| 释义 |
▪ I. despair, n.|dɪˈspɛə(r)|
Forms: see the verb.
[ME. des-, dis-peir, -pair, a. OF. *despeir, despoir, vbl. n. from desperer (tonic stem despeir-, despoir-). Cf. also F. désespoir (12th c.) whence desespeir.]
1. a. The action or condition of despairing or losing hope; a state of mind in which there is entire want of hope; hopelessness. counsel of despair: see counsel n. 2 c.
c1325Metr. Hom. 170 No man in dyspayr thar [= need] be..If they wyll call on oure Lauedy. c1385Chaucer L.G.W. 2557 Phyllis, She for dispeyr [v.rr. dis-, dyspayre] fordede hyre self, allas! c1386― Pars. T. ⁋619 Now comeþ wanhope þat is despair [v.rr. dis-, despeir(e, dispeyr] of þe mercy of god. c1489Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xvi. 370 He sayth it like a man that is in dyspeyre. 1503–4Act 19 Hen. VII, c. 28 Pream., The seid sueters..were..in dispayre of expedicion of ther suetes. 1585T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. i. xix. 23 Seeing theyre matters too be in despaire of succour, and not able to holde out any longer. 1667Milton P.L. i. 191 What reinforcement we may gain from Hope, If not what resolution from despare. 1690Locke Hum. Und. ii. xx. (1695) 122 Despair is the thought of the unattainableness of any Good. 1726Adv. Capt. R. Boyle 256 This..drove me almost to Despair, and I lost all Hopes of ever procuring my Liberty. 1769Junius Lett. xii. 48, I give up the cause in despair. 1843Prescott Mexico vi. viii. (1864) 400 Some..gathering strength from despair, maintained..a desperate fight. 1847Tennyson Princ. iv. 444 It becomes no man to nurse despair. 1887Bowen Virg. æneid ii. 298 Wails of despair broke over the town.
b. Rarely in pl.
1560A. L. tr. Calvin's Foure Serm. ii, Our spirit is wrapped in many dispaires. 1613Shakes. Hen. VIII, ii. ii. 29 Feares, and despaires, and all these for his Marriage. 1655Fuller Ch. Hist. ix. vi. §40 Their hopes were..turned into despairs.
c. personified.
a1610Mirr. Mag. 66 (R.), I am (quoth she) thy friend Despaire. 1667Milton P.L. xi. 489 Despair Tended the sick busiest from Couch to Couch. 1781Cowper Hope 58 Hollow-eyed Abstinence, and lean Despair. 1821Shelley Prometh. Unb. i. 576 Till Despair smothers The struggling world, which slaves and tyrants win.
2. transf. That which causes despair, or about which there is no hope.
1605Shakes. Macb. iv. iii. 152 Strangely-visited people, All swolne and Vlcerous..The meere despaire of Surgery, he cures. 1821Shelley Hellas Pref., Those faultless productions, whose very fragments are the despair of modern art. 1876E. Mellor Priesth. viii. 390 If the adult population are the despair of the priests, the children are their hope.
¶3. Used by Wyclif app. for: False or mistaken hope. (Cf. despair v. 4.)
c1380Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. I. 42 Eche man shal hope for to come to blisse; and if he lyve febly and make þis hope fals, himsilf is cause whi his hope is suche. Ffor þis fals hope, þat sum men do clepen dispeir, shulde have anoþir qualite.
†4. without any dispayre: a metrical tag, meaning apparently ‘without doubt, without fail, certainly, iwis’: perhaps an alteration of ‘without diswere, disware’, of earlier use.
c1470Harding Chron. cxxx. i, Whiche Henry was erle notified Of Huntyngdon without any dispayre. Ibid. cxxxiv. iv, Isabell the fayre His doughter was without any dispayre.
▪ II. despair, v.|dɪˈspɛə(r)|
Forms: 4–6 des-, dis-, dys-, -peir(e, -peyr(e, -payr(e, dispar(e, -paire, 5 disspare, -paire, dyspere, despeyer, 5–7 despere, -pare, -paire, -payr, 5–8 dispair, 6 dyspayer, 4– despair.
