| 释义 |
viciousness|ˈvɪʃəsnɪs|
Also 5 vycyows-, 6 vycyous-, vyciousness(e, 6–8 (9) vitiousness, etc.
[f. vicious a. + -ness.]
The character or quality of being vicious.
1. Inclination or addiction to vice or immorality; depravity of life or conduct.
1440J. Shirley Dethe K. James (1818) 5 He wexe full of viciousness yn his lyvyng. c1440Promp. Parv. 510/1 .Vycyowsnesse, viciositas. 1509Barclay Shyp of Folys Prol. a vij b, Whan this Socrates perceyued the mindes of men to be prone & extremely inclyned to viciousnes, he had gret affeccion to subdue suche maners. 1561T. Norton Calvin's Inst. ii. 72 We bring with vs from the womb of our mother a vitiousnesse planted in our begetting. 1598Marston Sco. Villanie ii. vii. 203 Marke those: for naught, but such lewd viciousnes, Ere graced him. 1615G. Sandys Trav. 218 Venus,..their goddesse of viciousnesse. 1655Fuller Ch. Hist. ii. 99 Now began the Saxons to be infected with an universall Vitiousnesse. 1736Butler Anal. i. iii. 72 The..advantage..is gained by the action itself, not by the morality, the virtuousness or viciousness of it. 1796Bp. Watson Apol. Bible 379 Some men have been warped to infidelity by viciousness of life. 1838Dickens Nich. Nick. xliv, I never will supply that man's extravagances and viciousness. 1892Tennyson Foresters iii. i, These be the lies the people tell of us, Because we seek to curb their viciousness.
transf.1583B. Melbancke Philotimus K iv b, Hatefull viciousnes in wordes, and hurtfull loosenes in life.
b. Tendency, on the part of animals, to be savage or refractory.
1774Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1824) I. 383 In..this country..they [sc. stags] are become less common than formerly; its excessive viciousness during the rutting season..inducing most people to part with the species. 1775Adair Amer. Indians 427 The young ambitious heroes ascribed the whole disaster to the viciousness of my horse, saying ‘he was mad’. 1818Ranken Hist. France IV. iv. iii. §2. 267 If the owner of it [sc. an animal] swore falsely..that he was ignorant of its viciousness. 1847T. Brown Mod. Farriery 372 It is not an unfrequent occurrence for horses in harness to back instead of drawing when first started, and some add to this considerable viciousness. 1908Animal Managem. 81 A playful habit of snatching at the man whilst being groomed which some horses display, may not come under the head of viciousness.
c. Maliciousness, spitefulness.
1879Huxley Hume ii. viii. 159 One feels ashamed of having suspected many excellent persons of being moved by mere malice and viciousness of temper to call other folks atheists.
2. The quality of being faulty or defective.
1601Deacon & Walker Spirits & Divels 90 The absence, the vitiousnesse, the depriuation or fault of some other thing. 1642Fuller Holy & Prof. St. ii. xvii. 114 Then the low value shews the viciousnesse of it. 1687M. Clifford Notes on Dryden's Poems iv. 13, I intended to have made no more Animadversions upon the viciousness of your Style. 1752Carte Hist. Eng. (1755) III. 763 The arret above mentioned being repealed, these conservators were to judge of the goodness or viciousness of cloths.
†b. Faultiness or badness in respect of physical constitution. Obs.
1669Sturmy Mariner's Mag. v. xii. 67 The Brimstone will burn up the gross victiousness [sic] of the Salt-peter. 1706Stevens Span. Dict. i, Vicio,..Rankness, Viciousness in Land, or the like.
3. Improper or illegal procedure.
1802–12Bentham Ration. Judic. Evid. (1827) II. 458 In the cases above brought to view, as cases of unfairness or vitiousness. |