| 释义 |
pointless, a.|ˈpɔɪntlɪs|
[f. point n.1 B. + -less.]
1. Without a point; having a rounded or blunt end; blunt.
a1330Syr Degarre 1047 The Fader amerueiled wes Whi his sword was point les. a1548Hall Chron., Rich. III 25 b, After the procession folowed therle of Northumberlande with a poincteless sword naked. 1687Dryden Hind & P. ii. 420 You lay that pointless clergy-weapon by, And to the laws, your sword of justice, fly. 1791Cowper Iliad xx. 539 For I wield also not a pointless beam. 1848Dickens Dombey xxvii, ‘My pencils are all pointless’, she said.
2. Without point or force (point n.1 B. 10); ineffective, meaningless. Also (in the sense of point n.1 A. 29 d), without purpose or advantage; having no good effect.
1726Pope Odyss. xx. 448 The suitors..aim to wound the Prince with pointless wit. 1760Wesley Jrnl. 7 Aug. (1827) III. 13 Why should a little pointless raillery make us ashamed? 1844Disraeli Coningsby iii. iv, He said something rather pointless about admiring everything that is beautiful. 1884Manch. Exam. 1 Dec. 3/1 This is a pointless little story. 1934E. Waugh Handful of Dust ii. 33 It sometimes seems to me rather pointless keeping up a house this size if we don't now and then ask some other people to stay in it. 1954I. Murdoch Under Net xiii. 179 It seems pointless to conceal our identity. Sammy would guess it anyway as soon as we announced our terms. 1966H. Roseveare Give me this Mountain i. 18 Without Him, it was a weary, stupid, empty, pointless, useless life. 1970G. F. Newman Sir, You Bastard v. 147 Flowers didn't occur to Sneed until he had arrived at the hospital, and there the gesture was pointless. 1978M. Birmingham Sleep in Ditch 193 ‘He died..soon after six.’.. ‘S-so all last night's h-horror was quite pointless.’
3. Of a competitor or side: Not having scored a point. Of a game or contest: In which no point is scored.
1882Daily News 17 Feb. 3/5 Ben-y-Lair..was beaten almost pointless. 1891Ibid. 6 Nov. 2/6 The latter did not long remain pointless, and after a long run by Hubbard, Fegan registered a try. 1892Standard 3 Oct. 7/6 A pointless draw was the result of the meeting.
4. Having no characteristic or distinctive marks.
1879Stevenson Trav. Cevennes 26 It was the most pointless labyrinth.
Hence ˈpointlessly adv.; ˈpointlessness.
1885Sat. Rev. 7 Nov. 599 The greatest charm of Lord Iddesleigh's performance was, to speak paradoxically, its pointlessness. 1894H. Drummond Ascent Man 436 It is not the monotony of life which destroys men, but its pointlessness. 1895Funk's Stand. Dict., Pointlessly. |