| 释义 |
unˈgracious, a.
[un-1 7 and 5 b. Cf. (in sense 5) MDu. ongracioos.]
†1.
a. Of persons: Devoid of spiritual grace; graceless, reprobate, wicked. Obs.
In ME. also const. with inf. (quot. 1362).
a1225Ancr. R. 368 Þauh clennesse..beoð ȝeouen of grace, vngraciuse stondeð þer to-ȝeines. c1330R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 103 Þris þat alle mot se þe light on Roberd toke, Vngracious man was he, þris he it forsoke. 1362Langl. P. Pl. A. x. 206 False folke..Vn-Gracios to gete loue or eni good elles. c1420Lydg. Assembly of Gods 754 He seyde he shuld haue..With Vyce to do a myghty strong batayll; Of vngracious gastes he bryngeth a long tayll. 1461Paston Lett. II. 59 Ther is an ongracious felaschip of hem and a fals. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. clxxxii. 217 These myscheuous peple chose hym that was moost vngracyoust of all other. Ibid., Ther were a certayne of the same vngracyous peple bytwene Parys and Noyon. 1579Lodge Defence of Poetry 19 The Angels haue sinned in heauen,..emong y⊇ holy apostles vngratious Iudas. a1638Mede Wks. (1672) 203 Let him..take heed of familiar and friendly converse with lewd, prophane and ungracious company. 1693Dryden Juvenal x. 545 To the Gods alone Our future Offspring, and our Wives are known; Th'audacious Strumpet, and ungracious Son. 1771Foote Maid of B. i, Well, you ungracious young dog, and what is become of the poor wench? 1793Burke Conduct Minority Wks. 1842 I. 623 The consequences are most logically..drawn from the premises..by that wicked and ungracious faction.
transf.1820Southey Wesley II. 256 At baptism, it was customary not to dip the right arm,..that he might strike a more deadly and ungracious blow therewith.
†b. Of actions, conduct, etc.: Characterized by gracelessness, or wickedness. Obs.
1415Sir T. Grey in 43rd Rep. Dep. Kpr. Rec. 582 This vngracius and mescheffus gouernaunz. c1485Digby Myst. (1882) iv. 649 Cruell Iewes! what mad yow so bold To commyt þis Crym most vngraciose? a1548Hall Chron., Hen. VI, 104 Inquisicion was made of the authors of this ungracious conjuracion. 1593Shakes. Rich. II, ii. iii. 88 That word Grace, In an vngracious mouth, is but prophane. 1634Sir T. Herbert Trav. 70 Their sonnes vngracious life opposed their best contentments. 1683D'Urfey in Roxb. Ball. (1888) V. 246 Let Perkin his ungracious errour see, And Toney 'scape no more the Triple-Tree.
†2. Unfortunate, unlucky, unfavourable. Obs.
1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) IV. 289 He was most ungracious in homeliche þinges, and happy in oþer þinges. 1398― Barth. De P.R. xii. xxxvii. (Bodl. MS.), Amonge dyuynours here [sc. owls'] voice is vngracious. 1445–50J. Metham Wks. 152 The .xv. day ys noght spedeful to be-gynne ony werke vp-on, for yt ys ongracyus. 1515Scottish Field 349 in Chetham Misc. (1856) II, They had gotten them a ground Most ungracious of other Upon the toppe of a high hill. c1550Cheke Let. in Athenæum 28 Aug. (1909) 237/3 Until I be mended of my ungracious disease. 1600Holland Livy ii. xlix. 78 Then set they forward on their journey,..taking the ungracious and unluckie way,..untill at length they came to the river Cremera. a1634Chapman Rev. for Honour i. i. 42 To give the noble weasand, Which has the steel defied, to th' hanging mercy Of the ungracious cord.
†3.
a. Rude; unmannerly. Obs.
1534More Comf. agst. Trib. ii. Wks. 1187/1 Her husband said also that it were lytle synne..to choppe of that vnhappye head of hers, that caryed suche an vngracious tong therin. c1550Vertuous Scholehous B ij b, Thou vsest vngracious wordes, cursest thy good husbande. 1601Shakes. Twel. N. iv. i. 51 Vngracious wretch, Fit for the Mountaines,..Where manners nere were preach'd. 1606― Tr. & Cr. i. i. 92 Peace you vngracious Clamors, peace rude sounds.
†b. Of low birth and manners. Obs.—1
1584Lodge Alarum agst. Vsurers (Hunter. Cl.) 23 Doeth the Weesell loue the Cockatrice? Or gentle borne, such as bee vngratious?
4. a. Not held in favour; unacceptable; disliked.
1598Florio, Sgrato, vngratious, nothing acceptable. 1671Clarendon Hist. Reb. xi. §149 Prince Rupert, at that time, was generally very ungracious in England. 1761Hume Hist. Eng. III. l. 95 Abbot's principle of liberty, and his opposition to Buckingham, had always rendered him very ungracious at court.
b. Unpleasant and unappreciated.
1807Med. Jrnl. XVII. 317 However ungracious the task is, I conceive it necessary to correct mistake. 1844H. H. Wilson Brit. India II. 115 The ungracious duties inseparable from his office. 1884L'pool Mercury 21 June 5/3 It is an ungracious duty to preach saving habits when times are bad.
5. a. Ungraceful, unattractive.
1647Clarendon Hist. Reb. iv. §122 His Person, and manner of Speaking, were ungratious enough. 1695Dryden Du Fresnoy's Art Painting 23 Show no parts which are ungracious to the Sight, as all fore-shortnings usually are. 1762–71H. Walpole Vertue's Anecd. Paint. (1786) I. 181 It was difficult to ascertain the period when one ungracious form jostled out another. 1775T. Sheridan Art Reading i. 4 The best scholars often..disgraced beautiful composition by an ungracious delivery. 1807Sir R. Wilson Jrnl. 7 May in Life, A religion so ungentlemanlike mean and ungracious that I would sooner be a pagan.
b. ungracious living (opp. gracious a. 2 c).
1958Spectator 4 July 13/2 He had gone straight to a bodge-you-up builder for a slab of ungracious living. 1976R. Rendell Demon in my View i. 11 The houses were warrens... Ungracious living was evinced by a row of doorbells, seven in an eight-roomed house.
6. Lacking in condescension, courtesy, or affability:
a. Of actions.
1745H. Walpole Lett. (1846) II. 78 An ungracious parallel between the mercenary views of..the regiment-factors,..with the disinterested behaviour of my Lord Kildare, was drawn. 1780Mirror No. 103, An overture of mine towards a reconciliation.., which met with a very ungracious reception. 1844Kinglake Eothen xii, Whilst the amber is at your lips, there is nothing ungracious in your remaining silent. 1868Dickens Lett. (1880) II. 400 Refusal on my part would be too ungracious. 1890Lancet 29 Nov. 1151 It would be ungracious to conclude without expressing my gratitude to our distinguished colleagues.
b. Of persons. Also fig. of a country.
1752Young Brothers iii. i, Nor in my brother let it pass for virtue, That, as he is, ungracious he would seem. 1819Shelley Cyclops 117 Ah! no; they live in an ungracious land. 1849Macaulay Hist. Eng. v. I. 654 The meek and affable duchess turned out an ungracious and haughty queen. 1864Tennyson Aylmer's F. 247 Take it,..tho' his gift; For I am more ungracious ev'n than you, I care not for it either. |