sooth
sooth — noun
1. a fixed phrase used to stress the honesty or accuracy of a statement — an archai
a fixed phrase used to stress the honesty or accuracy of a statement — an archaic way of saying 'truly' or 'in truth,' appearing mostly in historical fiction or poetry.
In sooth, I know not what the council will decide.
fixed phrase: in sooth
Maja murmured, 'In sooth, your words carry more weight than you realise.'
The old chronicler began his tale: 'In sooth, the kingdom had never seen such hardship.'
Eve smiled and said, 'In sooth, I had hoped someone would raise that very question.'
In sooth, the messenger brought news that changed the course of the war.
文法句型
appears almost exclusively in the fixed phrase 'in sooth'
用法筆記
Virtually the only surviving use of this sense is in the fixed phrase 'in sooth,' which is always placed at or near the start of a clause to lend weight to a statement. Outside historical fiction, poetry, or deliberate archaism, the phrase is not used in modern speech.
常見錯誤
2. the state or quality of being true or actual — used in formal, poetic, or archai
the state or quality of being true or actual — used in formal, poetic, or archaic writing to refer to truth or reality itself, not merely a factual statement.
The old poet sang of sooth and beauty, his voice filling the hall.
uncountable noun in poetic context
Ravindra searched the ancient scrolls for sooth, refusing to accept fanciful legends.
Camila wondered whether any mortal could ever grasp the full sooth of the prophecy.
His lordship demanded sooth from every witness who appeared before the court.
Zayd questioned the sooth of the merchant's claims before sealing the agreement.
- falsehood
The opposite: something untrue.
文法句型
used as an uncountable noun in formal or poetic contexts
用法筆記
Unlike the modern word 'truth,' 'sooth' in this sense refers to truth as an abstract essence rather than a specific factual claim. It is restricted to literary, poetic, or deliberately archaic prose. The verb 'to soothe' originally meant 'to prove true' but shifted over time to its current meaning of 'to calm.'
常見錯誤
sooth — adjective
- soothpositive
- soothercomparative
- soothestsuperlative
1. true or genuine — describing something that is honest, real, or faithful, but us
true or genuine — describing something that is honest, real, or faithful, but used almost exclusively in literary or archaic contexts rather than everyday speech.
Nala swore a sooth oath to protect the crown until her dying breath.
attributive use: sooth + noun
Selim believed the merchant's sooth words and paid the full price for the silk.
attributive use: sooth + noun
No sooth account of that night's events has ever been written.
Heather said that the old woman had spoken a sooth prophecy, though none believed her.
'That is a sooth thing you say,' the abbot whispered, his face pale.
- false
Not true or genuine.
文法句型
attributive position; archaic — precedes the noun it modifies
用法筆記
In modern English, the adjective 'sooth' appears only in deliberately archaic or poetic writing. It is typically used before a noun (attributive position) and should not be used in ordinary conversation or contemporary prose. The only common modern survival of this root is in 'soothsayer' (literally 'truth-sayer').
常見錯誤
❌ 'She gave a sooth answer.' (outside literary context). — Reserve 'sooth' for deliberate historical or poetic flavour; otherwise use 'truthful' or 'honest.'