| 释义 |
reasonless, a. (and adv.)|ˈriːz(ə)nlɪs|
[f. reason n.1 + -less.]
1. Not endowed with reason. = irrational a. 1.
1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xviii. lii. (Bodl. MS.) 273/1 [The ant is] a litel beste wiþoute prince and resonles. c1412Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 3659 If he tho weies take wolde That beestes resonles vsen and holde. 1581G. Pettie Guazzo's Civ. Conv. ii. (1586) 80 b, Nature..giuing a very long life to many reasonlesse creatures. 1604T. Wright Passions v. §4. 201 Beasts, though reasonlesse, yet in loue follow this generall instinct and inclination of reason. 1633W. Struther True Happines 14 Three instances prove the same: The first is from reasonlesse creatures. 1877Blackie Wise Men 250 So great a gap Betwixt the reasonless and the reasoning life A favouring God hath set.
b. Of natural forces or their results: Acting or produced without the aid of reason.
1867H. Macmillan Bible Teach. ii. (1870) 36 The forces of nature.. are not reasonless, merciless forces. 1895Q. Rev. Apr. 492 A purely reasonless concourse of atoms.
2. Devoid of ordinary reason; senseless.
1421Hoccleve Complaint 222 Yet homly reason know I nevartheles; not hope I founden be so resonles as men demen. 1592Greene Groatsw. Wit (1617) 24 Reasonlesse Roberts, that hauing but a Brokers place, asked a Lenders reward. 1628Wither Brit. Rememb. iii. 626 Now, most thou need'st it, be not reasonlesse. 1671F. Phillips Reg. Necess. Ep. Ded. 1 These unhappy times have brought forth a sort of reasonless men, whose humors and phancies..makes them unwilling to submit to Laws. 1868Browning Ring & Bk. iv. 11 This rabble's-brabble of dolts and fools Who make up reasonless unreasoning Rome.
3. Not grounded upon reason or reasons; not supported by any reason.
1553N. Grimalde Cicero's Bk. Offices iii. (1558) 124 That is reasonlesse that some say [etc.]. 1591Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, v. iv. 137 This proffer is absurd, and reasonlesse. 1658T. Wall Charact. Enemies Ch. 23 Casting a fraudulent shew of reason upon those things which are indeed reasonless. 1794A. Seward Lett. (1811) IV. 34 The shallow, reasonless oratory, which is so perpetually shifting its ground. 1874T. N. Harper Peace through Truth Ser. ii. i. p. xx, The feelings of the great body of the people, even though reasonless, ought to be respected.
†b. of a reason. (Common c 1600–50.) Obs.
a1603T. Cartwright Confut. Rhem. N.T. (1618) Pref. 26 To affirme that a substantiall reason..should be iudged reasonlesse. 1634Canne Necess. of Separ. (1849) 210 It is likely he saw that there was no help for him there, and therefore only makes use of this reasonless reason. 1670G. H. Hist. Cardinals i. i. 20 The good Father..made me a long discourse.., alleging reasonless reasons.
†4. adv. Without reason. Obs. rare—1.
1632Brome Crt. Beggar iv. iii, Since reasonlesse you layd those wrongs upon me.
Hence ˈreasonlessly adv., ˈreasonlessness.
1889Harper's Mag. Apr. 721/2 Reasonlessly, silently, all her anger against him vanished. 1891Max Müller Pres. Addr. Brit. Assoc. in Nature 3 Sept., He saw..that there is no possible transition from reasonlessness to reason. |