbing on an object, especially a whetstone; to hone.
(野猪等动物)为准备攻击而在石头等上磨快(角、牙、獠牙等)。
Of an animal such as a boar: to sharpen (its horns, teeth, tusks, etc.) by rubbing on a stone, etc., in preparation for an attack.
使(食欲、兴趣等)更强烈；激发；磨砺。
To make more keen or to stimulate (someone's appetite, interest, etc.); to hone, to sharpen.
使更敏锐；刺激。
To make more keen; to stimulate.
whet
Base
原形
whets
3rd person
第三人称单数
whetting
-ing
现在分词
whetted
Past
过去式
whetted
Past participle
过去分词
He whets his knife before every meal.
他每顿饭前都磨刀。
The smell of fresh bread whetted my appetite.
新鲜面包的气味激起了我的食欲。
She has whetted her skills by daily practice.
她通过每天练习磨炼了技艺。
磨快；激起（食欲/兴趣）。规则动词，变位时双写 t。
The smell of fresh bread whets my appetite every morning.
新鲜面包的气味每天早晨都激起我的食欲。
The documentary whetted her curiosity about ancient Egypt.
那部纪录片激起了她对古埃及的好奇心。
A short trailer can whet viewers' interest before the film is released.
在电影上映前，一段简短的预告片就能激起观众的兴趣。
本义是“磨快”，通常用磨石；on/with 引出磨具，也可省略。
He whetted the knife on a whetstone.
他在磨石上磨刀。
比喻义，表示“激起兴趣或渴望”，后接 for 引出对象。
The first chapter whetted my appetite for the rest of the novel.
第一章吊起了我读完小说其余部分的胃口。
Not this
I wet my appetite by watching a cooking show.
Use this
I whet my appetite by watching a cooking show.
固定搭配是 whet one's appetite（激起食欲/兴趣），whet 意为“刺激、使敏锐”，而 wet 意为“弄湿”，此处意思不通。
Not this
He wheted his knife before cutting the bread.
Use this
He whetted his knife before cutting the bread.
whet 是重读闭音节单词，加 -ed 时需双写末尾字母 t，因此过去式是 whetted，不是 wheted。
Not this
The advertisement whetted customers' interest for the new phone.
Use this
The advertisement whetted customers' interest in the new phone.
表示“对……的兴趣”应用 interest in，介词搭配由 interest 决定，而不是 for。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
激起某人的食欲
The smell of the bread whetted my appetite.
面包的香味激起了我的食欲。
磨刀
He whetted the knife on a whetstone.
他在磨刀石上磨刀。
激起某人的兴趣
The first chapter whets your interest in the novel.
第一章激起了你对这部小说的兴趣。
吊起某人的胃口；引起某人的兴趣
The trailer whetted my appetite for the film.
预告片吊起了我对这部电影的胃口。
铁器钝了，若不将刃磨快，就必多费力气；但智慧有益，能使人通达。——《传道书》10:10
The trailer whetted my appetite for the movie.
预告片激起了我对这部电影的兴趣。
Use whet naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
whet 以 wet（水）开头：磨刀石上洒水（wet）磨刀，whet 就是“磨快、激起”。
语域：mixed 常见场景：sharpening a blade or tool、figurative use: stimulating appetite, interest, or desire、formal or literary writing whet 作动词时，本义“磨（快）”多用于工具、刀具等具体物体，语域偏中性或书面；比喻义“激起、加强（食欲、兴趣等）”则常见于相对正式或文学性的表达，如 whet someone's appetite。由于不同搭配中语域略有差异，整体可视为混合语域。日常口语中若需表达“磨”或“刺激”，通常可选更直接的动词，但在书面语中 whet 仍很自然。
与 whet 押韵的词（韵母都是 /-ɛt/）有 wet、pet、set、get、let、yet；注意拼写相似的 wheat /wiːt/ 与 what /wʌt/（或 /hwʌt/）发音不同，不要混淆。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.