| 释义 |
acceptable, a.|ækˈsɛptəb(ə)l, ˈæksɪptəb(ə)l|
[a. Fr. acceptable, ad. L. acceptābil-is, vbl. adj. f. acceptāre. See accept and -able. Orig. pronounced, according to the analogy of words in -ble from Fr. and L., ˈacceptable, and so in all poets to the present day; but from the tendency to treat it as a direct derivative from the vb. acˈcept, as in adˈvisable, miˈstakable, deˈniable, underˈstandable, the pronunciation acˈceptable is now more prevalent. So with the derivatives acceptably, -ableness. Sometimes compared acceptabler, -est.]
Capable, worthy, or likely to be accepted or gladly received; hence, pleasing, agreeable, gratifying, or welcome.
c1386Chaucer Sompn. T. 205 Oure prayeres..Ben to the hihe God mor acceptable Than youres. 1447O. Bokenham Lyvys of Seyntys (1835) 280 That the acceptabyllere the sacryfyse of hyr preyers to God myht alwey be. 1535Coverdale Mic. vi. 6 What acceptable thynge shal I offre vnto the Lorde? 1611Bible Deut. xxxiii. 24 And of Asher hee said,..Let him be acceptable to his brethren. 1667Milton P.L. x. 139 This woman, whom thou mad'st to be my help..So fit, so acceptable, so divine. 1738Wesley Psalms (1765) cxviii. x. Now, send us now thy saving Grace, Make this the acceptable Hour. 1850W. Irving Goldsmith xxix. 283 He was becoming more and more acceptable in ladies' eyes. 1850Mrs. Browning Drama of Exile I. 74 Found acceptable to the world instead Of others of that name. 1861Dickens Gt. Expect. viii. 36 The bread and meat were acceptable, and the beer was warming.
Add:b. Catch-phr. the acceptable face of —: that which represents or embodies the acceptable aspect of something usu. considered unpopular or unpalatable. (The converse of the earlier phr. s.v. unacceptable a.)
1981Q. Crisp How to become Virgin vi. 83 Bit by bit..I was becoming the almost acceptable face of homosexuality. 1986Times 31 Oct. 21/1 Sheikh Yamani has long appeared as the acceptable face of Opec. |