| 释义 |
agreeable, a.|əˈgriːəb(ə)l|
Also agreable, aggreable, aggreeable.
[a. Fr. agréable capable of pleasing, f. agréer to please: see agree and -able.]
At a very early date aphetized to greeable.
1. a. To one's liking or taste; affording pleasure; pleasing, pleasant.
c1384Chaucer H. Fame 1097 But for the ryme is lyght and lewed Yit make hyt sumwhat agreable. 1413Lydg. Pylgr. Sowle iv. xx. (1483) 68 Fyercer than the fyre he fyndeth the and nothyng agreable. c1500Doctr. Good Serv. (1842) 4 Speke lytell and be agreable. 1587Fleming Contn. Holinsh. III. 969/2 This man..had doone to the king and realme right agreeable services. 1716Lady M. W. Montague Lett. 2. I. 10 Nothing can be more agreeable than travelling in Holland. 1742H. Baker Microsc. ii. xxv. 201 The minute Spiders appear very agreeable in the Microscope. 1779J. Moore View of Soc. II. 176 Two very agreeable French gentlemen. 1813Marshall Gardening xix. (ed. 5) 363 Christmas rose is very hardy, a plant or two potted is agreeable enough at such a season. 1859Lewes Physiol. Com. Life I. i. §6. 27 The sensation of Hunger is at first rather agreeable, but it quickly becomes unpleasant if prolonged. 1874Daily News 2 June 5/5 Mr. Disraeli's definition of an agreeable man—he who agrees with us.
b. with to.
c1386Chaucer Man of Law's T. 767 An heir moore agreable than this to my likynge. 1481Caxton Myrrour iii. xvi. 170 That he myght conduyte hym that it myght be to god agreable. 1732Law Serious Call (ed. 2) 77 Neither of which can be any longer agreeable to God. 1863Sat. Rev. 273 That painful manufacture of common-places which is called ‘making yourself agreeable to a lady.’ 1876Freeman Norm. Conq. I. 650 They made themselves too agreeable to the English women.
2. Of a person: Having a liking (to anything); favourable, propitious; kindly-disposed, pleased, contented (to do anything). Now colloq.
1467Sir J. Paston in Lett. 570 II. 300, I kannot in no wyse fynde hyr a greable that ye scholde have her dowter. 1494Fabyan v. lxxxiii. 61 To whose request the kynge was aggreable. 1509Barclay Ship of Fooles (1570) 87 God is not sone agreable To heare their cry. 1524Henry VIII in Strype Eccl. Mem. (1822) I. ii. 43 The kings highnes is agreable to be a mediator. 1623J. Bingham Xenophon 113 The sacrifice [personified] was not agreeable that day. 1850Thackeray Pendennis (1863) 329 ‘Well, sir, if Ann's agreeable, I say ditto.’
†3. Agreeing together; of one mind. Obs.
1552Huloet, Agreable, of one consente, mynde, or wyll. Concors. 1567Jewel Def. Apol. (1611) 105 The agreeable multitude of many Bishops. 1601Holland Pliny (1634) I. 270 The same fishes in certaine set moneths, are good friends and agreeable enough.
†4. Of things (rarely of persons): Corresponding, conformable, suitable, fitting.
a. Mutually corresponding, answering to each other. Obs.
1551Recorde Pathw. Knowl. ii. xx, You see the agreable sentence of these iij. theoremes to tende to this purpose. 1661Hist. Parismus ii. 80 To see whether his valour and his boastings were Agreable. 1692Molyneux in Locke's Lett. (1708) 14 These two places have been stumbled at by some as not consistent. To me they appear, and are, very agreeable.
†b. Answering to the circumstances, or to the general order of things; suitable, fitting. Obs.
1601Dolman Fr. Acad. (1618) 691 Which consideration is every whit agreeable in each part of the zodiacke. 1674N. Fairfax Bulk & Selv. 70 'Tis agreeable, that we cannot otherwise have the heaven, in the world, than as to sence above us. 1682Grew Anat. Plants iii. ii. iii. §14 And so make a vessel of a wider, as a more agreeable bore.
†c. with with: In accordance, in harmony; harmonious, congruous, consistent. Obs.
1557Recorde Whetst. T iij, Their lengthe is agreable with their bredthe, and so thei make square figures. 1594Carew tr. Huarte's Trial of Wits (1616) 102 That which is agreeable with his naturall abilitie. 1655Culpepper Riverius i. i. 5 Blood-letting is not agreeable with Flegmatick Diseases. 1783Boswell Johnson (1816) IV. 249 Your anxiety about my health is..very agreeable with your general kindness.
d. with unto, to: Conformable (to a standard or design), corresponding, answering; suitable; in accordance with. Now only of things immaterial.
c1385Chaucer L.G.W. 668 Most agreable unto myn entent. 1547Bale Sel. Wks. (1849) 232 Though in faith she were not agreeable to the world's wild opinion. 1548Udall, etc. Erasm. Paraphr. Matt. iii. 4 His dyet was agreable unto his apparell. 1625Burges Pers. Tithes 22 This is neither agreeable to Religion nor conscience. 1699Bentley Phalaris §2. 28 About LXXX Years later: Which is agreeable to Suidas, who places him ‘about the LII Olympiad.’ 1776Adam Smith W.N. I. i. v. 48 It rarely happens that these are exactly agreeable to their standard. 1855Bain Senses & Intell. ii. ii. §11 (1864) 195 It is agreeable to all experience.
5. In this sense it is often used adverbially for agreeably: In a manner answering to, in accordance with, in conformity with; according to.
1549Latimer 7 Serm. bef. Edw. VI (1869) 25 To accomodate hymselfe and hys matter a greeable vnto the comforte, and amendemente of the audience. 1614Selden Titles of Honor 285 They haue also, agreeable with the identitie of Thane and Steward, certain Stewarties at this day. 1710Palmer Proverbs 249 Rakes and clowns..will..treat you agreeable to their own humour. 1828Scott F.M. Perth III. 173 The Earl entered, agreeable to the Prince's summons.
6. subst. (as in mod.Fr.)
†a. An agreeable person. Cf. an incapable. Obs.
1712Addison Spect. No. 511 ⁋1 There were as many ugly Women as Beauties or Agreeables.
b. pl. Agreeable things. Cf. eatables, valuables, etc.
1812Henry Camp. agst. Quebec 94 Accompanied by all those agreeables which render the cultivator of the earth the most happy of human beings. 1822Coleridge Lett., Convers. II. 99 Superficial Advantages and outside Agreeables.
c. to do (or † make) the agreeable, to make oneself pleasant, show courteous attentions. (Cf. Fr. faire l'agréable.)
1825H. Wilson Memoirs I. 52 It fatigues me to death to be eternally making the agreeable to a set of men who might be all buried, and nobody would miss them. 1834J. K. Townsend Narrative 31 Mar. in R. G. Thwaites Early Western Travels (1905) XXI. i. 127, I endeavored to do the agreeable to the fair ones. 1851J. J. Hooper Widow Rugby's Husb. 168 The Colonel does the agreeable to strangers. |