| 释义 |
▪ I. dismay, n.|dɪsˈmeɪ|
[f. dismay v. Cf. Sp. desmayo a swoon, dismay, Pg. desmaio a fainting fit, It. smago (Körting, 2960), from the corresp. vbs.]
Utter loss of moral courage or resolution in prospect of danger or difficulty; faintness of heart from terror or from feeling of inability to cope with peril or calamity.
1590Spenser F.Q. ii. xi. 41 Awhile he stood in this astonishment, Yet would he not for all his great dismay Give over to effect his first intent. 1596Shakes. Merch. V. iii. ii. 61 With much more dismay I view the fight, then thou that mak'st the fray. 1667Milton P.L. ii. 422 Each In other's count'nance red his own dismay. 1740Pitt æneid viii. (R.), Ev'n hell's grim porter shook with dire dismay. 1791Cowper Iliad xii. 54 He no dismay Conceives or terror in his noble heart. 1836W. Irving Astoria III. 56 Our unfortunate travellers, contemplated their situation..in perfect dismay. 1838Thirlwall Greece V. xl. 144 An eclipse of the sun spread universal dismay at Thebes. 1863Geo. Eliot Romola i. xii, [She] lifted..her hands in mute dismay.
†b. Dismaying influence or operation. Obs.
1594Spenser Amoretti lxxxvii, I wander as in darkenesse of the night, Affrayd of every dangers least dismay. 1596― F.Q. v. ii. 50 Like as a ship, whom cruell tempest drives Upon a rocke with horrible dismay.
▪ II. dismay, v.1|dɪsˈmeɪ|
Forms: 3–4 demay(e, 4 demayȝe, desmai, 4–5 dismaye, dysmay, 4– dismay, (4–6 dismaie, 5 desmaye, dis- dysamay).
[Appears to represent an OF. or AF. type *desmaier, démaier (Palsgr. has a pa. pple. dismayé) = Sp. desmayar ‘to dismay, to discourage..to swoune’ (Minsheu), Pg. desmaiar, It. smagare ‘to trouble, to vexe, to annoy’ (Florio), Romanic type *dismagāre, f. dis-, dis- 4 + -mag-, app. ad. OHG. magan to be powerful or able (see may v.); cf. amay, esmay, representing the ordinary OF. form esmaier:— *exmagāre.]
1. trans. To deprive of moral courage at the prospect of peril or trouble; to appal or paralyze with fear or the feeling of being undone; utterly to discourage, daunt, or dishearten. refl. † To be filled with dismay; to lose courage entirely.
1297R. Glouc. (1724) 156 He wende forþ, and soȝte out here fon, Some heo fonde ligge slepe, heo demayde hem anon. 13..Guy Warw. (A.) 1645 Nowe goþ Gij sore desmaid, His woundes him han iuel afreyd. c1340Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 470 Dere dame, to day demay yow neuer. c1350Will. Palerne 3800 Þouȝh þere be mani mo þan ȝe, dismaie ȝe nouȝt þerfore. 1413Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton 1483) iv. xxxviii. 64 He helde hym self abasshed, and desmayed. c1430Lydg. Chron. Troy v. xxxvi, In herte for loue disamayde. 1577B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. iii. (1586) 154 That both with his barking he may discover, and with his sight dismay the Theefe. 1615J. Stephens Satyr Ess. A viii, Let not this dismay Thee. 1781Gibbon Decl. & F. II. xlvi. 730 The enemies were dispersed and dismayed. 1857Longfellow Gold. Leg. i. Chamber in Castle Vantsberg, I heard..Of your maladies..Which neither astonished nor dismayed me.
†2. To defeat or rout by sudden onslaught. Obs.
[Cf.1297in 1.] 1596Spenser F.Q. v. ii. 8 He..there assaies His foe confused..That horse and man he equally dismaies. Ibid. vi. x. 13 When the bold Centaures made that bloudy fray With the fierce Lapithes which did them dismay.
†3. intr. To become utterly discouraged or faint-hearted. Obs.
a1375Joseph Arim. 31 Whon Ioseph herde þer-of, he bad hem not demayȝen. 1509Hawes Past. Pleas. xxxiv. v, Be of good chere, and for nothyng dismaye. 1578T. N. tr. Cong. W. India 227 For all those bragges Cortez dismaide not. 1591Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, iii. iii. 1 Dismay not (Princes) at this accident. 1596J. Norden (title), A Christian..Incouragement vnto all English Subiects not to dismaie at the Spanish Threats.
▪ III. † disˈmay, v.2 Obs. nonce-wd.
[f. dis- 7 a + May n.]
trans. To strip of May-blossom.
1610G. Fletcher Christ's Vict. (1888) 99 And may, dismayed, Thy coronet must be. |