| 释义 |
graceless, a.|ˈgreɪslɪs|
[f. grace n. + -less.]
1. a. Not in a state of grace, unregenerate; hence depraved, wicked, ungodly, impious. graceless florin (see quot. 1870).
1399Langl. Rich. Redeles i. 25 Graceles gostis gylours of hem-self, That..sawe no manere siȝth saff solas and ese [etc.]. c1440Jacob's Well (E.E.T.S.) 161 Þe peple schal be graceles, vnmyȝty in batayle, & vnstedfast in þe feyth of holy cherch. 1534Sir T. More Dialogue of Comfort ii. v. Wks. (1557) 1174/2 Lette no manne sinne in hope of grace..he shall either gracelesse goe linger on carelesse, or with a care fruitlesse, fall into despayre. 1603Knolles Hist. Turks (1621) 256 He was glad..to receive at his hypocriticall hands a graceless blessing for his better speed. a1625Beaum. & Fl. Knt. Malta i. i, White innocent sign, thou dost abhor to..grace these graceless projects of my heart! 1659D. Pell Impr. Sea 96 Hereby you do a great deal more bolster graceless fellows in their wickedness, than you are aware of. 1715De Foe Fam. Instruct. i. iv. (1841) 85 Even our father and mother themselves have been negligent, godless and graceless. 1733Pope Ess. Man iii. 307 For modes of Faith let graceless zealots fight. 1738Warburton Serm. 2 Pet. i. 5–7 (1745) 11 The graceless Furniture of the old Man with his Affections and Lusts. 1818Scott Hrt. Midl. xvi, There's a minister in the Tolbooth—wha will ca' it a graceless place now? 1853Marsden Early Purit. 305 They [pilgrim fathers] saw the graceless intruders wasting their substance in riot. 1870H. W. Henfrey Guide to Study Eng. Coins ii. 137 The usual letters D.G., for Dei Gratia, were omitted... This raised a storm of remonstrance against this coinage [of 1849], which at once received the name of the ‘godless’ or ‘graceless florin’. 1897[see godless a.].
b. Wanting sense of decency or propriety.
1508Dunbar Flyting w. Kennedie 127 The gallowis gaipis eftir thy graceles gruntill. a1586Sidney Arcadia ii. (1633) 108 In sooth (answered Dametas with a gracelesse scorn) the Lad may prove well enough, if [etc.]. 1642Fuller Holy & Prof. St. v. xiv. 412 To mouth an oath with a gracelesse grace. 1714Addison Spect. No. 559 ⁋3 The graceless Youth, in less than a quarter of an Hour, pulled the old Gentleman by the Beard. 1753E. Carter Lett. (1808) 325, I am afraid you have thought me rather graceless about the visit to North End. 1795Macneill Will & Jean iii. vi, Villain! wha wi' graceless folly Ruin'd her he ought to save. 1822W. Irving Braceb. Hall xv. 126 Their feathered school has turned out the most untractable and graceless scholars. 1830D'Israeli Chas. I, III. Pref. 6 It would be graceless in me, not to add, that I was honoured by a promise of aid. 1849Cobden Speeches 80, I have heard that some graceless wight once said that [etc.]. 1885Manch. Exam. 10 Apr. 5/2 If graceless insults are levelled at them they are not worthy a reply.
c. absol. Of a person or persons. Also in sing. only as n., a graceless person.
c1386Chaucer Can. Yeom. Prol. & T. 525 O graceles, ful blynd is thy conceite. 1508Dunbar Flyting w. Kennedie 222 Our gallowis gaipis; lo! quhair ane greceles gais. 1591Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, v. iv. 14 Gracelesse, wilt thou deny thy Parentage. 1675Baxter Cath. Theol. ii. vi. 124 Do the Armenians hold that the Wills of the graceless and unsanctified are freed from sinful habits? 1858Carlyle Fredk. Gt. vi. vi. (1872) II. 206 Rejoicing to find something of a soldier in the young graceless, after all. 1874Spurgeon Treas. Dav. Ps. xcii. 12 Contrasts the condition of the righteous with that of the graceless.
†2. Lacking favour. Obs.
c1374Chaucer Troylus i. 781 How wost þow so þat þow art graceles? c1475Rauf Coilȝear 786 It war ane graceles gude that I war cummin to. 1579Spenser Sheph. Cal. Aug. 113 If for gracelesse griefe I die.
†3. Merciless, unfeeling, cruel, pitiless. Obs.
1588Marprel. Epist. (Arb.) 29 His honor could not obtaine this small suit at your graceles hands. 1596Spenser F.Q. v. xii. 18 He shund his strokes, where ever they did fall, And way did give unto their gracelesse speed. a1658Johnie Armstrong in Wit Restord 32 Asking grace of a graceles face.
4. Wanting grace, charm, or elegance, unlovely.
1638Junius Paint. Ancients 37 The most ill-favoured and gracelesse Pictures most commonly wrought by them that [etc.]. 1823P. Nicholson Pract. Build. 490 Crowns, coronets, mitres, and similar graceless objects. a1850Rossetti Dante & Circ. i. (1874) 134 Lady she seems of such high benison As makes all others graceless in men's sight. 1884St. James's Gaz. 26 Jan. 6/1 The composition is graceless, the colour sombre, and the handling broad.
†5. (See quot.) Obs.—0
1727Boyer Fr. Dict. ii, Graceless (that has not said Grace) qui n'a point rendu graces.
Hence ˈgracelessly adv.
c1440Jacob's Well (E.E.T.S.) 126 Þanne þei deyin gracelesly. 1581Sidney Apol. Poetrie (Arb.) 71 The French..hath not one word, that hath his accent in the..Antepenultima, and little more hath the Spanish: and therefore, very gracelesly may they vse Dactiles. 1608T. Morton Preamb. Encounter 115 Which must haue beene either giddily rash, or gracelesly false. 1659D. Pell Impr. Sea 227 note, Thy life lyes at the stake to answer his whom thou gracelesly goes about to take away. 1846H. Torrens Remarks Mil. Lit. & Hist. I. 96 The horses, bridleless, moving gracelessly with the neck stiff and the head stretched out. 1894H. Nisbet Bush Girl's Rom. 238 He had taken favours all his life, gracelessly and as his due. |