| 释义 |
greaten, v. Now arch.|ˈgreɪt(ə)n|
[f. great a.: see -en5.]
†1. intr. To become pregnant; = great v. 1. Obs.
a1375Joseph Arim. 88 Sone aftur þat gretnede þat greiþli Mayde.
2. trans. To render great or greater in size or amount; to increase, augment, enlarge, magnify.
1626R. Harris Hezekiah's Recov. 5 This must greaten our thankes. 1633Bp. Hall Occas. Medit. (1851) 64 It is the nature of that element, to greaten appearing quantities. 1641J. Jackson True Evang. T. iii. 201 It will easily so appeare, without any flow of words to greaten it. a1658Cromwell in 2nd Narr. late Parl. in Harl. Misc. (1745) III. 467 That some should so enrich and greaten them⁓selves in the Ruin of others. 1667Pepys Diary 14 June, Every thing concurred to greaten the fire. 1682Bunyan Holy War 18 To promote thee to honour, and to greaten thy liberty. 1724R. Welton Subst. Chr. Faith 89 As men proceed in wickedness, as they greaten and aggravate their sins. 1850Mrs. Browning Poems I. 237 The whole strain being multiplied And greatened. 1877Furnivall Introd. to Leopold Shaks. 83 This fault he shared, but he wilfully greatend it. 1889Lowell in Atlantic Monthly LXIV. 148 Greatened by the watery lens.
3. To render eminent, prominent, distinguished, or important; to increase the rank or power of; to exalt, aggrandize. Also refl. and absol.
1614Raleigh Hist. World v. i. §4. 552 The Athenians, who hoped to have greatned themselves in Sicily, by the division and civil war, were disappointed of their expectations. 1650Fuller Pisgah ii. vi. 151 Cana..greatened with Christs first miracle. 1662Petty Taxes 28 So much doth the means of facilitating carriage greaten a city. 1707Norris Treat. Humility iv. 146 Weary in seeking ways to greaten and advance themselves.
b. To exalt mentally or spiritually; chiefly in good sense, to elevate or ennoble (the mind).
1647Sprigge Anglia Rediv. Address (1854) 9 Whose minds are so greatened as that you will look upon no small things. 1659J. Arrowsmith Chain Princ. 275 An humble spirit greatned by continual converse with the great God. 1698M. Henry Life Philip H. ix. (1699) 131 The Grace of Christ in the Spirit..greatens and guides the Spirit. 1742Young Nt. Th. i. 84 Virtue, or purpos'd virtue, still be Thine..This greatens, fills, immortalizes All. 1747Hervey Medit. II. 21 An uniform Air of ineffable majesty greatens, exalts, ennobles the whole.
absol.a1849J. C. Mangan Poems (1859) 388 For valour, truth, and comely bloom, For all that greatens and adorns.
4. intr. Of material and immaterial things: To become great or greater; to increase in size, dimension, or extent; to assume large proportions.
a1716South Serm. (1744) X. 336 Being committed against an infinite majesty, it [sin] greatens, and rises to the height of an infinite demerit. 1746Hervey Medit. (1818) 78 Influenced by these considerations, thy views will greaten. 1839Bailey Festus iii. (1848) 25 That curse is ever greatening. 1856Mrs. Browning Aur. Leigh i. 1065 My blue eyes greatening in the looking-glass. 1861A. K. H. Boyd Recreat. Country Parson Ser. i. (1862) 70 The subject greatens on me, but the paper dwindles. 1874G. Dawson Our Shaks. Club 115 As we grow he [Shakespeare] grows, and as we greaten he greatens.
Hence ˈgreatened ppl. a., ˈgreatening vbl. n. and ppl. a.
1614Raleigh Hist. World iv. ii. §9. 473 Rather to the greatning of others than himself. 1646–7J. Hall Poems 91 And there my greatned selfe disperse As wide as thought. 1677Gale Crt. Gentiles iii. 24 The greatening and advancing of themselves. 1678N. Tate Brutus of Alba, My greatening soul aspires to range like thee, In unknown worlds. 1856Mrs. Browning Aur. Leigh v. 420, I called the artist but a greatened man. 1861All Year Round V. 14 To glut the greatening bonfire. 1884J. Pulsford in Chr. World 11 Sept. 688/2 As you go on your ever greatening way. |