[ME. des-, dis-peiren, -payren, a. OF. despeir-, stressed stem-form of desperer:—L. dēspērāre to despair, f. de- I. 6 + spērāre to hope. (Displaced in F. by dés-espérer, a Romanic compound of espérer to hope: so Pr. and Sp. desesperar.)]
1. intr. To lose or give up hope; to be without hope. Const. of (with indirect passive to be despaired of); rarely † in (obs.), to with inf.
a1340Hampole Psalter cxviii. 156 Of synful men peryss nane thare [= need] dispayre. 1382Wyclif 2 Cor. ii. 7 Lest perauenture he that is such maner man..dispeire. c1400Apol. Loll. 90 Þat he despering in þe mercy of God, trust in þe cloþis of men. 1530Palsgr. 514/1, I despayre, I am in wan hope, je despere. 1552Latimer Serm. in Lincoln v. 103 Phisicions had dispeired of that woman, it passed theyr cunning to helpe her. 1588A. King tr. Canisius' Catech., Confess. 3 To dispaire in Gode his mercy. 1606Earl of Northampton in True & Perfect Relat. Hh iv b, He dispayred in Gods protection. 1651Hobbes Leviath. iii. xl. 255 Despairing of the justice of the sons of Samuel, they would have a King. 1680Burnet Rochester 13 He almost dispaired to recover it. 1709Steele Tatler No. 159 ⁋6 As long as you hope, I will not despair. 1718Lady M. W. Montagu Lett. (1887) I. 241 His life was despaired of. 1770Langhorne Plutarch (1879) I. 117/1 Tarquin, despairing to reascend the throne by stratagem, applied [etc.]. 1838Thirlwall Greece IV. 81 He did not despair of being able to find excuses. 1856Emerson Eng. Traits, Times Wks. (Bohn) II. 117 When Cobden had begun to despair, it announced his triumph.
†b. refl. in same sense. Obs.
c1386Chaucer Merch. T. 425 Dispaire yow nought. ― Pars. T. ⁋624 He that despeireth hym, is lyke the coward campioun recreant. 1483Caxton Cato F vj b, Thou oughtest not to dyspeyre the. 1491― Vitas Patr. (W. de W. 1495) ii. 242 b/2 He wolde dyspere hymselfe. 1502Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W. 1506) ii. x. 116 Suche lecherous people dyspeyre them whan y⊇ houre cometh of theyr departynge.
†c. to be despaired, in same sense: see despaired ppl. a. 1. Obs.
†2. trans. To deprive of hope, cast into despair. Obs. rare.
1393Langl. P. Pl. C. x. 38 That no deuel shal ȝow dere ne despeir in ȝoure deyinge. a1595Sir R. Williams Actions Low C. 30 (T.) Having no hope to despair the governour to deliver it [the fort] into their enemies' hands. a1618Raleigh Dialogue, To despaire all his faithfull subjects.
†3. trans. To cease to hope for, to be without hope of; = despair of in 1. Obs. or arch.
c1485Digby Myst. (1882) v. 467 Thei that despeyer mercy haue grett conpunccion. 1597J. King On Jonas (1618) 597 Rotten members, whose cure is despaired. 1605Shakes. Macb. v. viii. 13, Macbeth. I beare a charmed Life..Macduff. Dispaire thy Charme. 1667Milton P.L. i. 660 Peace is despaird, For who can think Submission? 1706Watts Horæ Lyr. iii. 269 How are his curtains drawn For a long evening that despairs the dawn! 1732Ld. Lansdowne Ess. Unnat. Flights (T.), Love, despairing in her heart a place, Would needs take up his lodging in her face. 1773Hist. Ld. Ainsworth I. 31, I had almost begun to despair ever meeting her again.
¶4. Used by Wyclif app. in sense: To hope amiss, to indulge false or mistaken hope. (Cf. prec. n. 3.)
c1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 339 He..is folily disceyued in hise bileue and in hope, and þus he dispeyreþ. |