All 15 Uses of
positive
in
Bleak House
- "Indeed," she pursued, "I positively doubt sometimes, I do assure you, whether while matters are still unsettled, and the sixth or Great Seal still prevails, I may not one day be found lying stark and senseless here, as I have found so many birds!"
Chpt 4-6positively = with certainty; or absolutely (used for emphasis)
- …forth when the dragon is at rest to air himself again in Cook's Court until admonished to return by the crowing of the sanguine cock in the cellar at the little dairy in Cursitor Street, whose ideas of daylight it would be curious to ascertain, since he knows from his personal observation next to nothing about it—if Peffer ever do revisit the pale glimpses of Cook's Court, which no law-stationer in the trade can positively deny, he comes invisibly, and no one is the worse or wiser.
Chpt 10-12positively = with certainty
- He has not that positive interest in it which makes it his vocation.†
Chpt 16-18
- She is the dearest friend I have, positively!†
Chpt 28-30
- "If you think there's enough in this chain of circumstances put together— in the undoubted strong likeness of this young lady to your ladyship, which is a positive fact for a jury; in her having been brought up by Miss Barbary; in Miss Barbary stating Miss Summerson's real name to be Hawdon; in your ladyship's knowing both these names VERY WELL; and in Hawdon's dying as he did—to give your ladyship a family interest in going further into the case, I will bring these papers here.†
Chpt 28-30
- Mrs. Jellyby positively laughed at the fancy.†
Chpt 28-30
- He is not prepared positively to deny that he may have had something to do with it.†
Chpt 31-33
- Mercury is disposed, as he will presently declare to a fellowgentleman in waiting, "to pitch into the young man"; but his instructions are positive.†
Chpt 31-33
- Positively not once, yet!
Chpt 34-36 *positively = absolutely (used for emphasis)
- No, sir," said Mr. Vholes, bringing his hand flat down upon his desk in a positive manner, "nothing."†
Chpt 49-51
- That's a positive fact."†
Chpt 55-57
- A remarkable feature of the theme is that it is found to be so inspiring that several people come out upon it who never came out before—positively say things!†
Chpt 58-60
- Finding it impossible to suppress those yawns by any other process than conversation, she compliments Mrs. Rouncewell on her son, declaring that he positively is one of the finest figures she ever saw and as soldierly a looking person, she should think, as what's his name, her favourite Life Guardsman —the man she dotes on, the dearest of creatures—who was killed at Waterloo.
Chpt 58-60positively = absolutely (used for emphasis)
- Shall I shake that faith in Bucket because I want it myself; shall I deliberately blunt one of Bucket's weapons; shall I positively paralyse Bucket in his next detective operation?
Chpt 61-63positively = with certainty; or absolutely (used for emphasis)
- But Mrs. Guppy positively refused to come out of the gangway.
Chpt 64-65positively = absolutely (used for emphasis)
Definition:
-
(positive as in: I'm absolutely positive!) certain (having no doubt; or used for emphasis)