| 释义 |
comfortably, adv.|ˈkʌmfətəblɪ|
[f. as prec. + -ly2.]
In a comfortable manner.
†1. So as to convey strength or support; encouragingly, reassuringly. Obs.
1494Fabyan cciv, Edmond..sped him towarde that parte of the felde, and behaued hym so comfortably amonges his men, that by his knyghtly courage, etc. 1678Bunyan Pilgr. i. 222 marg., Angels help us not comfortably through death.
†2. Delightfully, pleasantly (to the senses). Obs.
1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. viii. xiv. (1495) 320 Amonge all sterres Venus shynyth moost comfortably [gaudentius].
†3. With mental or spiritual enjoyment or content; pleasantly, happily. Obs.
1563Homilies ii. Matrimony (1859) 502 To live peaceably and comfortably in wedlock. 1652Bp. Hall Invis. World ii. §6 Charity, whereby she [the soul] is feelingly and comfortably possessed of Him [God]. 1758S. Hayward Serm. xvi. 492 It is..necessary..to our dying comfortably.
†4. In a comforting way; comfortingly, consolingly, cheeringly. Obs.
1599Massinger, etc. Old Law ii. ii, I have cause to weep too, But when I visit, I come comfortably. 1611Bible Isa. xl. 2 Speake ye comfortably to Ierusalem. 1682Bunyan Holy War 300 That he would look comfortably upon them. 1743J. Morris Serm. ii. 52 They will not speak comfortably to their brethren, but will relieve them in their distress.
5. a. In a way attended with comfort; in a state of comfort; with comfort (see comfort n. 6). Esp. in phr. comfortably off, well off, prosperous.
1634W. Wood New Eng. Prosp. i. x. (1860) 45 They live more comfortably and at less charges. 1719De Foe Crusoe (1840) II. i. 12 Enough of them as..might comfortably supply them for seven years. c1850Arab. Nts. (Rtldg.) 210 The miller..was very comfortably off. 1861Hughes Tom Brown at Oxf. i. (1889) 8 The chapel..just holds us all comfortably. 1884M. E. Braddon Ishmael xix, Decently fed, comfortably clad. 1893G. B. Shaw Imposs. Anarchism 24 You may, if you are a..comfortably-off person, think that the policeman..is the guardian of law and order. 1914C. Mackenzie Sinister St. II. iii. x. 707 I'm too comfortably off to worry much about anything. 1958J. Cannan And be a Villain i. 28 It's most soul-destroying to be comfortably off.
b. In a way expressing comfort or complacency; with placid self-satisfaction. (Cf. comfortable 10 b.)
1872Geo. Eliot Middlem. lxxxiv, ‘That is nice’, said Celia, comfortably.
Add:[5.] c. Without excessive effort; with ease, easily.
1932S. Gibbons Cold Comfort Farm xxiii. 304 The aeroplane..was taxi-ing comfortably to a standstill. 1937Burlington Mag. Oct. 195/1 Thus, such apparent mysteries as double crackle,..the achievement of peach bloom..are all comfortably disposed of. 1951I. Brown I break my Word 34 The common use of the adverb comfortably to mean easily can result in some surprising judgments...The doctor laid it down in giving his evidence that ‘a human body could be cut up comfortably in about half an hour’. 1957Times 6 Sept. 13/1 The English team coasted comfortably to a total of 246. 1971Farmers Weekly 19 Mar. 83/3 One man with the buckrake comfortably kept pace with a double-chop harvester. 1977Daily Mirror 15 Mar. 29/1 Very good effort to beat Isle of Man..comfortably by three lengths at Sandown..in January. |