| 释义 |
▪ I. overˈweening, vbl. n. Now rare.
[-ing1.]
The action of the verb overween.
1. Too great expectation, or opinion as to oneself; excessive self-importance; presumption, arrogance, self-conceit.
c1330R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 97 Als Anselme þe strif gan pes of þe duke & þe kyng, Com Roberd de Beleyse, þorgh his ouerwenyng, & passed hider ouer þe se. 1340Ayenb. 17 Þe uerste boȝ of prede: is ontreuþe... Þe bridde: ouerweninge. Þet we clepeþ presumcion. 1484Caxton Fables of æsop ii. xv, The Jaye..by his oultrecuydaunce or ouerwenynge wold haue gone and conuersed among the pecoks. 1592Davies Immort. Soul xxxiv. viii. (1714) 131 Take heed of Over-weening, and compare Thy Peacock's Feet with thy gay Peacock's Train. 1671Milton P.R. i. 147 He [Satan] might have learnt Less over-weening, since he fail'd in Job. 1742Richardson Pamela IV. 8 Half the Misunderstandings among marry'd People are owing to..mere Words, and little captious Follies, to Over-weenings, or unguarded Petulances.
2. A thinking too highly of something; excessive esteem, over-estimation.
1555J. Proctor Hist. Wyat's Reb. in Arb. Garner VIII. 72 Such overweening had they of themselves. 1614Raleigh Hist. World iii. (1634) 111 Who..failed at the last through too much over-weening of his owne wisedome. 1720Welton Suffer. Son of God II. xvii. 467 By a too great over-weening of their own perverse Will. 1808Coleridge Lett., to F. Jeffrey (1895) 536 An honest gentleman..having over-hurried the business through overweening of my simplicity and carelessness. 1827J. Fearn in Barker Parriana (1828) I. 557 note, Any overweening of my own strength to fly alone.
▪ II. overˈweening, ppl. a.
[f. as prec. + -ing2.]
1. Of a person: That thinks, expects, or has an opinion, beyond what is reasonable or just; overconfident or sanguine in one's own opinion; conceited, arrogant, presumptuous, self-opinionated.
1340Ayenb. 169 Mochel is he fol and ouerweninde, þet wyþ-oute ouercominge abit to habbe þe coroune. c1489Caxton Blanchardyn xlviii. 186 Olde vnfamouse myschaunt, how arte thou soo folyshe and so ouerwenynge as for to wene to haue her. 1591Shakes. Two Gent. iii. i. 157 Goe base Intruder, ouer-weening Slaue, Bestow thy fawning smiles on equall mates. 1605Play Stucley in Sch. Shaks. I. 238 But generally I censure th' English thus—Hardy but rash, witty but overweaning. 1690Locke Hum. Und. iv. xix. §7 The Conceits of a warm'd or over-weening Brain. 1703Rowe Ulyss. i. i, O'erweening, Insolent, Unmanner'd Slave. 1873M. Arnold Lit. & Dogma (1876) 185 Its professors are nevertheless bold, overweening, and even abusive, in maintaining their criticism against all questioners.
fig.1599Broughton's Lett. iv. 14 Your..attendant..doth play her part, with a cup of ouerweening liquour, hauing..intoxicated your..braine.
2. Of opinion, estimate, pretension, desire, etc.: Conceited; excessive, exaggerated, too high.
c1489Caxton Blanchardyn xxii. 72 Grete foly it is to youre doughters to haue such an ouerwenyng [Fr. oultrecuidant] wylle. 1595Daniel Civ. Wars iii. xxxvi, Whose mind not wonne With th'over-weening thought of hot excesse. 1604E. G[rimstone] D'Acosta's Hist. Indies vii. xiv. 535 The vanquished..with many teares craved pardon of their overweening follie. 1640Bp. Hall Episc. iii. viii. 260 To be led by the nose, with..an over-weening opinion of some persons, whom you thinke you have cause to honour. 1712Budgell Spect. No. 307 ⁋14 The over-weening Fondness of a Parent. 1729Franklin Ess. Wks. 1840 II. 43 An overweening desire of sudden wealth. 1850Prescott Peru II. 355 Pizarro..cannot be charged with manifesting any overweening solicitude for the propagation of the Faith. 1879M. Arnold Democracy in Mixed Ess. 15 Her airs of superiority and her overweening pretensions.
Hence overˈweeningly adv.; -ˈweeningness.
1611Cotgr., Oultrecuidamment, ouer-weeningly, presumptuously, arrogantly. 1621Bp. R. Montagu Diatribæ 28 By turning our fingers home vpon our selues..make our selues for ouer-weeningnesse, the ordinary by-word of other mens tongues. 1634C. Downing State Eccles. Kingd. 27 The Florentine is so overweaningly wise. 1877Morley Crit. Misc. Ser. ii. 390 It is over-weeningness and self-confident will that are the chief notes of Macaulay's style. 1882Society 30 Dec. 18/2 You are sometimes described as over⁓weeningly self-sufficient. |