| 释义 |
▪ I. confute, v.|kənˈfjuːt|
[16th c. ad. L. confūtā-re (or its F. ad. confuter, 16th c. in Littré) to check, repress, restrain, silence, refute, answer conclusively, f. con- intens. + a vb. stem -fūta-, occurring also in refūtāre, and prob. from same root as fundĕre (fud-) to pour out, overthrow, fūtio pouring out, fūtātim copiously, futtilis futile, etc.]
1. trans. To prove (a person) to be wrong; to overcome or silence in argument; to convict of error by argument or proof.
1533More Debell. Salem Wks. 1027/2 In al these thinges haue I so confuted thys good man alredy. 1561T. Norton Calvin's Inst. i. 13 Such babblers are well confuted euen with one word of the Apostle. 1671Milton P.R. iii. 3 Satan stood A while as mute confounded what to say..confuted and convinc't. 1772Ann. Reg. 255, ‘I am confuted, but not convinced’, is an apology sometimes offered. 1826Disraeli Viv. Grey ii. xiv, If you want to win a man's heart, allow him to confute you. 1840Macaulay Ranke, Ess. (1851) II. 140 Protestant doctors were confuting..sectaries who were just as good Protestants as themselves.
†b. To confound; pass. to be at a loss. Obs. rare.
1672Pepys Diary VI. 116, I am..confuted in my selfe how I may ever strive to deserue the least of those many⁓fould gracious expressions.
c. transf. To put to silence (by physical means).
1614T. Adams in Spurgeon Treas. Dav. Ps. lxxx. 20 Goliath..shall be confuted with a pebble. 1616B. Jonson Devil an Ass v. vi, Least the coldyron should chance to confute thee. 1660R. Coke Justice Vind. 15 He..ought..to be confuted with clubs and hissing. 1884Browning Ferishtah 33 Thou didst curse, cuff, and kick—in short, Confute the announcer.
2. To prove (an argument or opinion) to be false, invalid, or defective; to disprove, refute.
1529More Heresyes i. Wks. 141/1 In reprouing & confuting that thei [miracles] should be done by y⊇ deuill. 1532― Confut. Tindale 678/2 His heresies be by the verye scripture confuted & reproued. 1615G. Sandys Trav. 176. 1658 Bramhall Consecr. Bps. Title-p., That infamous Fable of the ordination at the Nagge's head clearly confuted. 1728Newton Chronol. Amended i. 49 The Congress of Solon with Crœsus, some think they can confute by chronology. 1879M. Arnold Milton Mixed Ess. 243 Macaulay himself..presently confutes his own thesis.
absol.1663Butler Hud. i. i. 70 On either [side] he would dispute, Confute, change hands, and still confute.
3. To confound, render futile, bring to nought.
1589R. Robinson in Farr S.P. Eliz. (1845) II. 365 Quit me from Sathan's nets and snares, His traps, good Lord, confute. 1685Crowne Sir C. Nice ii. 10 He confuted their skill, and they cou'd no more light upon him than on a jest. a1861Mrs. Browning Garibaldi, All loss confute From ampler heavens above my head.
▪ II. † conˈfute, n. Obs.
[f. confute v.: cf. compute.]
Confutation.
1646Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. ii. vi. 95 Ridiculous, and false below confute. 1657S. W. Schism Dispach't 182 To vouchsafe it a confute. 1697J. Sergeant Solid Philos. 36 To set it above all possible Confute. |