at all
完全,絲毫,根本
All n. The whole number, quantity, or amount; the entire thing; everything included or concerned; the aggregate; the whole; totality; everything or every person; as, our all is at stake.
Death, as the Psalmist saith, is certain to all. --Shak.
All that thou seest is mine. --Gen. xxxi. 43.
Note: All is used with of, like a partitive; as, all of a thing, all of us.
After all, after considering everything to the contrary; nevertheless.
All in all, a phrase which signifies all things to a person, or everything desired; (also adverbially) wholly; altogether.
Thou shalt be all in all, and I in thee,
Forever. --Milton.
Trust me not at all, or all in all. --Tennyson.
-- All in the wind Naut., a phrase denoting that the sails are parallel with the course of the wind, so as to shake.
All told, all counted; in all.
And all, and the rest; and everything connected. “Bring our crown and all.” --Shak.
At all. (a) In every respect; wholly; thoroughly. [Obs.] “She is a shrew at al(l).” --Chaucer. (b) A phrase much used by way of enforcement or emphasis, usually in negative or interrogative sentences, and signifying in any way or respect; in the least degree or to the least extent; in the least; under any circumstances; as, he has no ambition at all; has he any property at all? “Nothing at all.” --Shak. “If thy father at all miss me.” --1 Sam. xx. 6.
Over all, everywhere. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Note: ☞ All is much used in composition to enlarge the meaning, or add force to a word. In some instances, it is completely incorporated into words, and its final consonant is dropped, as in almighty, already, always: but, in most instances, it is an adverb prefixed to adjectives or participles, but usually with a hyphen, as, all-bountiful, all-glorious, allimportant, all-surrounding, etc. In others it is an adjective; as, allpower, all-giver. Anciently many words, as, alabout, alaground, etc., were compounded with all, which are now written separately.
At prep. Primarily, this word expresses the relations of presence, nearness in place or time, or direction toward; as, at the ninth hour; at the house; to aim at a mark. It is less definite than in or on; at the house may be in or near the house. From this original import are derived all the various uses of at. It expresses: -
1. A relation of proximity to, or of presence in or on, something; as, at the door; at your shop; at home; at school; at hand; at sea and on land.
2. The relation of some state or condition; as, at war; at peace; at ease; at your service; at fault; at liberty; at risk; at disadvantage.
3. The relation of some employment or action; occupied with; as, at engraving; at husbandry; at play; at work; at meat (eating); except at puns.
4. The relation of a point or position in a series, or of degree, rate, or value; as, with the thermometer at 80°; goods sold at a cheap price; a country estimated at 10,000 square miles; life is short at the longest.
5. The relations of time, age, or order; as, at ten o'clock; at twenty-one; at once; at first.
6. The relations of source, occasion, reason, consequence, or effect; as, at the sight; at this news; merry at anything; at this declaration; at his command; to demand, require, receive, deserve, endure at your hands.
7. Relation of direction toward an object or end; as, look at it; to point at one; to aim at a mark; to throw, strike, shoot, wink, mock, laugh at any one.
At all, At home, At large, At last, At length, At once, etc. See under All, Home, Large, Last (phrase and syn.), Length, Once, etc.
At it, busily or actively engaged.
At least. See Least and However.
At one. See At one, in the Vocabulary.
Syn: -- In, At.
Usage: When reference to the interior of any place is made prominent in is used. It is used before the names of countries and cities (esp. large cities); as, we live in America, in New York, in the South. At is commonly employed before names of houses, institutions, villages, and small places; as, Milton was educated at Christ's College; money taken in at the Customhouse; I saw him at the jeweler's; we live at Beachville. At may be used before the name of a city when it is regarded as a mere point of locality. “An English king was crowned at Paris.” --Macaulay. “Jean Jacques Rousseau was born at Geneva, June, 28, 1712.” --J. Morley. In regard to time, we say at the hour, on the day, in the year; as, at 9 o'clock, on the morning of July 5th, in the year 1775.
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at all
adv : in the slightest degree or in any respect; "Are you at all
interested? No, not at all"; "was not in the least
unfriendly" [syn: in the least, the least bit]