| 释义 |
man of the world
†a. A secular person (obs.).
b. In religious use (after Ps. xvii. 14), a worldly or irreligious person.
c. A man who is instructed and experienced in the ways of the world and is prepared to accept its conventions.
c1200Vices & Virtues 7 Ȝif menn of ðe world hes healdeð for hali menn. 1535Coverdale Ps. xvi[i]. 14 From the men off the worlde, which haue their portion in this life [so 1611; the Prayer-book version differs]. 1749Fielding Tom Jones xiv. viii, This gentleman whom Mr Jones now visited, was what they call a man of the world; that is to say, a man who directs his conduct in this world as one, who being fully persuaded there is no other, is resolved to make the most of this. 1778F. Burney Early Diary (1889) II. 244 A true, fashionable, unprincipled man of the world. 1876L. Stephen Hrs. in Library (Ser. ii.) 209 Butler's sadness..is that of a recluse, and Johnson's that of a man of the world. 1891Spectator 31 Jan. 164/1 Lord Hannen has always shown himself, in the best sense of the word, a man of the world.
attrib. in pl.c1823Byron To Mrs. ― in Moore Life & Lett. (1860) 574 All my others are men-of-the-world friendships.
Hence man-of-the-worldish a., man-of-the-worldism, man-of-the-worldly a. (whence man-of-the-worldliness).
1867Contemp. Rev. VI. 394 A wide-awake, man-of-the-world-ish commonsense. 1868Ibid. VII. 132 This bred in him a sort of cynical man-of-the-worldism. 1890Academy 27 Sept. 268/2 The man-of-the-worldly sagacity of Teddy Rudall. 1891Saintsbury tr. Scherer's Ess. 218 Beaconsfield..has less substance, but more man-of-the-worldliness. |