bilious
Meaning: Affected by or relating to nausea and digestive upset; bad-tempered and spiteful; of a colour, unpleasantly yellowish-green.
Bilious has three related uses. Medically, it describes digestive discomfort associated with bile ('a bilious attack'). Temperamentally, it means ill-natured and peevish. As a colour descriptor, 'bilious green' or 'bilious yellow' denotes an unpleasant, sickly hue. All three senses connect to bile and its unpleasant associations. The colour sense is especially common in British interior design and fashion criticism.
Examples
- A bilious attack kept him confined to his quarters for the best part of three days. 一次胆汁性发作使他在房间里足足待了将近三天。Un ataque bilioso lo mantuvo recluido en sus aposentos durante casi tres días.胆汁性の発作のせいで、彼はほぼ三日間部屋に閉じこもっていた。담즙성 발작으로 그는 거의 삼일 동안 방에 갇혀 지내야 했다.
- The critic launched a bilious attack on the exhibition, dismissing every work as derivative. 那位评论家对展览发起了一场恶毒的攻击,将每件作品都斥为模仿之作。El crítico lanzó un ataque bilioso contra la exposición, calificando cada obra de derivativa.その批評家は展覧会に辛辣な攻撃を浴びせ、全作品を模倣的だと一蹴した。그 비평가는 전시회에 독설 가득한 공격을 퍼부으며, 모든 작품을 모방적이라고 일축했다.
- The waiting room was painted a bilious shade of green that did nothing to soothe anxious patients. 候诊室被涂成了一种令人作呕的黄绿色,丝毫无助于安抚焦虑的患者。La sala de espera estaba pintada de un verde bilioso que nada hacía por calmar a los pacientes nerviosos.待合室は不快な黄緑色に塗られており、不安を抱える患者を和らげる効果は皆無だった。대기실은 불쾌한 황록색으로 칠해져 있어 불안한 환자들을 진정시키는 데 아무런 도움이 되지 않았다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: literary, medical, media
Tone: negative
Origin & History
From Latin biliosus (full of bile), from bilis (bile). Entered English in the 16th century. All modern senses derive from the association of bile with illness, bad temper, and yellowish-green colour.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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