| 释义 |
mischievousadj.n. Origin: A borrowing from French. Etymon: French meschevous. Etymology: < Anglo-Norman meschevous troublesome, grievous, needy, destitute (14th cent.) < meschef mischief n. + -ous -ous suffix.A pronunciation with stress on the second syllable (for which compare the note s.v. mischief n.) was common in literary sources until at least 1700, but subsequently became restricted to nonstandard usage; compare:1802 J. Walker Crit. Pronouncing Dict. (ed. 3) (at cited word) There is an accentuation of this word upon the second syllable, chiefly confined to the vulgar, which, from its agreeableness to analogy, is well worthy of being adopted by the learned... But what analogy can give sanction to a vulgarism..? In language, as in many other cases, it is safer to be wrong with the polite than right with the vulgar. The four-syllable pronunciation represented by the β. forms probably developed from this variant by analogy: the rare termination /-ˈiːvəs/, found only in this word and grievous adj., being replaced by the much more frequent /-ˈiːvɪəs/ of devious adj. and previous adj., effectively resulting in the substitution of -ous suffix by -ious suffix. This pronunciation (and its associated spelling) is generally restricted to nonstandard usage, but is also occasionally adopted by writers or speakers as a conscious affectation: see further Webster's Dict. Eng. Usage (1989) 638/2, and compare grievous adj. the mind > goodness and badness > harmfulness > [adjective] the mind > possession > poverty > [adjective] > poor the world > action or operation > adversity > calamity or misfortune > [adjective] > calamitous or disastrous c1390 (?c1350) St. Augustine 870 in C. Horstmann (1878) 76 Þe vessel..Of holichirche..He wolde breke and melte hit smal, Þe mescheuous to parte wiþ al. ?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng (Petyt) ii. 158 (MED) Kyng R. herd of þat mischuos tide [Fr. meschaunce] & how his schippis misferd. a1450 (c1412) T. Hoccleve (Harl. 4866) (1897) 4713 (MED) Þoght [read þogh] þat a man disceuere & pleyne To many a lord his mescheuous myserie. ?c1450 (?a1400) J. Wyclif (1880) 389 (MED) Þis almes-ȝevynge haþ made alle owre rewme..full pore and nedy and myscheuous. a1500 (?c1450) 5 (MED) Synne draweth bothe man and woman to myschevouse ende. ?1569 W. Lauder sig. C Quho list to pryde pretend May be assurde, of ane mischeuous end. 1570 J. Foxe (rev. ed.) II. 935/2 Who sayd..that before this day vij. night Hunne should haue a mischieuous death. c1600 in G. Stevenson (1910) xxx. 13 Quhair he maid ane mischefus end. 1660 [implied in: R. Coke Elements Power & Subjection 166 in The same judgment is to be given upon him, who mischievously ended his life with pain. (at mischievously adv. 2)]. the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > [adjective] > harmful or injurious α. 1414 IV. 58/2 The freest Knyght or Squyer..may be put in prison..as the mischevouse Statut byforeseid sheweth and declareth. ?c1450 (?a1400) J. Wyclif (1880) 390 (MED) Þis mischeuous peruertynge of cristis ordenance. 1471 in T. Wright (1861) II. 277 Thayre myschevus dedis avaylid ham noughte. 1553 R. Eden tr. S. Münster sig. Hvv They committed innumerable wronges and mischieuous actes. 1582 R. Stanyhurst tr. Virgil ii. 28 Through wals downe razed wee draw thee mischeuus engyn. 1669 S. Sturmy sig. c 3 b The mischievous Storm continuing. 1736 Bp. J. Butler i. iii. 49 Vitious actions are, to a great Degree, actually punished as mischievous to Society. 1792 E. Burke (1844) III. 398 The opinions, principles, and practices, which I thought so very mischievous. 1812 P. Forbes 61 He got a vile mischievous thump Just on the shoulder. 1870 J. R. Lowell (1873) 1st Ser. 195 A mischievous fallacy. 1888 J. Bryce I. xxvi. 403 To resist a momentary impulse of their constituents which they think mischievous. 1960 J. F. Lehmann ii. i. 29 Mischievous Shavian unreasoning, which advocated coming to terms with Hitler as if Poland..no longer existed. 