| 释义 |
peevish, a.|ˈpiːvɪʃ|
Forms: 4 peyuesshe, 5–6 peuysh, 6 peuis(s)h(e, -ische, -ys(s)he, -yche, -ess, piuish(e, -isshe, pyuysshe, pieuish(e, pewech, peeuish(e, -esh, 7 pevish, pievish, 7– peevish.
[First evidenced in end of 14th c., but rare before 1500. Derivation unknown. The exact sense of the adj. in many of the early quots. is difficult to fix, and the following treatment is in many respects only provisional.
None of the etymological conjectures hitherto offered are compatible with the sense-history.]
†1. Silly, senseless, foolish. Obs.
1393Langl. P. Pl. C. ix. 151 And bad hym ‘go pisse with hus plouh, peyuesshe shrewe!’ [A. vii. 143 pillede screwe; B. vi. 157 for-pyned schrewe]. 1519W. Horman Vulg. 21 b, Some make serche and dyuynacion by water, some by basyns,..some by coniuryng of a soule, and suche other: and al be acurst or pyuysshe [partim execrabilia, partim mera ludibria]. 1529More Dyaloge iv. Wks. 271/1 The piuishe pleasure of the vayne prayse puffed oute of poore mortall mens mouthes. 1542Udall Erasm. Apoph. 94 b, To laugh such a peuishe trifleyng argument to skorne. 1565Jewel Def. Apol. (1567) 669 That whole tale..is nothing els, but a peeuishe fable. c1586C'tess Pembroke Ps. xlix. v, These, whose race approves their peeuish waie [1611 This their way is their folly]. 1633Ford 'Tis Pity v. iii, This is your peevish chattering, weak old man! 1676Doctrine of Devils 56 Christ did his Miracles among a peevish, foolish, sottish people, (as the World accounted them).
†b. Beside oneself; out of one's senses; mad.
1523Skelton Garl. Laurel 266 Some tremblid, some girnid, some gaspid, some gasid, As people halfe peuysshe, or men that were masyd. 1548Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Acts xii. 15 [They] aunswered to the mayden, Surely thou arte peuyshe. 1578Lyte Dodoens iii. lxxvii. 426 Suche as by taking of poyson, are become peeuishe or without vnderstanding. 1591Lyly Endym. i. i, There was neuer any so peeuish to imagin the Moone eyther capable of affection, or shape of a Mistris.
†2. Spiteful, malignant, mischievous, harmful.
1468[implied in peevishness 2]. a1500Chester Pl. viii. 317 Alas! what presumption shold move that peeuish page, or any eluish gedling to take from me my crowne? 1513Douglas æneis xi. xiv. 111 This ilk Aruns..thys pewech man of weir..schuke in hand hys oneschewabill speir. 1567Harman Caveat Ep. Ded. 2 b, Their peuish peltinge and pickinge practyses. 1568Grafton Chron. II. 176 In derision of the king, they made certaine peeuishe and mocking rymes which I passe ouer. 1570Levins Manip. 145/42 Peuish, prauus. 1601? Marston Pasquil & Kath. ii. 245 This crosse, this peeuish hap, Strikes dead my spirits like a thunder-clap.
b. In mod. dial. Of the wind: Piercing, ‘shrewd’.
1828Craven Gloss. (ed. 2), Peevish, piercing, very cold; a peevish wind. 1863Mrs. Toogood Yorksh. Dial., The wind is very peevish to night.
†3. An epithet of dislike, hostility, disparagement, contempt, execration, etc., expressing the speaker's feeling rather than any quality of the object referred to. Obs. Cf. mod. plaguy, wretched, etc.
1513Douglas æneis xi. viii. 78 For thou sal neuer los..Be my wappin nor this richt hand of myne, Sik ane pevyche and cative saule as thyne [Nunquam animam talem dextra hac..amittes]. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. ccclxi. 587 Sirs, howe is it thus..that this peuysshe douehouse holdeth agaynst vs so longe? 1534More Comf. agst. Trib. Wks. 1185 The wolf..spyed a fayre cowe in a close... as for yonder peeuish cowe semeth vnto me in my conscience worth not half a grot. a1548Hall Chron., Hen. VI 115 Such..craftie imageners, as this peuishe painted Puzel was.
†4. Perverse, refractory, froward; headstrong, obstinate; self-willed, skittish, capricious, coy. Obs.
1539Cranmer Great Bible Pref., Not onely foolyshe frowarde and obstinate but also peuysshe, peruerse and indurate. a1553Udall Royster D. ad fin., These women be all suche madde pieuish elues, They wyll not be woonne except it please them selues. 1589Nashe Anat. Absurd. 39 Nothing is so great an enemie to a sounde iudgment, as the pride of a peeuish conceit. 1591Shakes. Two Gent. v. ii. 49 This it is to be a peeuish girle, That flies her fortune when it followes her. 1621Bp. R. Montagu Diatribæ 515 Diana, evermore a peevish angry goddesse. 1623Webster Duchess of Malfi iii. ii, We read how Daphne, for her peevish flight, Became a fruitless bay-tree. a1655Vines Lords Supp. (1677) 269 It would be unnatural and pievish in a child to forsake his mother. 1671H. Foulis Hist. Rom. Treas. (1681) 23 Birds were not so shie and peevish formerly.
5. Morose, querulous, irritable, ill-tempered, childishly fretful.
a. Of persons.
In early quots. often referred to as the result of religious austerities, fasting, and the like.
c1530Hickscorner D iij, And I sholde do after youre schole, To lerne to patter to make me peuysshe. 1596Shakes. Merch. V. i. i. 86 Why should a man whose bloud is warme within, Sit like his Grandsire, cut in Alabaster?..and creep into the laundies By being peeuish? 1653Jer. Taylor Serm. for Year xxxix, Some men fast to mortifie their lust: and their fasting makes them peevish. 1708Swift Abolit. Chr., Excellent materials to keep children quiet when they grow peevish. 1742Young Nt. Th. ii. 175 Body and soul, like peevish man and wife, United jar, and yet are loth to part. 1862Sir B. Brodie Psychol. Inq. II. iii. 77 One whose state of health renders him fretful and peevish in his own family.
b. Of personal qualities, actions, etc.: Characterized by or exhibiting petty vexation.
1577Fulke Answ. True Christian 89 Without any contention of peuishe enuie. 1650Fuller Pisgah iv. iii. 57 Gods providence on purpose permitted Moses to fall into this peevish passion [at Kadesh]. 1711Steele Spect. No. 107 ⁋1 Unapt to vent peevish Expressions. 1822Hazlitt Table-t. II. iv. 73 With a peevish whine in his voice like a beaten school-boy.
†c. Const. to, with. Obs. rare.
1655in Nicholas Papers (Camden) III. 128 He is uery peuish to Mr. Ouerton and will tell him uery litle. 1697Floyer Cold Baths i. iii. (1700) 61 The People grew peevish with all Ancient Ceremonies.
†6. See quot. (Perhaps some error.)
1674Ray N.C. Words, Peevish, witty, subtill.
7. in advb. constr. = peevishly.
a1529Skelton El. Rummyng 589 She was not halfe so wyse As she was peuysshe nyse [= foolishly particular]. [1594Shakes. Rich. III, iv. iv. 417 (Qo. 1, 1597) Be not pieuish, fond in great designes. Qo. 2 peeuish, fond; Qos. 3–8 peeuish fond; Folios peeuish found; Malone conjectured peevish-fond, the reading adopted in mod. edd.] |