| 释义 |
scrupulous, a.|ˈskruːpjʊləs|
Also 6 scrupilous(e, scrupulouse, scrupulus. Cf. scripulous.
[ad. F. scrupuleux (16th c., scrupuleusement 14th c.), or ad. L. scrūpulōs-us, f. scrūpul-us: see scruple n.2 and -ous.]
1. Troubled with doubts or scruples of conscience; over-nice or meticulous in matters of right and wrong. Also (of things, actions, etc.), characterized by such scruples.
1450–1530Myrr. our Ladye 52 Yt is good in suche case to be gouernyd by the consayle of a dyscrete gostly father leste the dome of hys owne conscyence be other to scrupulous or to recheles. 1513More Rich. III, Wks. 58/1 Of spiritual men thei toke such as had wit,..& had no scrupilouse consience. 1528Henry VIII in R. Hall Life Fisher F.'s Wks. (E.E.T.S.) ii. 61 Whiche thinge..ingendred such a scrupilous doubt in me, that my mind was incontinently accombred, vexed, and disquyeted. 1593Shakes. 3 Hen. VI, iv. vii. 61 Rich. Why Brother, wherefore stand you on nice points?.. Hast. Away with scrupulous Wit, now Armes must rule. 1594Hooker Eccl. Pol. iv. xi. §5 Abusing their libertie and freedom to the offence of their weake brethren which were scrupulous. 1667in Cath. Rec. Soc. Miscell. III. 64 And yet, though he spent so much time in examining his consciens, he was not the least scrupulous nor long at Confession. 1765Blackstone Comm. i. vi. 226 Whatever doubts might be formerly raised by weak and scrupulous minds about the existence of such an original contract. 1835I. Taylor Spir. Despot. iii. 108 The common people superstitious, fanatical, scrupulous, licentious. 1907A. C. Benson Altar Fire 134 The religion recommended was a religion of scrupulous saints and self-torturing ascetics.
†b. Prone to hesitate or doubt; distrustful; cautious or meticulous in acting, deciding, etc. Also (of actions, etc.), characterized by doubt or distrust; (of objections) cavilling. Obs.
1559W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse 46 It is truely said, that knowledge hath no enemie but ignoraunce. There are..no small number of Lactantius sort, not scrupulous enemies onely, but also Physicians, of whom [etc.]. 1560J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. Pref. 2 b, Thucydides was so desyrous of the verity, and so doubt full and scrupulous in wryting of his story. 1611Coryat Crudities 67 The Italians are so curious and scrupulous in many of their cities..that they will admit no stranger within the wals..except he bringeth a bill of health from the last citie he came from. 1614Raleigh Hist. World ii. xxiii. §4. 574 But in filling vp the blankes of old Histories, we neede not be so scrupulous. a1681Wharton Apotelesma Wks. (1683) 44 Nor any one [sc. art or science] that can truly say, it is free from every scrupulous exception. 1695Woodward Nat. Hist. Earth Acc. Observ. 8, I have been the more scrupulous and wary, in regard the Inferences drawn from these Observations are of some importance.
†c. with const.: Loth or reluctant, through scruples, to (do something); doubtful or suspicious of (a person or thing); chary of or in (doing something); anxious or fearful about. Obs.
1608D. T[uvill] Ess. Pol. & Mor. 125 Hee was no way scrupulous to circumvent, and kill, insontes sicuti sontes. 1643Sir T. Browne Relig. Med. i. §3. 4 And therefore I am not scrupulous to converse and live with them. c1645Howell Lett. (1650) II. 32 The Father is scrupulous of the Son, the Son of the Sisters, and all three of me, to whose award they referr'd the business three severall times. 1658Sir T. Browne Hydriot. i. 5 The Jews..as they raised noble Monuments and Mausolæums for their own Nation, so they were not scrupulous in erecting some for others. 1662Stillingfl. Orig. Sacræ ii. ix. §21. 320 The primitive Christians were very scrupulous of calling the Emperours Dominus. 1754Richardson Grandison IV. xxi. 161 She often directed herself to me in Italian. I do not talk it well: But..I was not scrupulous to answer in it. 1785Phillips Treat. Inland Nav. 33 Those..whom I have consulted on the subject, where I was scrupulous of my knowledge. 1845S. Judd Margaret ii. viii. (1871) 284 Don't you stir out of the house; I am scrupulous about what might happen.
d. absol. (the scrupulous = scrupulous persons.)
