| 释义 |
▪ I. cruel, a.|ˈkruːɪl, -əl|
Forms: 3–7 cruell, 4 cruelle, krewelle, 4–5 crewel(l, cruwel(l, 5 cruail, crowell, 6 creuell, 3– cruel.
[a. F. cruel (in 10th c. crudel = Pr. cruzel, cruel, Sp. cruel, It. crudele):— L. crūdēl-em, morally rough, cruel, from same root as crūdus crude: cf. fīdēlis.]
1. Of persons (also transf. and fig. of things): Disposed to inflict suffering; indifferent to or taking pleasure in another's pain or distress; destitute of kindness or compassion; merciless, pitiless, hard-hearted.
1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 2650 Vor so cruel, ne so tirant Ich wene no man ne say. c1385Chaucer L.G.W. Prol. 377 Ffor he that kyng or lord is naturel Hym oughte nat be tyraunt & crewel. c1450Merlin 27 He be-come so crewell to his peple that thei..a-roos a-geyn hym. 1568Grafton Chron. II. 390 Sir John Bushe, which was called a cruell ambicious, and covetous man. 1605Shakes. Lear iii. vii. 56 Because I would not see thy cruell nailes Plucke out his poore old eyes. 1634Milton Comus 679 Why should you be so cruel to yourself? 1751Johnson Rambler No. 175 ⁋13 The meanest and cruelest of human beings. 1842Tennyson Walking to Mail 99 As cruel as a schoolboy ere he grows To Pity. 1871Morley Misc. Ser. i. Carlyle (1878) 175 The puniness of man in the centre of a cruel and frowning universe.
b. absol. = Cruel one.
c1420Anturs of Arth. 612 Clenly þat crewelle couerde hym on highte. 1575Gascoigne Pr. Pleas. Kenilw. (1821) 66 This courteous cruel, and yet the cruelest courteous that ever was. 1632Massinger Maid of Hon. i. ii, Farewell then, fairest cruel! 1725Pope Odyss. xxiii. 169 Canst thou, oh cruel, unconcerned survey Thy lost Ulysses on this signal day?
c. Of actions, etc.: Proceeding from or showing indifference to or pleasure in another's distress.
a1300Cursor M. 16762 + 135 (Cott.) Hou miȝt euer ani man More cruel ded see. 1568Grafton Chron. II. 198 The Scottes..slue the people and robbed them in most cruell wise. 1656J. Hammond Leah & R. 6 The odiums and cruell slanders cast on those two famous Countries. 1733in Swift's Lett. (1766) II. 191 The cruelest revenge that one can possibly inflict. 1848Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 160 The Puritans had..given cruel provocation.
†2. Of men, wild beasts, etc.: Fierce, savage.
a1300Cursor M. 2631 (Cott.) He sal be cruell, fers, and wrath. c1330R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 44 An armed knyght..Þat was S. Edmunde, cruelle als a leon. c1400Mandeville (Roxb.) viii. 30 For drede of crowell wilde bestes. 1535Coverdale Ps. lvi. 4, I lye with my soule amonge the cruell lyons. 1600J. Pory Leo's Africa 261 The passage unto this mountaine is very difficult, in regard of certaine cruell Arabians.
†b. Of actions, etc. (esp. of contests): Fierce.
a1400Morte Arth. 4034 With krewelle contenance thane the kyng karpis theis wordes. c1489Caxton Sonnes of Aymon iii. 108 Soo beganne the bataylle yet agen more cruell than it hadde be afore. 1548Hall Chron. 160 b, A ferce and cruell encounter. c1630Risdon Surv. Devon §95 (1810) 92 The fight was cruel, and the slaughter great. 1674Essex Papers (Camden) I. 197 Arlington had a Cruel dispute wth Anglesey yesterday, & told him yt he was a Knave.
†3. Severe, strict, rigorous. Obs.
a1225Ancr. R. 100 Þis is a cruel word, & a grim word mid alle, þet vre Louerd seið. 1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) IV. 327 Þey were to cruel [nimis severi] and nouȝt compynable among hem self. 1562Winȝet Cert. Tractates Wks. 1888 I. 14, I haue pourit oute my creuell displesour vpon thaim. a1659Osborn Queries Ep. (1673) Ss v, The crueller Culture of the School. 1670N. Riding Rec. VI. 144 An apprentice..to be received again.. and the Master to be not too cruel with him.
4. Of conditions, circumstances, etc.: Causing or characterized by great suffering; extremely painful or distressing; colloq. = severe, hard.
a1300Cursor M. 22428 (Cott.) Þaa cruel dais and þaa kene. c1384Chaucer H. Fame i. 36 That cruelle lyfe un-softe Whiche these ilke lovers leden. 1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 13 Suffrynge..intollerable turmentes..and moost cruell & bytter deth. 1611Bible Ex. vi. 9 They hearkened not vnto Moses, for anguish of spirit, and for cruell bondage. 1662J. Davies Mandelslo's Trav. E. Ind. 4 We..had that day very cruel weather. 1710Swift Jrnl. to Stella 26 Nov., I have got a cruel cold, and staid within all this day. 1800Wordsw. Hart-Leap Well ii. xii, O Master! it has been a cruel leap. 1855Macaulay Hist. Eng. IV. 545 A fate far more cruel than death befell his old rival. 1862Carlyle Fredk. Gt. (1865) III. ix. x. 161 But what is crueler upon me than all, is that you are ill.
5. as adv. Cruelly, distressingly; hence as a mere intensive = exceedingly, very. Obs. exc. dial.
1573G. Harvey Letter-bk. (Camden) 12 Uppon the cruellist could nihts. 1595Spenser Col. Clout 911 Being to that swaine too cruell hard. 1621Lady M. Wroth Urania 390 Vse mee crueller if that may be. 1632Lithgow Trav. vii. (1682) 290 The season being cruel hot. 1860Bartlett Dict. Amer., Cruel, one of the numerous substitutes for very, exceedingly. 1888W. Somerset Word-bk., Cruel, very; ‘cruel good to poor volks’.
6. Comb., as cruel-hearted, cruel-looking adjs.
1591Shakes. Two Gent. ii. iii. 10 This cruell-hearted Curre. 1836J. H. Newman in Lyra Apost. (1849) 234 Thou cruel-natured Rome! 1863M. E. Braddon Eleanor's Vict. (1878) ii. 17 Rather a cruel-looking hand.
▪ II. † cruel, n. Obs. rare.
[f. prec.]
Cruelty.
c1440Partonope 7188 God forbid that crewell or vengence In ony woman founde shulde be.
▪ III. cruel, v. Austral. slang.|ˈkruːəl|
[f. the adj.]
trans. To spoil; to destroy all chance of success with.
1934Bulletin (Sydney) 1 Aug. 46/3 The game's right enough so long as mugs don't try and play a hand. When they come in that cruels the whole show. 1967Courier-Mail (Brisbane) 17 May 1 He asked yesterday if the purpose of the debate was to ‘cruel’ his object. 1967I. Hamilton Man with Brown Paper Face iii. 41 I've got a good job and I don't want to cruel it while everything's going for me.
▪ IV. cruel(s
var. of crewel, -els. |