- 1招人怨的、吃力不討好的（不是單純「不愉快」）
Something invidious is unpleasant because it is likely to offend people, stir envy, or make you unpopular.
Something invidious is unpleasant帶invidious特質的東西讓人不舒服, because it is likely to offend people, stir envy, or make you unpopular因為它很可能得罪人、引發嫉妒，或讓你不受歡迎。
An invidious comparison ranks two people so that one feels small. An invidious position is a job or choice where, whatever you do, somebody will be angry — the ‘whoever I pick, I lose a friend’ task.
An invidious comparison一個invidious的比較, ranks two people so that one feels small把兩個人排出高下，讓其中一個相形見絀。An invidious position一個invidious的處境, is a job or choice是一種工作或抉擇 where, whatever you do, somebody will be angry不管你怎麼做，都會有人生氣——the 'whoever I pick, I lose a friend' task就是那種「不管選誰都會失去一個朋友」的局面。
It is a formal adjective, at home in newspapers, essays, and careful speech, not in the .
It is a formal adjective這是個正式的形容詞, at home in newspapers, essays, and careful speech常見於報紙、文章和講究措辭的談話裡, not in the cafeteria而不是在餐廳閒聊裡。
Though actually, it does not merely mean ‘unpleasant’: wet weather is unpleasant; an invidious remark is unpleasant because it breeds ill will.
Though actually不過, it does not merely mean 'unpleasant'它不只是「不愉快」的意思：wet weather is unpleasant潮濕的天氣是不愉快, an invidious remark is unpleasant一句invidious的話也是不愉快, because it breeds ill will但那是因為它會滋生惡意。
US legal English also speaks of invidious discrimination — unfair treatment that singles people out in a hateful way.
US legal English also speaks of invidious discrimination美國法律用語裡也有invidious discrimination這個說法——unfair treatment that singles people out in a hateful way指用惡意的方式挑出某些人來差別對待的不公平待遇。
The Latin parent is invidia, envy. Envious describes a person who feels that sting; invidious describes the situation or remark that causes it. They are sister words from the same Latin parent, different roads into English.
The Latin parent is invidia, envy這個字的拉丁字源是invidia，意思是嫉妒。Envious describes a person who feels that stingenvious形容感受到那種刺痛的人; invidious describes the situation or remark that causes itinvidious則形容造成那種刺痛的處境或言語。They are sister words from the same Latin parent它們是同一個拉丁字源生出的姊妹詞, different roads into English只是走了不同的路進入英文。
core核心畫面
組成Borrowed from Latin invidiōsus, from invidia (“envy, ill will”), from in- (“upon”) + videō (“to see”); the meaning moved from looking at someone, to looking at them with a hard eye, to envy. Doublet of envious.
原始詞典資料4 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
invidiousadj/ɪnˈvɪdi.əs/
- 1
Causing ill will, envy, or offense.
- To think highly of ourselves in comparison with others, to assume by our own authority that precedence which none is willing to grant, must be always invidious and offensive; […]
- ‘I didn’t make use of the word in any invidious sense, ma’am,’ replied Mr. Benjamin Allen, growing somewhat uneasy on his own account.
- 2
Offensively or unfairly discriminating.
- But the rich man—not to make any invidious comparison—is always sold to the institution which makes him rich.
- There were so many drinks to be drunk, and as the warm magic poured through our veins and mellowed our voices and affections we knew it was no time to make invidious distinctions—to drink with this shipmate and to decline to drink with that shipmate.
- 3
obsoleteEnvious, jealous.
- 4
Detestable, hateful, or odious. (Often used in cases of perceived unfairness, or when facing a difficult situation or choice — especially in the phrase invidious position.)
- The sales representative was in an invidious position: she could either get to the meeting on time but with nothing to show the client, or pick up the product samples while the client was kept waiting. Neither one would make a favourable impression!
摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。