| 释义 |
facile, a.|ˈfæsaɪl, -ɪl|
Forms: 5–6 facyl(l)e, 6–8 facil(l, 5– facile.
[a. Fr. facile, ad. L. facil-is easy to do; also of persons, easy of access, courteous, easy to deal with, pliant, f. facĕre to do.]
1. That can be accomplished with little effort; = easy 11. Now with somewhat disparaging sense. † Formerly used as predicate with inf. phrase as subject, and in phrase facile and easy.
1483Caxton æsop 97 It is facyle to scape out of the handes of the blynd. 1538Starkey England i. iv. 133 As the one ys ful of hardnes and dyffyculty..so the other ys facyle and esy. 1577Holinshed Scot. Chron. I. 449/1 They..thought it easie and facile to be concluded. 1641Prynne Antip. Epist. 4, I gathered with no facil labour, the most of those Materials. 1676Worlidge Cyder (1691) 236 The more facile making of the linnen manufacture. a1703Beveridge Serm. xci. Wks. 1729 II. 126 All other acts of piety will be facile and easy to him. 1856Froude Hist. Eng. I. 357 Having won, as he supposed, his facile victory. 1876C. M. Davies Unorth. Lond. 250 The work appears facile.
2. Of a course of action, a method: Presenting few difficulties.
1559W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse 109 The waye is very facile, and without great laboure. 1607Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1673) 152 Yet have they found out this facile and ready course. 1639Fuller Holy War iii. ii. (1647) 112 His Holinesse hath a facile and cheap way both to gratifie and engage ambitious spirits. a1718Penn Tracts Wks. 1726 I. 703 It will render the Magistrates Province more facil. 1807Vancouver Agric. Devon (1813) 463 Baiting..in the manner performed on the continent, is an infinitely more economical and facile mode of administering refreshment to a jaded animal. 1860Tyndall Glac. ii. ix. 271 The facile modes of measurement which we now employ.
†b. Easy to understand or to make use of. Obs.
1531Elyot Gov. i. v, As touchynge grammere there is at this day better introductions and more facile, than euer before were made. 1579Digges Stratiot. ii. vii. 47 We have by the former Rules produced this playne and facile Aequation. 1633Sc. Acts Chas. I, c. 34 The short and facile grammer. 1644Milton Educ. 100 Those poets which are now counted most hard, will be both facil and pleasant. 1676Worlidge Cyder (1691) 103 To make this curious Machine more useful and facile. 1786T. Woolston Let. in Fenning Yng. Algebraists' Comp. (1787) p. v, It having been long considered as a most facile Introduction to Algebra. 1797A. M. Bennett Beggar Girl (1813) II. 24 The harp and the piano-forte were equally facile to Rosa.
3. Moving without effort, unconstrained; flowing, running, or working freely; fluent, ready.
1605B. Jonson Volpone iii. ii, This author..has so modern and facile a vein Fitting the time and catching the court⁓ear. 1657Austen Fruit Trees ii. 204 One man excells..in a facile and ready expression. 1796Ld. Sheffield in Ld. Auckland's Corr. (1862) III. 371 Your..happy facile expression in writing. 1820L. Hunt Indicator No. 31 (1822) I. 246 On the facile wings of our sympathy. 1865Swinburne Atalanta 1641 Deaths..with facile feet avenged. 1873Symonds Grk. Poets v. 144 Stesichorus was one of those facile and abundant natures who excel in many branches of art. 1886Stubbs Med. & Mod. Hist. iii. 57 To the facile pen of an Oxford man we owe the production of the most popular manual of our history.
4. Of persons, dispositions, speech, etc.:
†a. Easy of access or converse, affable, courteous (obs.).
b. Characterized by ease of behaviour.
c1590Greene Fr. Bacon i. iii, Facile and debonair in all his deeds. 1638Featly Transubt. 219 A young Gentleman of a facile and affable disposition. 1782F. Burney Diary 12 Aug., My father is all himself—gay, facile, and sweet. 1844Disraeli Coningsby iii. v, Manners, though facile, sufficiently finished. 1876Holland Sev. Oaks x. 134 He was positive, facile, amiable.
c. Not harsh or severe, gentle, lenient, mild. Const. to; also to with inf.
1541Elyot Image Gov. 88 Your proper nature is mylde, facile, gentyll, and wytty. 1631Weever Anc. Fun. Mon. 116 She was of a more facile and better inclined disposition. 1655Fuller Ch. Hist. v. v. §7 Q. Elizabeth..A Princesse most facil to forgive injuries. 1670Milton Hist. Eng. Wks. 1738 II. 80 However he were facil to his Son, and seditious Nobles..yet his Queen he treated not the less honourably. 1851Sir F. Palgrave Norm. & Eng. I. 297 The guilty sons were too happy to avail themselves of his facile tenderness.
5. Easily led or wrought upon; flexible, pliant; compliant, yielding.
1511Colet Serm. Conf. & Ref. in Phenix (1708) II. 8 Those canons..that do learn you..not to be too facile in admitting into holy orders. 1556Lauder Tractate 251 Be nocht ouir facill for to trow Quhill that ȝe try the mater throw. c1610Sir J. Melvil Mem. (1683) 103 Facil Princes..promote them [Flatterers] above faithful Friends. 1648J. Beaumont Psyche xvii. cxcvii, Alas, That facil Hearts should to themselves be foes. 1671Milton P.R. i. 51 Adam and his facil consort Eve Lost Paradise. 1805Foster Ess. ii. vi. 192 The tame security of facile friendly coincidence.
b. in Scots Law. ‘Possessing that softness of disposition that he is liable to be easily wrought upon by others’ (Jam.).
1887Grierson Dickson's Tract. Evidence §35 Proof that the granter of a deed was naturally weak and facile..has been held to reflect the burden of proving that [etc.].
c. transf. Of things: Easily moved, yielding, ‘easily surmountable; easily conquerable’ (J.).
1667Milton P.L. iv. 967 Henceforth not to scorne The facil gates of hell too slightly barrd.
†6. quasi-adv. Easily; without difficulty. Obs.
c1523Wolsey in Fiddes Life ii. (1726) 114 His countries, whose parts non of the Lords or Commons would soe facile inclyne unto. 1548Hall Chron. (1809) 316 Whatsoever were purposed to hym they..might easely se and facile heare the same. 1560Rolland Crt. Venus ii. 80 The Muses..mair facill ȝour mater will consaif, Fra time that thay heir ȝour enarratiue. |