1998 (Nexis) 15 May b6 These Puritans know that adultery is a mischievous activity as old as Methuselah. the mind > goodness and badness > harmfulness > harmful person > [adjective] the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > [adjective] > harmful or injurious > specifically of persons c1438 (1940) ii. 251 For alle fals titharys, theuys, vowtererys &..myscheuows leuarys. c1450 tr. G. Boccaccio (1924) 1337 (MED) This myschevess Medea, this cruell woman, Hir own brodyr slow. a1500 J. Warkworth 11 The Lorde Say..and other myscheves peple that were aboute the Kynge. 1535 Susanna 28 Ye two elders came also, full of myscheuous ymaginacions agaynst Susanna, to bringe her vnto death. 1563 N. Winȝet (1890) II. 33 Quhen that mischeuous Nestorius..began to ryve the flok of Christe. 1595 E. Spenser Epithalamion in xix. sig. H5 Ne let mischiuous witches with theyr charmes..Fray vs. 1610 P. Holland tr. W. Camden ii. 39 A kinde of people, rude, warlicke..& mischeeuous: they be commonly termed High-landmen who being indeed the right progeny of the ancient Scots, speake Irish. a1616 W. Shakespeare (1623) ii. i. 33 Thinke him as a Serpents egge, Which hatch'd, would as his kinde grow mischieuous; And kill him in the shell. View more context for this quotation a1652 R. Brome Eng. Moor ii. iii. 30 in (1659) Maintain't but in one sillable more, Ile tear Thy mischievious tongue out. 1677 in (1890) App. v. 37 Some mischievous persons to dishonour my Lord Chancellour..stole the Mace and the two purses. 1704 E. Ward 59 Mischievous wicked Fellows, By whose Conspiracy poor London With fatal Fire was wholly undone. 1823 J. K. Paulding II. v. i. 6 The name of this mischevious and evil disposed familiar, or bad spirit, who inspired Doctor Faustus, was Mephostophilos. 1860 J. J. S. Wharton (ed. 2) at Animals Domestic animals, or animals not naturally mischievous, such as dogs or oxen. 1904 L. F. Baum 223 Bills..which the mischievous Jackdaws had for years been engaged in stealing. 1993 C. J. Beck (1994) i. 6 Knowing our own mischievous tendencies so well that we don't need to visit them on others. 4. the mind > goodness and badness > harmfulness > playful mischievousness > [adjective] α. 1675 W. Wycherley iv. 68 Oh women, more impertinent, more cunning, and more mischievous than their Monkeys, and to me almost as ugly. 1726 J. Swift I. ii. i. 19 And well remembering how mischievous all Children among us naturally are to Sparrows, Rabbits [etc.]. 1856 C. M. Yonge ii. ix. 432 She..was only waked by Meta, standing over her with a sponge, looking very mischievous. 1887 1 Nov. 1/2 Stories concerning mischievous and prankish children. 1934 R. Campbell ii. 46 A senseless..exposure of..depressing facts is worse than any amount of mischievous lying. 1990 J. Bishop & M. Waldholz iii. 76 It was as though some mischievous typesetter kept dropping in a four-letter word just to frustrate the molecular biologists. the mind > will > decision > irresolution or vacillation > inconstancy > [adjective] > mischievous 1761 G. Colman i. 15 Lady Freelove is as mischievous as a Monkey, and as cunning too. 1817 S. T. Coleridge 293 Jack o'Lantern lights which mischievous boys..throw with a looking-glass on the faces of their opposite neighbours. 1823 J. K. Paulding I. ii. ii. 69 The boy [was]..as mischevious as a monkey. 1856 C. M. Yonge i. xvi. 154 Tom again looked for help to Harry, who made a mischevious movement of his lips. 1907 G. B. Shaw iv. 80 Doran is reeling in an ecstasy of mischievous mirth which has infected all his friends. 1952 F. Swinnerton in Nov.–Dec. 31/1 Wells,..friendly with everybody, mischevious, quick-thinking, nonsensically inventive. 1967 P. Shaffer 35 Clea is Brindsley's ex-mistress: late twenties, dazzling, emotional, bright and mischievous. 1987 15 Feb. 22/4 Robbie's big, dark eyes held a mischievous twinkle. Compounds C1. 1887 P. McNeill xv. 116 ‘Hey, chappie’, cried out a mischievous-eyed wench, quite unable to restrain her mirth. 2008 J. Francis (2009) i. 24 He remembered a mischievous-eyed girl, whose elfin features had beamed with delight. 1641 sig. A 3 Mischievous minded wretches. C2. the mind > emotion > anger > irascibility > ill-naturedness > [adjective] 1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach iii. f. 125v Moyles that..are..rugged of their body, & mischeuous stomaked [L. animo indomito]. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2002; most recently modified version published online March 2022). <  adj.n.c1390 |
