| 释义 |
unˈsay, v.
[un-2 3, 7. Cf. OE. ontsecgan (once), to renounce, abjure, OHG. antsagên, MHG. (G.) entsagen, MDu. (Du.) ontzeggen.]
†1. trans. To deny. Obs.
c1460Oseney Reg. 167 Fore þ⊇ saide Richard..may not vnsay but þat þ⊇ saide Hugh of Tywe yafe..the foresaide tenement.
2. To withdraw, retract, or revoke (something said or written).
1483Vulgaria abs Terentio 29 J say & vnsay itt. 1557N.T. (Genev.) Acts xi. 18 note, That they were not ashamed to vnsay that wherof they had vniustely blamed Peter. 1571Golding Calvin on Ps. lxxiii. 1 They openly unsaid that which they had sayd afore. 1613T. Milles tr. Mexia's Treas. Anc. & Mod. T. II. 964/2 So shall you be sure, neuer to vnsay your owne words. 1687Reflect. on Hind & Panther 21 He has Face enough to say or unsay any thing. 1741Richardson Pamela III. 322 The less you said against her, the less you'd have to unsay. 1819Shelley Cenci iv. i. 137 For thine own sake unsay those dreadful words. 1884W. C. Smith Kildrostan 53 Yet you can speak thus calmly of unsaying All we have said.
transf.1745Akenside Odes Sev. Subjects, On Love x, Even now, While thus I preach the Stoic strain, Unless I shun Olympia's view, An hour unsays it all again.
b. intr. (Freq. in 17th cent.)
1575–85Abp. Sandys Serm. vii. 111 That it is good Christendome to lie, sweare, and forsweare, to say and vnsay to any. 1646Evance Noble Order 3 How can God be said to Say and unsay? 1692Washington tr. Milton's Def. Pop. ii. 43 Who would trust him..that in things of so great concern says and unsays without any consideration? 1878Spurgeon Treas. Dav. Ps. cxvi. 11 It is so much easier to say than to unsay.
Hence unˈsaying vbl. n.; unˈsayer.
1583Golding Calvin on Deut. clxxxix. 1177 Hee is no vnsaier as mortall men bee. 1647Hexham i. s.v., An Vnsaying of that which one hath spoken or written. 1669Stillingfl. Serm. x. (1673) 190 As though the unsaying what we had done..were abundant compensation..for the affronts. 1710Steele Tatler No. 178 ⁋2 A most happy art in saying and unsaying. 1856R. A. Vaughan Mystics xiii. i. II. 301 Such saying and unsaying is not convenient merely,..but in the highest degree artistic. |