feckless
英 [ˈfek.ləs]
美 [ˈfek.ləs]
- adj. 无效的;软弱的;没精神的;不负责任的;无气力的
1. feck (Scottish shortened form of effect) + -less.
feckless 品格差的feck, 缩写自effect, 效果,价值。-less, 没有,无。词义引申为差劲的,品格差的。
- feckless
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feckless: [16] From an etymological point of view, feckless is simply another way of saying ineffective. It originated in Scotland, where from the 15th century the local population economized on the pronunciation of effect, reducing it to feck (this survived into modern times in the sense ‘efficacy’). From it was formed feckless, literally ‘having no effect’, and also feckful ‘efficient, vigorous’, which never made it further south than northern England.
=> effect
- feckless (adj.)
- 1590s, from feck, "effect, value, vigor" (late 15c.), Scottish shortened form of effect (n.), + -less. Popularized by Carlyle, who left its opposite, feckful, in dialectal obscurity. Related: Fecklessly; fecklessness.
- 1. Her husband was a charming, but lazy and feckless man.
- 她的丈夫讨人喜欢,但却是个懒惰没有出息的人。
- 2. He regarded the young man as feckless and irresponsible.
- 他认为这个年轻人不光无能,还不负责任。
- 3. German banks lent hand over fist to feckless foreign borrowers.
- 德国银行曾向财务状况不佳的外国借款人大量放贷.
- 4. The feckless Yukio Hatoyama, who stepped down on June 2 nd a grand total of 259 days.
- 鸠山由纪夫一事无成, 他于6月2日宣布辞职,在任共259天.