| 单词 | waste breath |
| 释义 | > as lemmasto waste (one's) breath P7. to waste (one's) breath and variants: to speak without bringing about any worthwhile result; to speak or argue pointlessly. Now frequently in don't waste your breath and similar negative constructions, used to indicate that there is little point in talking about something.Cf. to waste words, to waste wind at waste v. 9d, to save one's breath at save v. Phrases 6. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > uselessness, vanity, or futility > be of no avail [verb (intransitive)] > expend effort in vain > speak in vain to waste breathc1540 to waste (one's) breath1572 to talk to a brick wall1873 1572 T. Palfreyman Divine Medit. To Rdr. sig. ***.vi Whilest thy tongue onely oft babbleth, and vaynely wastest muche breath. 1679 T. D'Urfey Squire Oldsapp i. i. 2 Hold! and prethee waste thy Breath in no more of these lavish praises. 1749 W. Melmoth tr. Quinctilian Dialogue conc. Oratory in Lett. by Sir Thomas Fitzosborne II. 307 They did not think it necessary to declaim in the schools, and idly waste their breath upon feigned or frivolous controversies. 1850 Ld. Tennyson In Memoriam cxviii. 185 I trust I have not wasted breath . View more context for this quotation 1920 Muskogee (Okla.) Times-Democrat 24 Mar. 4/1 Politicians don't waste breath on opponents who aren't in the running. 2013 Daily Rec. & Sunday Mail (Nexis) 30 June (First ed.) (Features section) 17 Explaining your point of view isn't likely to change things until she's ready to hear it. So I wouldn't waste your breath. to waste breath d. to waste words, to waste breath, †to waste wind: to speak to no purpose; †also reflexive in the same sense. Similarly to waste paper, to waste space (i.e. in writing). ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > uselessness, vanity, or futility > be of no avail [verb (intransitive)] > expend effort in vain > speak in vain to waste breathc1540 to waste (one's) breath1572 to talk to a brick wall1873 the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > uselessness, vanity, or futility > speak in vain [verb (reflexive)] to waste wordsa1647 the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > uselessness, vanity, or futility > be of no avail [verb (intransitive)] > expend effort in vain > write in vain to waste space1709 c1540 (?a1400) Destr. Troy 9788 But all þaire wordis þai wast, & þaire wynd alse. 1568 R. Henryson in W. T. Ritchie Bannatyne MS (1930) IV. 211 Of þis mater I do bot waistis wind. 1583 B. Melbancke Philotimus (new ed.) sig. Kiv v Meaning no more at this time to build Castles in the aire, nor wast my wordes to a deafe man. a1616 W. Shakespeare Measure for Measure (1623) ii. ii. 74 You but waste your words . View more context for this quotation a1647 T. Habington Surv. Worcs. (Worcs. Hist. Soc.) (1895) I. i. 91 That I may not heereafter wast my sealfe in tedyous repetitions. 1667 J. Dryden Indian Emperour iii. iii. 35 In weak complaints you vainly wast your breath. 1709 G. Berkeley Ess. New Theory of Vision §137. 161 As for the Idea of Motion in Abstract, I shall not waste Paper about it. 1812 P. B. Shelley Addr. in Prose Wks. (1888) I. 226 A great many words were wasted, and a great deal of blood shed. 1892 Photogr. Ann. II. 214 Without wasting any more time and space, I will proceed to describe the drawings. 1905 R. Bagot Passport xxxv. 405 We need not waste words in coming to our point. < as lemmas |
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