set about sth/doing sth

开始（某工作）; 着手做某事:

I must set about my packing. 我得开始收拾行李了.

The new government must set about finding solutions to the country's economic problems. 新政府必须立即找出解决国家经济问题的办法.

set sb against sb  (不用於被动语态)

使某人反对或敌视（朋友﹑ 亲戚等）: The civil war set brother against brother. 因内战引起兄弟反颜.

set sth (off) against sth

视（某好的事物）可抵消或抵偿（某坏的事物）

You must set the initial cost of a new car against the saving you'll make on repairs. 你得想到买新汽车先花这一笔钱可省下日後修车的费用.

Set against her virtues, her faults don't seem nearly so bad. 考虑到她的优点, 她的缺点还不算太糟.

set sb/sth apart (from sb/sth)

使某人[某事物]与众不同或优於其他的:

Her clear and elegant prose sets her apart from most other journalists. 她的散文凝练高雅, 多数新闻工作者无出其右.

set sth aside

(a)将某事物放在一边: She set aside her book and lit a cigarette. 她把书放在一旁, 点了一支香烟.

(b)（为某目的）节省或保留（钱或时间）: She sets aside a bit of money every month. 她每月都存一点儿钱. * I try to set aside a few minutes each day to do some exercises. 我每天尽量腾出一些时间锻炼一下身体.

(c)不理会或不顾某事物; 放弃或回绝某事物: Let's set aside my personal feelings. 不必顾及我个人的感情.

set sth back (sth)耽搁或阻碍某事物的进展（之时间）:

Financial problems have set back our building programme. 财务上出现问题延误了我们的建设计画.

set sth back (from sth)将某物（尤指建筑物）置於距另一物一定距离处: The house is set well back from the road. 这所房子与公路很有一段距离.

set sb down（指车辆或司机）停下来让（乘客）下车: The bus stopped to set down an old lady. 公共汽车停下来让一个老太太下车.

set sth down

将某事物记在纸上; 写下来: Why don't you set your ideas down on paper? 你怎麽不把你的想法写在纸上呢?

set forth (fml 文)起程; 出发; 动身.

set sth forth (fml 文)公布某事物; 宣布或提出某事物: The Prime Minister set forth the aims of his government in a television broadcast. 首相在电视广播中公布了内阁的工作目标.

set in

（指雨﹑ 坏天气﹑ 传染等）开始并可能继续下去: Those beams will need to be replaced; it looks as though woodworm has set in. 那些大梁该换了, 看样子里面生了蛀虫了.

set off开始（旅行﹑ 赛跑等）: What time are you planning to set off tomorrow? 你打算明天几点钟启程?

set sth off

(a)使（炸弹﹑ 地雷等）爆炸: Do be careful with those fireworks; the slightest spark could set them off. 这些烟火要格外小心, 稍有火星就能引起爆炸.

(b)引起或激发某事物: Panic on the stock market set off a wave of selling. 股票市场上人心惶惶, 掀起抛售浪潮.

(c)（通过对比）使某事物更有吸引力: That jumper sets off the blue of her eyes. 在这件毛衣衬托下, 她眼睛的蓝色显得更漂亮了.

set sb off (doing sth)使某人开始做（某事物）: Don't set him off talking politics or he'll go on all evening. 可别让他谈起政治来, 要不然他一谈就得一个晚上.

set on sb攻击某人: I was set on by their dog as soon as I opened the gate. 我刚一开大门, 他们的狗就朝我扑来.

set sb/sth on sb使（人或动物）攻击某人: The farmer threatened to set his dogs on us. 那个农场主威胁着要让狗咬我们.

set out从某地出发上路: She set out at dawn. 她天一亮就动身了.

set sth out

(a)安排或摆放（物件）:

We'll need to set out chairs for the meeting. 我们要为会议摆好椅子.

Her work is always very well set out. 她的工作总是很有条理.  

(比喻) You haven't set out your ideas very clearly in this essay. 在你这篇文章里, 你没把意思说清楚.

(b)陈述或宣布某事: He set out his objections to the scheme. 他说他反对这项计画. * She set out the reasons for her resignation in a long letter. 她在一封长信里阐明了辞职原因.

set out to do sth（带着某目的）开始做某事:

They succeeded in what they set out to do. 他们打算做的事已经做成了.

set to

(a)精力充沛地开始做某事: The engineers set to on repair work to the bridge. 工程师奋力进行修桥工作.

(b)开始打斗或争吵: The boys set to and had to be separated by a teacher. 那些男生大打出手, 来个老师才把他们拉开.

set sth up

(a)摆放或竖起某物: set up a memorial, monument, statue, etc 竖起纪念物﹑ 纪念碑﹑ 塑像等 Police set up road-blocks on routes leading out of the city. 警方在通往城外的路上设置了路障.

(b)使（器械﹑ 机器等）准备使用: How long will it take to set up the projector? 把这个放映机安放好需要多长时间?

(c)建立或开创某事物: The government has set up a working party to look into the problem of drug abuse. 政府已成立工作组调查滥用毒品问题.

(d)创（体育）记录: She set up a new world record time in the 100 metres. 她创下了新的百米世界记录.

(e)造成或产生某事物: The slump on Wall Street set up a chain reaction in stock markets around the world. 华尔街金融滑坡引起世界股票市场的连锁反应.

set (oneself) up as sb当上（店主﹑ 手艺人等）: He moved to Leeds and set up as a printer. 他搬到利兹干起了印刷业.

set oneself up as sb将自己视为或称作（某种人）: He likes to set himself up as an intellectual. 他喜欢自命为知识分子.