summary treatment
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun A very brief and dismissive handling or rejection of something, often done without proper consideration or sympathy. It implies a curt, almost impatient, disposal of a matter.
Usage
This noun phrase is used to describe the act of dealing with something (like a request, proposal, or person) in a rapid, superficial, and unsympathetic manner. It emphasizes a lack of thoroughness and courtesy.
Examples
- The committee gave his proposal summary treatment, rejecting it without even reading the full document.
- Her complaints received summary treatment from the manager, who dismissed them in under a minute.
- The complex issue was given summary treatment in the news report, reducing it to a simple soundbite.
Advanced Usage
- The phrase often carries a critical tone, suggesting the action was unjustly hasty or disrespectful.
- It is frequently used in formal or literary contexts to describe bureaucratic, judicial, or editorial dismissiveness.
Variants and Related Words
- Short shrift: A near-synonymous idiom meaning curt and dismissive treatment. ("They gave my idea short shrift.")
- Perfunctory (adj): Carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection. ("A perfunctory inspection")
- Cursory (adj): Hasty and therefore not thorough or detailed. ("A cursory glance")
- Dismissal (n): The act of treating something as unworthy of consideration.
Synonyms
- Dismissive treatment
- Curt dismissal
- Perfunctory handling
- Brush-off (informal)
Idioms
- To give short shrift: To deal with or dismiss someone or something very quickly and without sympathy. This is the most common idiomatic expression related to "summary treatment."
- The judge gave the defendant's excuses short shrift.
Notes
"Summary treatment" strongly implies a rejection or negative outcome. It is not used for describing something that is merely concise or efficient in a positive sense.
Noun
- a brief and unsympathetic rejection
- they made short shrift of my request