- 1恭敬的；敬重的（態度上願意聽從）
If someone is deferential, they behave in a polite, respectful way that shows they are willing to accept another person’s opinion or judgment. Their voice may be softer, they may wait before speaking, they may nod and give the other person the last word. It describes the manner, not a delay. You might call a student deferential toward a teacher, or a junior worker deferential toward a boss. Used well, it sounds like good manners and respect. Used too much, it can sound as if the person is being overly humble, almost as if they have no view of their own. It is a fairly formal adjective; in casual speech people more often say respectful or polite. It does not mean you agree in your heart — only that you show you will yield.
組成From deference + -al (the same pattern as essence / essential, prudence / prudential). Walter Scott is credited with coining this English adjective. It is also traced to French déférentiel, from déférent + -iel.
同家族的字
- deferencethe noun: the respectful yielding itself
- deferentiallythe adverb form of this adjective
- deferthe verb “defer to”: to yield out of respect
原始詞典資料3 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
deferentialadj詞源 1[ˌdɛfəˈɹɛnʃəɫ]
- 1
Respectful and considerate; showing deference.
- In A v. UK, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights held that Part 4 of the 2001 Act was not a strictly necessary response to the acknowledged emergency evidenced by the attacks in the USA and that the detention of the applicants was in breach of Article 5. This conclusion is noteworthy given that the European Court has in the past adopted a deferential if not supine approach when assessing the legality of derogations under Article 15.
- The oscillations were getting so severe that painters on the bridge learned to tie down their tins before a train passed. They found holes and rents in the iron but never reported them as they were never asked, and it wasn't their job. These were deferential times, and few wanted to talk out of turn.
- 2
Based on deference; based on the doctrine, ideology, or wishes of others rather than one's own conclusions.
deferentialadj詞源 2[ˌdɛfəˈɹɛnʃəɫ]
- 1
anatomymedicinesciencesOf or relating to the vas deferens.
摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。