1625B. Jonson Staple of N. iii. ii. 118 'Tis the house of fame, Sir, Where both the curious, and the negligent, The scrupulous, and carelesse;..all doe meet. 1690Locke Hum. Und. iii. vi. §12 There are some Birds..whose Bloud is cold as Fishes, and their Flesh in taste so near akin, that the Scrupulous are allow'd them on Fish-days.
†2. Of a thing: Causing or raising scruples; liable to give offence; meriting scruple or cavil, dubious, doubtful. to make it scrupulous: to scruple, hesitate (to do something). Obs.
a1548Hall Chron., Hen. VII 57 The scrupulous stynges of domesticall sedicion. 1574Hellowes Guevara's Fam. Epist. (1577) 66 If your warre had ben vpon Ierusalem, it were to be holden for iust, but for that it is vpon Marsillius, alway we hold it for scrupulous. 1593Tell-trothe's New Yeare's Gift 3 And it being my hap to enquire first from whence hee came, hee made it not scrupulous to certifie his comming from hell. 1622Bacon Holy War Misc. Wks. (1629) 117 As the Cause of a Warre ought to be Iust; So the Iustice of that Cause ought to be Euident; Not Obscure, not Scrupulous. 1685Bunyan Quest. Seventh-day Sabbath ii. 16 This yet seems to me more scrupulous, because that the punishment due to the breach of the Seventh-day Sabbath was hid from men to the time of Moses.
†b. Of the nature of a mere scruple. Obs.
1605in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 372 Let not any man mervaylle of the manyfould downefalles into synne, or think it a thing scrupulous.
3. Careful to follow the dictates of conscience; giving heed to the scruples of conscience so as to avoid doing what is wrong; strict in matters of right and wrong.
A use of sense 1 developed chiefly in contexts with a negative expressed or implied.
1545Elyot Dict. s.v. Religiosus, In testimonio religiosi, scrupulouse in bearynge wytnesse. 1849Macaulay Hist. Eng. ii. I. 210 His more scrupulous brother ceased to appear in the royal chapel. 1863Mrs. Gaskell Sylvia's L. iii, Yet, though scrupulous in most things, it did not go against the consciences of these good brothers to purchase smuggled articles.
b. With inf.: Careful (to do something) in obedience to one's conscience.
1729Butler Serm. Wks. 1874 II. 50 We should be religiously scrupulous and exact to say nothing..but what is true.
4. Of actions, etc.: Rigidly directed by the dictates of conscience; characterized by a strict and minute regard for what is right.
1756Burke Tracts Popery Laws Wks. IX. 338 This point is carried to so scrupulous a severity, that chamber practice, and even private conveyancing..are prohibited to them under the severest penalties. 1779Mirror No. 37 While he gave to business the most scrupulous attention. 1855Macaulay Hist. Eng. xiii. III. 248 William saw that he must not think of paying to the laws of Scotland that scrupulous respect which he had wisely and righteously paid to the laws of England. 1876M. E. Braddon J. Haggard's Dau. I. 9 A scrupulous honesty recommended him even to careful housekeepers.
5. Minutely exact or careful (in non-moral matters); strictly attentive even to the smallest details; characterized by punctilious exactness.
1638Junius Paint. Ancients 77 Examining..every little moment of Art with such infatigable though scrupulous care. 1711Addison Spect. No. 160 ⁋4 Where we would make some Amends for our want of Force and Spirit, by a scrupulous Nicety and Exactness in our Compositions. 1779Johnson L.P., Cowley (1805) I. 44 Thus all the power of description is destroyed by a scrupulous enumeration. 1837Dickens Pickw. ii, Great men are seldom over scrupulous in the arrangement of their attire. 1862Miller Elem. Chem., Org. (ed. 2) 11 Scrupulous attention to the purity of the matter submitted to analysis is of course of primary importance. 1881Westcott & Hort Grk. N.T. Introd. §11 A scrupulous jealousy as to their text. 1863Geo. Eliot Romola v, Shelves, on which books..were arranged in scrupulous order. 1886Manch. Exam. 14 Jan. 5/4 The various performances were gone through with scrupulous exactitude.
†6. Wrought or produced with minute care and exactness. Obs.
1634Rainbow Labour (1635) 34 If seelings be an ornament, what are scrupulous carvings? |