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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Outrageous(e, a. (adv.). Also: outrageousse, -rageus, -ragious(e, -ius, -ous, outraigous; owtrageous, -eows, -eus, -ews, -yus; outtrageous(e, -eouss(e, -ious, -ius; owttragews, -ious; utragi(o)us, wtrageous(e, uttragius; and Oultrage(o)us. [ME. and e.m.E. utrageous (c 1325), outrage(o)us (14th c.), out(e)-, oultragious, etc. (15th c.), OF. outrageus, AF. oult-.]

1. Of personal qualities: Exceeding normal bounds; very great, extraordinary; extreme, excessive.In contexts which imply a. approval, b. disapproval.a. 1375 Barb. iii. 162.
For ȝone knycht … throw his owtrageous manheid Has fellyt … Thre men of mekill prid Ib. vi. 126.
Stark outrageous [E. wtrageous] curage he had ?1438 Alex. ii. 4587.
The outtragious hardement weill he knew Of Porrus Ib. 5355.
Of the outtragious worsheip That God hes geuin ȝow to keip Ib. 2964.
Outtragius a1500 Lanc. 258.
Outragous curagb. 1375 Barb. xvi. 327.
Bot his outrageous succudry And will that mar wes [than] hardy, Of purpos letit him Ib. xviii. 183. c1420 Wynt. v. 651.
For hys ecces sa owtragews [C. outtrageousse, W. He wes hiely and outragious] And his condytyown wycwys 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 77.
Syk owtrageus foly 1531 Bell. Boece I. xxv.
Be outragius and exerbitant [sic in pr.] haitrent rais sic slauchter and murdir on all sidis 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 44.
Ane takin of outragious haitrent

2. Of persons: Excessive or unrestrained in action, violent. c1420 Wynt. v. 1644.
He … wes in dedys fell Owtrageows and rycht cruelle 1456 Hay II. 40/29.
Namely outrageus in word and sclanderous bakbytare Ib. /35.
And all outrageus commoun vicius men c1490 Porteous Noblenes 177/21.
That thai ar nocht outtrageous to answer in cruell langage nor to tak vengance be strenth 1531 Bell. Boece I. 27.
Thir brigandis … confiderat thaim with ane cumpany of Pichtis outrageous and wickit limmeris as thay war 15.. Clar. iii. 416.
Utragius 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4152.
Auld men … ar … Wylie and fell and richt outrageus Ib. 6876.
Thay [sc. women] ar sa outrageous, Irefull and dispittous … Quhen thay grow furious a1568 Bann. MS. 279 b/59.
And uthir emprioris owttragious The quhilk patt holy men to sowrd & fyre 1575 Reg. Soltre 229.
Gif ony of the beidmen be … outtragius to thair said maister hospitale 1596 Dalr. I. 192/13.
Nathir was Angusian for this cause the mair outragious 1665 Beale Fife Schools 179.
To be more calm … and not so outragiouse in his speitches to them

b. Lacking in moderation or temperance. c1460 Thewis Gud Women 29.
Nocht outragous in hire cleithinge

3. Of actions, behaviour, treatment of others: Very or too great, extreme, excessive; excessively cruel, atrocious, intolerable.Chiefly in contexts implying disapproval. 1375 Barb. iii. 132.
He thocht … To do ane owtrageous bounte Ib. xi. 32.
Quhen Schir Eduard … Had gevyn sa outrageous a day To ȝeld or reskew Strewilling Ib. xx. 527.
Quhen this Pirrus had On him … mayd Ane outrageous discumfitour a1400 Leg. S. xxxi. 372.
& franyt … quha durst do Sa outrageouse a scorn hir to ?1438 Alex. i. 2012.
With bodyis [etc.] … Sa outragious hurkling than thay maid [F. s'entrehurtent si fort] c1420 Wynt. vi. 132.
That war abhomynatyowne And owttragews transgressyowne Agayne all poynt off Crystyn fay Ib. vii. 254.
Be … owtrageows extorsyownys Ib. v. 3011 (W).
Outragiouse 1456 Hay I. 174/4.
Bot and his maister … do him sum outrageus injure or othir inhumanitee Ib. 300/10.
To geve but caus resounable outrageus giftis Ib. II. 84/26.
Fule largesse and outrageus dispens but mesure a1500 Rauf C. 369. 1513 Doug. ii. ix. 50.
Owtragyus 1533 Bell. Livy I. 60/20.
This wikkit and outtrageous deid [L. atrox] c1590 Fowler II. 19/16.
Outragious 1600-1610 Melvill 131.
His crewall and uttragius handling and careing to preasone Ib. 222.
Sic utragius tyrannie 1600 Reg. Privy C. VI. 167.
Some … evill disposed persons sal be lowking outragious countenance [etc.] … do quhat in them lyis to enter [etc.] 1627 Justiciary Cases I. 73.
Eftir he had fochein and strugillit uith hir in maist outrageous maner 1631 Ib. 168.

4. Of speech: Unbridled, offensive, insulting. 1456 Hay I. 287/15.
And he persevere in his outrageous langage a1500 Henr. Fab. 2655 (Bann.). c1490 Porteous Noblenes 179/19.
Ane outtragious tung … garris all men be hatit 1513 Doug. ix. x. h. of ch.
Heir ȝyng Ascanyus the strang Numanus slew Quhill wordis owtragyus to the Troianys schew a1550 Goldin Latany 208/86.
And for the outrageous wordis that Thou tholit that nycht, haue marcy 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6705. 1573 Tyrie in Cath. Tr. (S.T.S.) 5/27.
Be sic vtragius and dispytfull sklandres 1574 Reg. Privy C. II. 406.
Minassingis and outragious threatningis 1635 Justiciary Cases I. 237.
The quhilkis lettres … contenis many seditious and utragious speiches aganis ws, our estait and governament 1641 Edinb. Surgeons 153. 1679 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 293.
By most unhansome and outraigous speiches

5. In other collocations: Very or too great, extreme, excessive, immoderate, extremely violent.(1) ?1438 Alex. i. 2187.
Thair menȝe … was At outragious mischeif fechtand c1420 Wynt. iv. 2124.
The were civile was than sa fele, Sa owtrageows and sa cruel, Sa wyolent 1616 Drummond I. 48/11.
Mee place where … late outragious Fates vpon nmee frowne c1650 Spalding II. 462.
Marche wes veray wyndie, heiche and outragious(2) 1456 Hay II. 88/4.
All lustis of outrageous carnale appetitis Ib. /7.
To flee and eschew allcarnale concupiscence outrageous 1494 Loutfut MS. 33 b.
And liffit of the transquillite of noblesse and nocht of outtrageous corporal mettis

6. adv. Extremely, excessively. = Outrageously adv. 1375 Barb. ix. 483.
Bot he wes outrageous hardy And of so hye vndirtaking That [etc.] 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1544.
He was to thame sa outrageous [1553 outragius] ingrait