† 1. Of persons: Devoid of spiritual grace; graceless, reprobate, wicked. Obs.
In ME. also const. with inf. (quot 1362).
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 368. Þauh clennesse … beoð ȝeouen of grace, vngraciuse stondeð þer to-ȝeines.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 103. Þris þat alle mot se þe light on Roberd toke, Vngracious man was he, þris he it forsoke.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. X. 206. False folke … Vn-Gracios to gete loue or eni good elles.
c. 1420. Lydg., Assembly of Gods, 754. He seyde he shuld haue … With Vyce to do a myghty strong batayll; Of vngracious gastes he bryngeth a long tayll.
1461. Paston Lett., II. 59. Ther is an ongracious felaschip of hem and a fals.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. clxxxii. 217. These myscheuous peple chose hym that was moost vngracyoust of all other. Ibid. Ther were a certayne of the same vngracyous peple bytwene Parys and Noyon.
1579. Lodge, Defence of Poetry, 19. The Angels haue sinned in heauen,… emong ye holy apostles vngratious Iudas.
a. 1638. Mede, Wks. (1672), 203. Let him … take heed of familiar and friendly converse with lewd, prophane and ungracious company.
1693. Dryden, Juvenal, X. 545. To the Gods alone Our future Offspring, and our Wives are known; Th’audacious Strumpet, and ungracious Son.
1771. Foote, Maid of B., I. Well, you ungracious young dog, and what is become of the poor wench?
1793. Burke, Conduct Minority, Wks. 1842, I. 623. The consequences are most logically … drawn from the premises … by that wicked and ungracious faction.
transf. 1820. Southey, Wesley, II. 256. At baptism, it was customary not to dip the right arm,… that he might strike a more deadly and ungracious blow therewith.
† b. Of actions, conduct, etc.: Characterized by gracelessness, or wickedness. Obs.
1415. Sir T. Grey, in 43rd Rep. Dep. Kpr. Rec., 582. This vngracius and mescheffus gouernaunz.
c. 1485. Digby Myst. (1882), IV. 649. Cruell Iewes! what mad yow so bold To commyt þis Crym most vngraciose?
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VI., 104. Inquisicion was made of the authors of this ungracious conjuracion.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., II. iii. 88. That word Grace, In an vngracious mouth, is but prophane.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 70. Their sonnes vngracious life opposed their best contentments.
1683. D’Urfey, in Roxb. Ball. (1888), V. 246. Let Perkin his ungracious errour see, And Toney ’scape no more the Triple-Tree.
† 2. Unfortunate, unlucky, unfavorable. Obs.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), IV. 289. He was most ungracious in homeliche þinges, and happy in oþer þinges. Ibid. (1398), Barth. De P. R., XII. xxxvii. (Bodl. MS.). Amonge dyuynours here [sc. owls’] voice is vngracious.
1445–50. Metham, Wks., 152. The .xv. day ys noght spedeful to be-gynne ony werke vp-on, for yt ys ongracyus.
1515. Scottish Field, 349, in Chetham Misc. (1856), II. They had gotten them a ground Most ungracious of other Upon the toppe of a high hill.
c. 1550. Cheke, Let., in Athenæum, 28 Aug. (1909), 237/3. Until I be mended of my ungracious disease.
1600. Holland, Livy, II. xlix. 78. Then set they forward on their journey,… taking the ungracious and unluckie way … untill at length they came to the river Cremera.
a. 1634. Chapman, Rev. for Honour, I. i. 42. To give the noble weasand, Which has the steel defied, to th’ hanging mercy Of the ungracious cord.
† 3. Rude; unmannerly. Obs.
1534. More, Comf. agst. Trib., II. Wks. 1187/1. Her husband said also that it were lytle synne … to choppe of that vnhappye head of hers, that caryed suche an vngracious tong therin.
c. 1550. Vertuous Scholehous, B ij b. Thou vsest vngracious wordes, cursest thy good husbande.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., IV. i. 51. Vngracious wretch, Fit for the Mountaines,… Where manners nere were preach’d. Ibid. (1606), Tr. & Cr., I. i. 92. Peace you vngracious Clamors, peace rude sounds.
† b. Of low birth and manners. Obs.–1
1584. Lodge, Alarum agst. Vsurers (Hunter. Cl.), 23. Doeth the Weesell loue the Cockatrice? Or gentle borne, such as bee vngratious?
4. Not held in favor; unacceptable; disliked.
1598. Florio, Sgrato, vngratious, nothing acceptable.
1671. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., XI. § 149. Prince Rupert, at that time, was generally very ungracious in England.
1761. Hume, Hist. Eng., III. I. 95. Abbot’s principle of liberty, and his opposition to Buckingham, had always rendered him very ungracious at court.
b. Unpleasant and unappreciated.
1807. Med. Jrnl., XVII. 317. However ungracious the task is, I conceive it necessary to correct mistake.
1844. H. H. Wilson, Brit. India, II. 115. The ungracious duties inseparable from his office.
1884. L’pool Mercury, 21 June, 5/3. It is an ungracious duty to preach saving habits when times are bad.
5. Ungraceful, unattractive.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., IV. § 122. His Person, and manner of Speaking, were ungratious enough.
1695. Dryden, Du Fresnoy’s Art Painting, 23. Show no parts which are ungracious to the Sight, as all fore-shortnings usually are.
1762–71. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1786), I. 181. It was difficult to ascertain the period when one ungracious form jostled out another.
1775. T. Sheridan, Art Reading, i. 4. The best scholars often … disgraced beautiful composition by an ungracious delivery.
1807. Sir R. Wilson, Jrnl., 7 May, in Life. A religion so ungentlemanlike mean and ungracious that I would sooner be a pagan.
6. Lacking in condescension, courtesy, or affability: a. Of actions.
1745. H. Walpole, Lett. (1846), II. 78. An ungracious parallel between the mercenary views of the regiment-factors,… with the disinterested behaviour of my Lord Kildare, was drawn.
1780. Mirror, No. 103. An overture of mine towards a reconciliation…, which met with a very ungracious reception.
1844. Kinglake, Eöthen, xii. Whilst the amber is at your lips, there is nothing ungracious in your remaining silent.
1868. Dickens, Lett. (1880), II. 400. Refusal on my part would be too ungracious.
1890. Lancet, 29 Nov., 1151. It would be ungracious to conclude without expressing my gratitude to our distinguished colleagues.
b. Of persons. Also fig. of a country.
1752. Young, Brothers, III. i. Nor in my brother let it pass for virtue, That, as he is, ungracious he would seem.
1819. Shelley, Cyclops, 117. Ah! no; they live in an ungracious land.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., v. I. 654. The meek and affable duchess turned out an ungracious and haughty queen.
1864. Tennyson, Aylmer’s Field, 247. Take it,… tho’ his gift; For I am more ungracious ey’n than you, I care not for it either.
