cause

Compared meaning: make something happen (verb).

比较义项：使某事发生（动词）。

• make

  Informal causative verb, typically followed by an object plus a bare infinitive, especially for someone's reaction (make her cry); rarely used for large-scale disasters or formal statistics.

  非正式的致使动词，通常后接“宾语+动词原形”，尤其用于描述某人的反应（make her cry）；很少用于大型灾难或正式统计场合。

  That silly joke made everyone at the table laugh out loud.

  那个滑稽的笑话让桌上的每个人都放声大笑。

• cause 本词

  More formal verb, typically takes a noun object naming a problem or event (cause damage, cause a delay), or object plus a to-infinitive; common in reports and news about negative outcomes.

  较正式的动词，通常接表示问题或事件的名词宾语（cause damage、cause a delay），或“宾语+to不定式”；常见于报道及描述负面结果的新闻中。

  Heavy traffic caused a two-hour delay on the highway this morning.

  今天早上严重的交通堵塞导致高速公路上出现了两小时的延误。

Make and cause both mean making something happen. Make is informal, followed by an object plus a plain verb, as in make her cry. Cause is more formal, followed by a noun naming a problem, or by an object plus a to-infinitive; often in reports.

make和cause在“使某事发生”这个意义上很接近，但make更口语化，常接“宾语+动词原形”，尤其用于描述某人的情绪或反应（make her cry）；cause更正式，多接名词宾语（表示问题或事件）或“宾语+to不定式”，常用于负面事件或正式报道中。这里不比较make的其他常见意义，例如“制作、准备”（make dinner）。

Compared meaning: an organized effort toward a goal (noun).

比较义项：人们为达成某个目标（尤指社会或道德目标）而支持的理念，或为此进行的有组织行动（名词）。

• cause 本词

  Cause names the goal or ideal itself that people believe in and support, not the organized actions taken to reach it.

  cause 指人们所相信并支持的目标或理念本身，而不是为达成该目标所采取的有组织行动。

  Many people donate money to support the cause without joining any organized campaign.

  许多人为支持这项事业而捐款，却并未加入任何有组织的运动。

• campaign

  Campaign refers to a planned, organized set of actions, often with stages or advertising, used in business, politics, or the military to reach a goal.

  campaign 指为达成目标而采取的、有计划的一系列行动，通常包含阶段安排或宣传，常用于商业、政治或军事领域。

  The team is running a six-month campaign to raise money for local schools.

  该团队正在开展一场为期六个月的运动，为当地学校筹集资金。

• crusade

  Crusade suggests a passionate, morally driven effort against a wrong or for reform, often led by one determined person rather than an institution.

  crusade 指带有强烈道德热情、针对某种不公或旨在改革的努力，往往由一个意志坚定的人而非某个机构发起。

  The retired teacher began a personal crusade against plastic waste in her town.

  这位退休教师在自己的小镇上发起了一场个人的反塑料垃圾运动。

Cause, campaign, and crusade can all mean organized effort toward a goal. Cause names the goal or ideal people support, not the actions taken. Campaign is a planned set of actions used in business or politics. Crusade suggests a passionate effort against a wrong.

这三个词都可以指为达成某个目标而进行的努力或运动，但侧重不同：cause 强调人们所支持的目标或理念本身，campaign 强调有计划、分阶段的行动（常用于商业、政治或军事），crusade 则强调带有强烈道德热情的改革运动。这里不比较 cause 表示原因的用法（如 the cause of the fire），也不比较 crusade 指历史上十字军东征的原始含义。