flebile

Italian

Alternative forms

• flebil (apocopic)

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin flēbilis (“tearful”). Doublet of fievole, which was inherited.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈflɛ.bi.le/
• Rhymes: -ɛbile
• Hyphenation: flè‧bi‧le

Adjective

flebile (plural flebili)

1. tearful, sorrowful, lachrymose

   Synonyms: lacrimevole, lamentoso, malinconico, mesto

   • 1478, Luigi Pulci, “Canto ventesimottavo [Twenty-eighth Canto]”, in Morgante‎^[1], Felice Le Monnier, published 1855, page 418:

     Quando Alcuin, secondo l’antico uso
     salito in alto, poi che guardato ebbe
     la gente afflitta e lamentabil tanto,
     la cetra accommodò col flebil canto.

     When Alcuin, according to the old custom, got higher up, and after looking at the so troubled and grieving people, he prepared the lyre with the tearful singing.

   • 1581, Torquato Tasso, “Canto duodecimo [Twelfth Canto]”, in Gerusalemme liberata [Jerusalem Delivered]‎^[2], Erasmo Viotti, page 289:

     In queste voci languide risuona
     Un non sò che di flebile, e soave,
     ch'al cor gli serpe […]

     In these languid voices, something sorrowful and gentle resounds, that slithers to his heart

   • 1623, Giambattista Marino, “Canto XIX”, in L'Adone [Adonis]‎^[3], collected in Tutte le opere di Giovan Battista Marino, volume 2, tomo 1, Milan: A. Mondadori, published 1976:

     Corser le Ninfe a que’ dogliosi accenti,
     Nettuno il genitor vi corse anch’esso,
     e ne piansero in suon flebile e rauco

     The Nymphs ran at those sorrowful cries, Neptune the parent also ran there, and they cried with a tearful and raucous sound

   • 1835, Giacomo Leopardi with Alessandro Donati, “XX. Il risorgimento”, in Canti‎^[4], Bari: Einaudi, published 1917, page 75, lines 53–56:

     Invan brillare il vespero
     vidi per muto calle,
     invan sonò la valle
     del flebile usignol.

     I saw twilight shine in vain on silent roads, in vain the valley echoed to the sad nightingale.

Derived terms

• flebilmente

Related terms

• fievole
• fleto

 

Further reading

• flebile in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Latin

Adjective

flēbile

1. nominative/accusative/vocative neuter singular of flēbilis