sooth
sooth — 名詞
1. a fixed phrase used to stress the honesty or accuracy of a statement — an archai
誠然
古語，用於強調所言屬實
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.
誠然，我不知議會會做出什麼決定。
fixed phrase: in sooth
Maja murmured, 'In sooth, your words carry more weight than you realise.'
Maja 低聲說：「誠然，你的話比你自己想的更有分量。」
The old chronicler began his tale: 'In sooth, the kingdom had never seen such hardship.'
老編年史家開始講述他的故事：「誠然，這個王國從未經歷過如此苦難。」
Eve smiled and said, 'In sooth, I had hoped someone would raise that very question.'
Eve 微笑著說：「誠然，我一直希望有人提出那個問題。」
In sooth, the messenger brought news that changed the course of the war.
誠然，信使帶來了一條改變戰爭走向的消息。
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
真理；真實
真實的狀態或本質
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.
老詩人吟唱真理與美，歌聲響徹廳堂。
uncountable noun in poetic context
Ravindra searched the ancient scrolls for sooth, refusing to accept fanciful legends.
Ravindra 翻閱古代卷軸追尋真實，拒絕接受那些荒誕的傳說。
Camila wondered whether any mortal could ever grasp the full sooth of the prophecy.
Camila 心想，凡人是否真能領悟那道預言的完整真理。
His lordship demanded sooth from every witness who appeared before the court.
爵爺要求每一位出庭證人都說出實情。
Zayd questioned the sooth of the merchant's claims before sealing the agreement.
Zayd 在簽署協議之前，質疑那位商人陳述的真實性。
- 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 — 形容詞
- soothpositive
- soothercomparative
- soothestsuperlative
1. true or genuine — describing something that is honest, real, or faithful, but us
真實的
真實無偽的；真誠的
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.
Nala 立下真誠的誓言，誓死保衛王冠。
attributive use: sooth + noun
Selim believed the merchant's sooth words and paid the full price for the silk.
Selim 相信了那位商人的真誠話語，便按全價付清了絲綢的錢。
attributive use: sooth + noun
No sooth account of that night's events has ever been written.
關於那一夜發生的事，至今沒有一篇真實的記述流傳下來。
Heather said that the old woman had spoken a sooth prophecy, though none believed her.
Heather 說那位老婦人曾說出真實的預言，只是沒有人相信她。
'That is a sooth thing you say,' the abbot whispered, his face pale.
「你所說的確是真話，」修道院長低語道，臉色蒼白。
- 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.'