| 释义 |
rueful, a.|ˈruːfʊl|
Forms: 3 reowful, 3–5 rewful(l, 4–5 reweful; 3–4 reufol, 4–5 -ful(l, 5 rouful; 4–8 ruful(l, 5 rufol, 6 ruifull, 7– rueful.
[f. rue n.1 + -ful.]
1. Exciting sorrow or compassion; pitiable, lamentable; doleful, dismal.
In the contexts illustrated under b, c, d, the sense passes into ‘expressive of sorrow or dejection’.
a1240Ureisun in O.E. Hom. I. 187 Bitweone þine rewfulle earmes on þe rode. 1297R. Glouc. Chron. (Rolls) 6709 Þe erl godwine..let smite of hor alre heued, & made a reufol dom. c1330Arth. & Merl. 6232 (Kölbing), Þe kniȝtes of þe rounde table..Com to þis reweful bataile. c1385Chaucer L.G.W. 1838 Lucrece, She hem tolde This rewful case. c1449Pecock Repr. i. xvi. 86 In this wise..bifille the rewful and wepeable destruccioun of the worthi citee and vniuersite of Prage. 1470–85Malory Morte Arth. x. viii. 425 Hit is an honderd parte more reufullyr than my herte can vtter. 1559Mirr. Mag., Jack Cade xxi, All men reioicing at the rufull sight. 1582Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 55 Euery house, eech temple with ruful slaughter aboundeth. 1613Purchas Pilgr. (1614) 546 Grinding the face of their poore tenants in ruefull manner. 1687Death's Vision ix, The Rufull Ills and World from whence I Came! 1742Blair Grave 12 How dark Thy long-extended realms, and rueful wastes! 1797F. Burney Let. 8 Jan., Our adventures in coming back..were rather rueful. 1812J. Wilson Isle of Palms ii. 90 Not even one rueful plank is seen, To tell that a vessel hath ever been. 1885Manch. Weekly Times 20 June 5/5 The Conservative Opposition..was in a rueful plight, crushed by a great defeat.
b. Of cries or utterance.
a1225Leg. Kath. 162 Þeotinde unþuldeliche wið reowfule reames. a1300Cursor M. 20129 Til him scho cald wit reufull steuen. 1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) I. 317 In þat place beeþ..i-herd reweful voys and gronynge. c1400Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483) iii. iii. 52 Myn Aungell speke to these spirites that maden this reuful crye. 1572J. Bossewell Armorie ii. 56 b, [The cat] maketh a rufull noyse, and a gastefull, when one profereth to fighte with another. 1593Breton Daff. & Prim., Asp. Wks. (Grosart) I. 21/1 But yow that rede this ruifull verse, consider of his care. 1648J. Beaumont Psyche viii. ccli, In vain the skies And stones they rent with ruful Exclamations. 1671Milton Samson 1553 The accident was loud, & here before thee With rueful cry. 1748Thomson Cast. Indol. ii. xliv, Alarm'd, the inferior demons of the place Rais'd rueful shrieks and hideous yells around.
c. Of looks, features, or actions.
a1300Cursor M. 14301 Lazar freindes..cried and mad a reuful chere. c1400Beryn 3525 He stode al abasshid,..And lokid oppon the Steward with a rewful cher. a1547Surrey æneid ii. B ij, Before mine eies, me thought, With rufull chere I sawe where Hector stood. 1636E. Dacres tr. Machiavel's Disc., Livy II. 492 They usd to accompany them in a rufull manner, clad in blacke, and all sorrowfull. 1684Otway Atheist ii, That face..o'er grown with rueful beard. 1728Pope Dunc. ii. 142 Piteous of his case, Yet smiling at his ruful length of face. 1781F. Burney Diary 2 June, He suddenly called out, and with a most rueful face,—‘Oh, certainly’ [etc.]. 1806J. Beresford Miseries Hum. Life v. i, As you had augured from the rueful bow of the speaker. 1835W. Irving Tour Prairies 136, I looked after him with a rueful eye as he limped off. 1877Black Green Past. xliii, With a rueful smile.
d. Of persons.
c1386Chaucer Knt.'s T. 2028 Of wepyng Emelye, The rewfullest of al the companye. 14..Pistill of Susan 341 (I.), Þen þat rewful charle began for to rore. c1440Promp. Parv. 439/1 Rufulle, and fulle of peyne and desese, Anglice, a caytyf,..dolorosus, penosus. 1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 306 b, Now may I take and drawe out of thy moost rewfull brest the paynfull drynke of sorowe. 1650Milton Eikon. (ed. 2) 14 Those ruefull Preists whom Eliah mock'd. 1692Walker tr. Epictetus lv, Joy in a nimble moment ends its Race And rueful, pale Repentance takes its Place. 1742Young Nt. Th. ii. 144 And all mankind,..Rueful, aghast! cry out at his career. 1759Goldsm. Bee No. 8 ⁋16 This rueful figure frightens a child into the palpitation of the heart. 1807Wordsw. White Doe ii. 23 Full soon to be uplifted high, And float in rueful company. 1855Motley Dutch Rep. v. v. (1866) 752 ‘Take them away; take them home again’ said the rueful burgomaster. 1863Kingsley Water Bab. v, Very rueful they looked.
transf.1697W. Dampier Voy. (1699) 415 The Sky looked very black and rueful.
Comb.1844Kinglake Eothen iii, Some rueful-looking fellows came rapidly shambling down the steps.
†2. Full of pity or compassion. Obs.
a1300E.E. Psalter cxi[i]. 4 [God is] Mildeherte and rewfulle and rightwis. a1325Prose Psalter cxl[i]v. 8 Our Lord is rewful and merciable. 1377Langl. P. Pl. B. xiv. 148 Criste..shal..rewarde alle dowble ricchesse, þat reuful hertes habbeth. a1400Cast. Love 378 (H.), Mercies herte so rufull is. c1440Promp. Parv. 439/1 Ruful, or ful of ruthe and pyte, pieticus, compassivus.
Hence † ruefulhead, compassion. Obs.—1
1338R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 263 Þorgh pite mykelle he les, & reufulhed of herte. |