Middle English Dictionary Entry
ungrāciǒus adj.
Entry Info
Forms | ungrāciǒus adj. Also ungraciouse, ungraciose, ungraciuse, ongracious, ongratius, onegracious, (error) ungracyouns. |
Etymology | From grāciǒus adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Without grace, out of God’s grace, lacking God’s grace; also in fig. context;
(b) ungrateful; also, as noun: those who are ungrateful;
(c) wicked, evil;
(d) unpleasing, displeasing; also [quot. a1475], ?unattractive; ?unnatural, monstrous;
(e) wretched, miserable; unfortunate, regrettable; calamitous, ruinous; of a day: fraught with misfortune, unlucky;
(f) harmful, malicious; of speech: unmannerly, rude, crude;
(g) unprofitable, useless;—used in transl. of L infelix in plant name;
(h) with inf.: ill-favored (to do sth.), unsuccessful (in doing sth.).
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.290 : On þo þat God lufes lest mishappenyng salle falle; þat kepe not his bihest, þei ere vngraciouse alle.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)10.391 : Ac of fele witty in feith litel ferly I haue, Þough her goste be vngraciouse [vr. vngracyouns] god for to plese.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4436 : If hope me faile, thanne am I Vngracious and vnworthy.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)199/1 : He defyede and refusyd Joachim and his ȝiftis eke and askyd hym why that he, so vngracious, durste presume for to come with hem that were gracious and fayre.
b
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)188/23 : Þah cleannesse of chastete…beo ȝeoue of grace, Vngraciuse stondeð þer toȝeines.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.103 : Þris þat alle mot se þe light on Roberd toke; Vngracious man was he, þris he it forsoke.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)365 : On-gracyows [Win: One-gracyows]: Ingraciosus.
c
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)754 : Of vngracious gastes he [Vice] bryngeth a long tayll.
d
- (1465) Paston (EETS)1.311 : I holde the place þe more ongracyous þat he is in, for hys dysposycion in dyuerce thyngys.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)8769 : Me semeth she ys vngracyous, Counterfeet & monstruous.
- a1500 Treat.GBattle (Hrl 1706)423 : Wratthe and impacience, hastynesse and hyghfulnes in herte makyne a mane vngracyous ande hatefulle in goddys sygth.
e
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.289 : He [Herod] was most ungracious [L infelicissimus] in homeliche þinges, and happy in oþer þinges.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.453 : Þat ongracious ȝere schulde be acounted to þe kyngdom of Oswald, þat regnede afterward.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.41 : Þe cours of his lyf was cruel and ungracious [L infaustus] in þe bygynnynge, wrecched in þe myddel, and foule in þe ende.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)822 : The weddyng…Vnhappy was and passing odious, Infortuned and vngracious.
- c1450 Metham Days Moon (Gar 141)149/16 : Oudyr the werke schuld myscheue or be ongratyus, or ellys yt schuld come to a froward ende.
- c1450 Metham Days Moon (Gar 141)152/4 : The xv day ys noght spedeful to be-gynne ony werke vp-on, for yt ys ongracyus.
- c1475 WBk.Phil.& Astron.(Cmb Ll.4.14)8 : In þe kalender…þer beth many dismalis, þat is to say, evell daies and ungracioz.
- (1483) RParl.6.240b : After the ungracious pretensed Marriage…made betwixt the said King Edward and Elizabeth…the ordre of all poletique Rule was perverted.
- a1500 Lydg.Sts.AA (Petyt 511)3471 : [Lnsd: Cite of Citees, forsake & desolat] Most vngracious and most disconsolate.
f
- (1415) Doc.Conspir.Hen.V in D.K.R.43582 : Hafe merci…in zowr gracius wil, for this vngracius and mescheffus gouernaunz.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)65/29 : To be bisi wiþ men þat vse vngraciose games, it is a signe of pride, and comonly þe ende is angre.
- a1475(1450) Scrope DSP (Bod 943)238/5 : If a fole speke, he makithe him-silue to be mocqued with his vngracious speche.
- (1461) Paston (EETS)2.370 : Ther is an on-gracios fellaschip of hem and a fals.
g
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)258a/a : Poetes clepiþ þis herbe infelix lollium, ‘vngracious Cokil oþer weed,’ for it is vnprofitable and vngracious.
h
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)10.211 : Lawe haþ ygrauntid Þat iche man…do þat werk on his wyf & on no womman ellis; Þat oþere gatis ben geten…ben fals folk & fals eires…Vngracious [vr. Vn-Gracios] to gete loue or any good ellis.