| 释义 |
inutile, a.|ɪnˈjuːtɪl|
Also 5–6 -yle, 7 -ill.
[a. F. inutile, ad. L. inūtil-is, f. in- (in-3) + ūtilis useful. Orig. prob. stressed inuˈtile, but iˈnutile in A. Hume 1590.
It appears to have gone out of use, except as an occasional Gallicism, before 1700, and is marked as obsolete in Dicts.; but of recent years it has come into use again, perh. as a re-adoption from French.]
Useless, of no service, unprofitable.
1484Caxton Fables of æsop iii. vii, Despreyse and flee al synne and vyce, Whiche ben inutyle harmeful and dommageable. 1490― Eneydos iv. 19 This is but lytyll prowesse to the..vpon a deed corps to take vengeaunce soo Inutyle. a1533Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) K k b, They haue aredyed the mylle, and..left it inutile. 1590A. Hume Hymns, etc. (1832) 5 And did the tung inutile heill Of Zacharie that was dum. 1649Evelyn Liberty & Servit. iv. Misc. Writ. (1805) 19 Their journey was not altogether inutill. 1677Gale Crt. Gentiles iv. Pref., I am no friend to those vexatiose, contentiose, and inutile Disputes of these times. 1756Gray Lett. xci. (1819) II. 10 (Stanf.) Having been in a very listless, unpleasant, and inutile state of mind. 1862Mrs. H. Wood Mrs. Hallib. II. xxiv. 288 Before she could oppose any answering, but most inutile [ed. 1890 useless] argument. 1884Evangelical Mag. Feb. 49 Are our Christian temples..beautiful but inutile? 1894Daily News 12 June 5/6 Another..member rising to carry on an obviously inutile conversation.
Hence iˈnutilely adv., uselessly.
1491Caxton Vitas Patr. (W. de W. 1495) ii. 247 b/1 The moneye whiche was alredy inutylly spende. |