小词详解 | browbeat

小词详解 | browbeat
browbeat 英 [ˈbraʊbiːt] 美 [ˈbraʊbiːt]

SAT GRE

外刊用例

  • When she was health minister in 2009, she refused to be browbeaten into mandating an untested swine-flu vaccine, despite fears of a global epidemic.
    当她在2009年担任卫生部大臣的时候,尽管当时是全球恐慌状态,她也拒绝被迫批准未经检疫的流感疫苗。
    ——《经济学人》
  • This suggests that while Mr. Trump can browbeat manufacturers into staying in America, he can’t force them to hire many people.
    这表明,虽然特朗普可以威逼制造商留在美国,但他不能强迫它们雇用很多的人。
    ——《纽约时报》

基本释义

[verb] to try to force someone to do something by threatening them or persuading them forcefully and unfairly
[动词] 试图通过威胁或者不公平的强力说服,强迫某人做某事

深入解读

browbeat是一个复合动词,有brow(眉毛)与beat(压倒、击败)结合而成。按字面意思解释,是to beat or put down by knitting or wrinkling one's brows或to beat by frowning,相当于汉语中的“对……吹胡子瞪眼睛”或“对……声色俱厉地进行威逼、吓唬”。该词始用于16世纪,虽然当时复合动词比较少见,但由于它形式简练,富于表现力,所以一直沿用至今。

名人用例

American comedies especially are all about these men being browbeaten by their wives and it's impossible for me to watch.
美国喜剧尤其尽是些男人被妻子威逼恫吓的,这让我没法看。

出自乔·曼根尼罗(Joe Manganiello,1976年12月28日-),美国男演员、制片人、导演和作家。曼根尼罗曾于《蜘蛛侠》(2002年)和《蜘蛛侠3》(2007年)中饰演毒液特工。

同近义词

  • coerce: to persuade someone forcefully to do something that they are unwilling to do
  • intimidate: to frighten or threaten someone, usually in order to persuade them to do something that you want them to do
  • hector: to talk and behave towards someone in a loud and unpleasantly forceful way, especially in order to get them to act or think as you want