• adj. 謹(jǐn)慎的；小心的

dis-, 分開，散開。-creet, 區(qū)分，詞源同crisis, critic, discern. 即區(qū)分好壞善惡的，慎重的。

discreet

discreet: [14] Discreet and discrete [14] are ultimately the same word. Both come from Latin discrētus, the past participle of discernere ‘distinguish’ (source of English discern). Discrete was borrowed direct from Latin, and retains its original meaning more closely: ‘distinct, separate’. The Latin abstract noun formed from the past participle, discrētiō (source of English discretion [14]), developed the sense ‘power to make distinctions’.

This fed back into the adjective, giving it the meaning ‘showing good judgment’, the semantic guise in which English acquired it from Old French discret. This was usually spelled discrete too until the 16th century, when discreet (based on the -ee- spelling commonly used in words like sweet and feet which rhymed with discrete) became the established form for the more widely used sense ‘judicious’.
=> certain, discern, discrete, secret

discreet (adj.)

mid-14c., "morally discerning, prudent, circumspect," from Old French discret "discreet, sensible, intelligent, wise," from Latin discretus "separated, distinct," in Medieval Latin "discerning, careful," past participle of discernere "distinguish" (see discern). Meaning "separate, distinct" in English is late 14c.

Spellings discrete and nativized discreet co-existed until after c. 1600, when discreet became the common word for "careful, prudent," and discrete was maintained in philosophy, medicine, music and other disciplines that remembered Latin and made effort to obey it. Related: Discreetly.

1. She had meant to make a discreet entrance, but conversation stopped dead.

她本打算悄悄進(jìn)去，但談話卻突然中斷了。

來自柯林斯例句

2. She's making a few discreet inquiries with her mother's friends.

她旁敲側(cè)擊地向她母親的朋友們打聽過幾次。

來自柯林斯例句

3. She wore discreet jewellery.

她戴著素凈的首飾。

來自柯林斯例句

4. We were very discreet about the romance.

我們對這段戀情很謹(jǐn)慎。

來自柯林斯例句

5. They were gossipy and not always discreet.

他們很愛傳閑話，而且常常口無遮攔。

來自柯林斯例句