Literary notes about prepossessing (AI summary)
The term prepossessing in literature is often used to denote an appearance or demeanor that immediately inspires attraction, warmth, or admiration. Writers employ it to depict characters whose engaging looks or mannerisms lend them an air of sophistication and charm, as when a gentleman of striking appearance makes an entrance [1] or when elegant attire contributes to an overall appealing impression [2]. At times the word also underscores a character’s gracious or inviting countenance, hinting at an openness in both appearance and behavior [3, 4]. Yet, the term can be wielded with nuance or irony, suggesting that a superficially attractive exterior may not necessarily reflect deeper virtue or reliability [5, 6, 7]. Whether alluding to an immediately attractive presence or to a more nuanced, even ambiguous allure, prepossessing serves as a versatile descriptive tool, offering a succinct cue to the reader about a character’s potential for charm or complexity [8, 9, 10].
- At this moment a gentleman of prepossessing appearance entered the store.
— from Phil, the Fiddler by Alger, Horatio, Jr. - His dress, which was extremely elegant, added also to his prepossessing appearance.
— from The Life and Adventures of Guzman D'Alfarache, or the Spanish Rogue, vol. 3/3 by Mateo Alemán - He is certainly very handsome; and yet more, there is an openness in his manner that must be highly prepossessing, and I am sure she feels it so.
— from Lady Susan by Jane Austen - "The personal appearance of 'Bishop' Black in his late years, says the Hon. S. L. Shannon, who remembers him well, was very prepossessing.
— from William Black: The Apostle of Methodism in the Maritime Provinces of Canada by John MacLean - But his heavy, shambling walk, the manner in which he dropped into his seat, and his passive, stupid appearance were not at all prepossessing.
— from The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar by Maurice Leblanc - His appearance was rather suspicious than prepossessing, especially as, instead of doffing his bonnet, he pulled it still deeper over his rugged brow.
— from Ivanhoe: A Romance by Walter Scott - His face was as prepossessing as a basket of old bottles; and as for his manners, he did not appear to have any to boast of.
— from The Underground World: A mirror of life below the surface by Thomas Wallace Knox - I found him to be a most prepossessing man, so far as manners and appearance were concerned.
— from The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - His appearance was not prepossessing or promising.
— from The Pansy Magazine, April 1886 by Various - Her appearance was anything but prepossessing.
— from English Caricaturists and Graphic Humourists of the Nineteenth Century.How they Illustrated and Interpreted their Times. by Graham Everitt
