| 释义 |
unˈwieldiness
[f. unwieldy a.]
1. The quality of being incontrollable or unrestrainable; indocility.
1571Golding Calvin on Ps. iii. 5 Such as either blame fortune, or..with vnruly rage power out the vnweeldinesse of their sorow. a1680Charnock Attrib. God (1682) 173 The more unwieldiness there is in our Spirits, the more carnal our affections are in worship, the more evidence there is of the strength of that revolted state.
†2. The state or condition of being weak or feeble; weakness, infirmity. Obs.
1575Fenton Gold. Epist. (1582) 263 This age of vnweldiness beginnes at fiftie yeares. 1610Healey St. Aug. Citie of God xix. iv. 757 Strength, beauty, vigour and actiuity, are all subuerted by..sicknesse, faintnesse, and vnweeldinesse. 1698Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 306 The South Wind..brings Listlessness and an Unweildiness over the whole Body. 1737Swift Let. to J. Temple Feb., She is quite sunk with years and unwieldiness, as well as a very scanty support.
transf.1651H. More Enthus. Tri. (1662) 4 The enormous strength of Imagination (which is yet the Soul's weaknesse or unwieldinesse).
3. Awkwardness or clumsiness in respect of bulk, build, or movement; esp. awkward corpulence; clumsy size or vastness.
1577B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. iv. 163 b, Columella would haue you keepe for euery gander, three geese, thinking by reason of their vnweldynesse, this number to suffise. 1612T. Taylor Comm. Titus iii. 1 Who is he that carrieth flesh about with him, that findeth not the heauinesse and vnweldines of it vnto any thing that is good? 1665Glanvill Scepsis Sci. xi. 62 The supposed unwieldiness of its massie bulk. 1709Addison Tatler No. 116 ⁋5 The Weight and Unweildiness of the Garment. 1712― Spect. No. 464 ⁋5 Poverty..preserving them from Gouts, Dropsies, Unwieldiness, and Intemperance. 1794G. Adams Nat. & Exp. Philos. III. 271 If we should suppose animals vastly large,..a heaviness and unwieldiness would arise which [etc.] 1809Med. Jrnl. XXI. 115 An unwieldiness in motion and hurried respiration when walking. 1850Kingsley A. Locke xxxvi, At last, after days of painful crawling, I dragged my unwieldiness to the tree foot. 1879Cassell's Techn. Educ. II. 165/2 In the ordinary descriptions of field-carriages the weight and unwieldiness of the trail alone would be a serious objection to such a method of draught.
fig.a1631Donne Love's Diet 1 To what a combersome unwieldinesse And burdenous corpulence my love had growne. 1673R. Allestree Lady's Call ii. iii. §12. 219 Greatness is now grown to such an unweildiness, that it cannot stoop tho to the most Christian Offices.
transf.a1677Barrow Serm. (1678) 3 Whatever evil..backwardness, inhability, unwieldiness and confusion of thought beget, Wisdom prevents. 1774[W. Mitford] Ess. Harmony Lang. 132 This line has also been admired for its expressive unwieldiness. Its form is..by no means peculiarly suited to give the idea of unwieldiness. 1866Dickens Mugby Junction ii, With that absurd sense of unwieldiness of mind and body weighing him down. 1875Helps Soc. Press. iii. 48 The largeness, the unwieldiness, and the temporary nature of habitation in these great centres of population.
4. The condition or character of being difficult to guide, direct, or control by reason of extent or size. Also fig.
1599Sandys Europæ Spec. (1605) V 1, Since that is great properly which is great in the actions, which one as often impeacheth by vnwildinesse in the bigge, as by weakenesse in the little. 1600Hakluyt Voy. III. 79 Considering the swift course and way of the ships, and the vnwieldinesse of them to stay and turne as a man would wish. 1610Holland Camden's Brit. i. 696 The disordered vnwealdinesse of their owne armie. 1764Burn Poor Laws 226 The objections against county workhouses..seem to require peculiar attention. There is something of unwieldiness in the prospect. 1809Malkin Gil Blas ix. i. ⁋7 Noted for the unwieldiness of their ambition. a1873Lytton Pausanias i. v, Armies too large rot by their own unwieldiness into decay. 1898‘Merriman’ Roden's Corner ii, The unwieldiness of the empire. |