| 释义 |
needful, a. (and n.)|ˈniːdfʊl|
Forms: 2–4 néod-, 2 níed-, (4 nud-), 3–6 ned-, (5 nedde-), 4–6 nede-, Sc. neid(e-, 4–7 neede-, (6 nyd-, nide-, nead-), 4, 6– need-. Also 3–5 -fol, 4–7 -full(e, (5 -ffull).
[f. need n. + -ful.]
1. Of persons: Needy, necessitous. Now rare.
a. Used absolutely. (Chiefly as pl.)
a1175Cott. Hom. 217 Heo is..mancenne hiht and hope, richtwisen strenhcþe, and niedfulle frouer. c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 9 Gief þe nedfulle, help þe hauelease. 13..Cursor M. 103 (Gött.), Lady scho is of ledes all,..To nedefull neist on to call. c1386Chaucer Pars. T. ⁋958 If þou may not visite þe needful wiþ þy persone; visite by þy message. c1440Jacob's Well 252 Tyl þou forȝyue þine enemyis, & haue pyte on þe nedefull. c1510Barclay Mirr. Gd. Manners (1570) D ij, If he haue plentie of riches and treasour He parteth it abrode to nedefull with honour. 1535Coverdale Ecclus. xxxiv. 21 The bred of the nedefull is the life of the poore.
b. In attributive or predicative use.
a1300Cursor M. 12852 A nedful wreche here am i hidd. 1387E.E. Wills (1882) 1 Y be-quethe x.s. to the most nedful men. c1450Myrc Festial (E.E.T.S.) 15 He departyd his good yn þre partyes; on to wydows..; anoþyr to þo þat wern pore and nedfull. 1523Test. Ebor. (Surtees) V. 166 The most nedfull poore people in the said townnes. 1586T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. (1589) 305 After he understood that the saide Nicanor was a needfull fellow..he sent him a rich present. 1631R. Brathwait Whimzies, Exchange-man 38 Our nicer Dames bestow that upon trifles, which might support a needfull family. 1822Galt Provost xxx, [To] distribute it in the winter to needful families.
2. a. Of circumstances, occasions, etc.: Characterized by need, necessity, or straits. Now rare.
c1250Gen. & Ex. 2130 And .vij. oðere [years] sulen after ben, Sori and nedful men sulen is sen. c1440Generydes 60 [He] his goodis is redy to purvaye For good people in euery nedefull case. c1480Childe of Bristowe 153 in Hazl. E.P.P. I. 116 Thu so sone failest me at my nedeful day. 1540Bible (Cranmer) Ps. x. 1 Why..hydest [thou] thy face in that neadefull tyme of trouble? 1585–6Earl of Leicester Corr. (Camden) 190 To recommend to your lordships the nedefull estate of the captains and souldiers here. 1814Wordsw. White Doe iii. 267 A Cause, which on a needful day Would breed us thousands brave as they.
†b. Standing in need of something, also ellipt.; requiring to do something. Obs.
1432Rolls of Parlt. IV. 405/1 A place..full nedefull of grete reparation. 1561T. Hoby tr. Castiglione's Courtyer i. (1577) D j b, A manne woulde weene hee were more meete to teache, than needefull to learne. 1606N. Riding Rec. I. 52 The highway to be amended and repayred in all places needfull.
3. a. Requisite, necessary, indispensable. Also const. to or for the person or thing concerned.
a1340Hampole Psalter iv. 8 Whet, wyne, and oile..are mast nedful til mannys oise. 1362Langl. P. Pl. A. i. 21 Heore nomes beth neodful and nempnen hem I thenke. 1452in Gross Gild Merch. (1890) II. 66 Statutes nedffull & profytabille for þe sayd bretherhed. 1545Brinklow Compl. xxiv. (1874) 62 We myght doo any nedeful busynesse vpon the Sunday. 1583Golding Calvin on Deut. xxxix. 232 Yet is that lesson needfuller than the former. 1612Woodall Surg. Mate Wks. (1653) 29 It is a needful Emplaster in the Surgeons Chest. 1697Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 480 The Fleece..Is dearly sold; but not for needful use. 1742Young Nt. Th. ix. 483 The winter is as needful as the spring. 1808Scott Marm. i. xxii, [He is] The needfulest among us all When time hangs heavy in the hall. 1868E. Edwards Ralegh I. iii. 38 Stern retaliation of this sort was probably seen to be needful.
b. With complementary infin. clause. Now rare.
c1340Hampole Prose Tr. 22 Occupacion and besynes of the worlde which ar nedefulle to vsen. 1377Langl. P. Pl. B. xix. 20 Ergo is no name..so nedeful to nempne by nyȝte ne by daye. 1560J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 111 They wold take further advisement, what were than nedeful to be done. 1582N. Lichefield tr. Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. i. iii. 8 b, Other things also which were necessarye and needfull to be looked unto.
c. it is needful that or to (with inf.).
1340Hampole Pr. Consc. 3168 Nedeful it es, Þat sorow war als mykel and na les For ilka syn. a1400Pistill of Susan 266 Hit is nedful nou þi names to nempne. 1500–20Dunbar Poems xv. 26 Nocht neidfull is men sowld be dum. 1593Shakes. 3 Hen. VI, iv. vi. 53 It is more then needfull Forthwith that Edward be pronounced a Traytor. 1657Sparrow Bk. Com. Prayer (1661) 33 Needful it is that the Church should call upon us for this duty. 1796H. Hunter tr. St.-Pierre's Stud. Nat. (1799) III. 680 But is it needful to recur to authority when we have that of Nature? 1879S. C. Bartlett Egypt to Pal. xiii. 295 It is needful to be cautious.
4. a. the needful, what is necessary or requisite. Esp. in phr. to do the needful.
1709Steele Tatler No. 78 ⁋7 If you want any further Particulars..let me know, and per first will advise the needful. 1710J. Lovett Let. 1 Apr. in M. M. Verney Verney Lett. (1930) I. xii. 210 Waiting on proper persons and doing the needful in all places. 1771Foote Maid of B. ii. Wks. 1799 II. 224 Lady Cath... Prepare the minister and aw the rest of the tackle...Flint... I will straight set about getting the needful. 1822M. Edgeworth Let. 27 Jan. (1971) 338, I resolved to write..only 3 or 4 lines just to say the needful. 1831Scott Jrnl. 24 Apr. (1946) 164 Young Clarkson had already done the needful—that is had bled & blisterd severely, and placed me on a very restrictd diet.
b. colloq. The necessary funds; money, cash.
1774Foote Cozeners iii. Wks. 1799 II. 187 Mrs. Air... You have the needful? Air. All but five hundred pounds. 1794Washington in Bulletin N.Y. Publ. Lib. I. 209 As you had acknowledged the receipt of the needful for purchasing the Buck Wh[eat]. 1822Scott in Lockhart Life (1837) V. 236, I will send the needful when you apprise me of the amount total. 1855C. Brontë Professor vi, To live I must have ‘the needful’, which I can only get by working. 1891Daily News 28 Oct. 5/7 A few friends supply the needful, which is about a hundred a year.
5. n. A necessary thing.
1856H. O. Conant Eng. Bible Transl. ii. (1881) 14 Should the worthy friends..replenish his empty wallet with such needfuls as they could spare. 1865Mrs. Whitney Gayworthys II. 127 Landy came over early with..a parcel—Say's dress for the Sunday and other needfuls. |