| 释义 |
tremendous, a.|trɪˈmɛndəs|
Also 7–8 tremenduous; dial. and non-standard tremenj(i)ous, treminjous, etc.
[f. L. tremend-us ‘that is to be trembled at, fearful, dreadful, frightful, terrible’, gerundive of tremĕre to tremble, tremble at: see -ous. The by-form in -uous was shaped after adjs. from L. adjs. in -uus, as conspicuous.]
1. a. Such as to excite trembling, or awe; awful; ‘dreadful; horrible; astonishingly terrible’ (J.).
1632Lithgow Trav. x. 460 Hee, after many tremenduous threatnings, commanded the Scriuan to draw vp a Warrant. 1657–83Evelyn Hist. Relig. viii. (1850) II. 17 Not blaspheming the tremendous name of God. 1661Blount Glossogr. (ed. 2), Tremendous.., greatly to be feared. 1689T. Plunket Char. Gd. Commander 44 But the tremenduos Tetragrammaton Will not, not always be a looker on. 1742Young Nt. Th. iv. 9 Black-boding man Receives, not suffers death's tremenduous blow. 1796J. Moser Hermit of Caucasus I. 166 Rocks, torrents, and all the variety of tremenduous scenery. 1803J. Porter Thaddeus ix, The air..was rendered livid and tremendous by long spires of fire. 1871Macduff Mem. Patmos xi. 147 The Day, the Great day..of His wrath... Now, to what does this tremendous description refer?
b. absol. That which is tremendous. nonce-use.
1742Young Nt. Th. v. 691 What heart of flesh Would trifle with tremendous? dare extremes? Yawn o'er the fate of infinite?
2. a. Hyperbolically, or as a mere intensive: Such as to excite wonder on account of its magnitude or violence; astounding; extraordinarily great; immense. (Cf. the similar use of awful, frightful, terrible, etc.) Also as quasi-adv. colloq.
1812Southey Ess. (1832) I. 111 During the last forty years, a tremendous change has been going on. 1835[see lathering vbl. n.]. 1845Ford Handbk. Spain i. 16 They..drive at a tremendous pace. 1866G. Macdonald Ann. Q. Neighb. vi, A tremendous splash reached my ears from the pond. 1882Floyer Unexpl. Baluchistan 91 He..evidently determined to smother his feelings in a tremendous dinner. 1886R. D. Blackmore Springhaven in Harper's Mag. Oct. 755/1 Makes us pay tremenjious for 'most everything. 1888Kipling Phantom 'Rickshaw 92 Then ten men with bows and arrows ran down that valley, chasing twenty men with bows and arrows, and the row was tremenjus. 1892‘Q’ I saw Three Ships v. 97 ‘Ay, naybours all,’ broke in Farmer Tresidder... ‘I shudn' wonder if ye was to see me trottin' to Parlyment House in a gilded coach..I be so tremenjous rich.’ 1901M. Franklin My Brilliant Career xvii. 150, I thought them straps couldn't break only onder a tremenjous strain. Ibid. xix. 162 ‘How are you enjoying yourself?’.. ‘Treminjous intoirely, sor.’ 1952M. Allingham Tiger in Smoke ii. 39 ‘Was it fun?’ ‘Tremenjous.’ 1977E. W. Hildick Loop vii. 37 She had ‘tremenjous powers of seeing the future’.
b. Extraordinary in respect of some quality indicated in context. slang.
1831Ch. Patronage Reporter Jan. 26 Owing..latterly to the tremendous state of the weather. 1847Helps Friends in C. i. vii. 117 Over-managing people..are tremendous to live with. 1866Geo. Eliot F. Holt ii, This young Debarry is a tremendous fellow at the classics. |