| 释义 |
be-all and end-all
be all and end all or be-all and end-all B0132700 (bē′ôl′ ənd ĕnd′ôl′)n. The quintessential or all-important element: "Not that the more spectacular athleticism is the be all and end all of free skating. Spins ... and intricate step sequences are also important" (Howard Bass).be-all and end-all n 1. the ultimate aim or justification: to provide help for others is the be-all and end-all of this group. 2. often jocular a person or thing considered to be beyond improvement be′-all` and end′-all`
n. the ultimate object. [1595–1605] Thesaurus| Noun | 1.be-all and end-all - the essential factor; the all-important element; the supreme aim; "profit is the be-all and end-all of business"be all and end allcomponent, element, factor, ingredient, constituent - an abstract part of something; "jealousy was a component of his character"; "two constituents of a musical composition are melody and harmony"; "the grammatical elements of a sentence"; "a key factor in her success"; "humor: an effective ingredient of a speech" |
be-all and end-all
(not) the be-all and end-allThe most important event or thing. Often used in the negative. My little sister thinks that a date with the captain of the football team is just the be-all and end-all of her life right now. Oh honey, I know you're disappointed, but failing the driver's license test is not the be-all and end-all. You'll just practice some more and then take it again.See also: andbe-all and end-allCliché something that is the very best or most important; something so good that it will end the search for something better. Finishing the building of his boat became the be-all and end-all of Roger's existence. Sally is the be-all and the end-all of Don's life.See also: andbe-all and end-all, theThe ultimate purpose, the most important concern. An early and famous use of this term is in Shakespeare’s Macbeth (1.6), in which the ambitious Macbeth soliloquizes about assassinating Duncan so as to become king: “. . . that but this blow [the murder] might be the be-all and the end-all here.” Eric Partridge held it was a cliché by the nineteenth century, but it is heard less often today.See also: andbe-all and end-all
Synonyms for be-all and end-allnoun the essential factorSynonymsRelated Words- component
- element
- factor
- ingredient
- constituent
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