| 释义 |
sombrous, a.|ˈsɒmbrəs|
[f. F. sombre sombre a. + -ous. Cf. obs. F. sombreux, Sp. and Pg. sombroso.]
Sombre; of a sombre character or aspect.
1. Of inanimate natural objects and their attributes. Cf. sombre a. 1.
c1730Burt Lett. N. Scotl. (1822) I. 286 Their..horrid gloom, made yet more sombrous by the shades..they communicate one to another. 1787–9Wordsw. Evening Walk 156 Where..the sombrous pine And yew-tree o'er the silver rocks recline. 1803Forest of Hohenelbe I. 50 The long sombrous avenue that led to the front of the Castle. 1833M. Scott Tom Cringle xiv, The fast falling shades of evening were deepened by the sombrous shadow of the immense tree overhead. 1889P. H. Emerson Eng. Idyls 47 Ghostly loomed the baleful wreck and sombrous beacons of the channel.
absol.1862D. G. F. Macdonald Brit. Columbia 332 The whole territory..is endowed with savage beauty.., and extremely interesting to the lover of the sombrous.
2. a. Of persons, etc. Cf. sombre a. 2.
1792Childr. Thespis 49 When once in a moon Sombrous John condescends..to glad all his friends. 1799Mrs. J. West Tale of Times II. 36 Smothered discontent often made him meet..inquiries..with the sombrous brow of sorrow. 1802― Infidel Father I. 136 Though the sombrous air of melancholy never after left his face. 1834Campbell Mrs. Siddons II. viii. 200 Kemble, [acting] on this occasion, was uncommonly sombrous.
b. Of thoughts, feelings, etc. Cf. sombre a. 2 b.
1751Warburton Pope's Wks. III. 190 A poor despicable superstition, a low sombrous passion. 1771–2Ess. fr. Batchelor (1773) I. 239 His dull sombrous imagination rendered him incapable of varying his ideas on any subject. 1817J. Evans Excurs. Windsor, etc. 373 Under these sombrous feelings, even at this early period of life [etc.]. 1834Campbell Mrs. Siddons II. iii. 78 A serious temper, somewhat inclined to be sombrous.
3. Of abstract ideas, conditions, etc.
1750Warburton Doct. Grace i. Wks. 1811 VIII. 293 A sparkling luxuriancy of thought, and a sombrous rankness of expression. 1778Warton Hist. Eng. Poetry III. xxvii. 150 A certain uniform strain of sombrous gravity. 1795Southey To Lycon, The venom'd juice will..Lull reason's powers to sombrous sleep. 1820Ann. Reg. II. 724 The future for Spain appears again under a sombrous and disturbed aspect.
4. Of colours or colouring. Also transf. Cf. sombre a. 4.
1792S. Rogers Pleasures of Mem. ii. 167 Time's sombrous touches soon correct the piece. 1797T. Park Sonn. 95 Let him in sombrous colours paint her lot. 1802Mrs. J. West Infidel Father I. p. iii, The episodical characters have a use besides relieving the sombrous hue of the principal personages.
b. = sombre a. 4 b.
1799Mrs. J. West Tale of Times I. 212 The messenger..found the castle attired in the most sombrous weeds of woe.
5. Comb., as sombrous-looking adj.
1802Mrs. J. West Infidel Father II. 302 The Hymeneal Vulcan sometimes sees as sombrous looking suppliants approach his altar.
Hence ˈsombrously adv.; ˈsombrousness.
1796Mod. Gulliver's Trav. 129 He looked very sombrously. 1847Webster, Sombrously, gloomily. Sombrousness, state of being sombrous. |