nĭmĭus, a, um, adj. [nimis], beyond measure, excessive, too great, too much.
- I. Lit.: quod autem satis est, eo quidquid accesserit nimium est, Cic. Fin. 5, 27, 81: vitem coërcet, ne in omnes partes nimia fundatur, id. Sen. 15, 52: nimiae celeritates, id. Off. 1, 36, 131: nimiā pertinaciā atque arrogantiā, Caes. B. C. 1, 85: Prometheus Assiduam nimio pectore pavit avem, that grew again too fast, Mart. Spect. 7, 2.
- (β) With abl. of thing, excessive, immoderate, intemperate in any thing: fiduciā nimius, Sall. Fragm. ap. Arus. Mess.: rebus secundis nimii, too much elated, Tac. H. 4, 23: nimius mero, Hor. C. 2, 12, 5.
- (γ) With gen.: impotens et nimius animi est, Liv. 6, 11, 3: imperii, id. 3, 26: sermonis, Tac. H. 3, 75: pugnae, Sil. 5, 232.
- 2. Subst.: nĭmĭum, ii, n., too much, superabundance, excess: mediocritatem illam tenebit, quae est inter nimium et parum, Cic. Off. 1, 25, 89: juris, Sil. 14, 670: auri argentique nimium fuit, Plin. 33 prooem. § 5.
- B. In partic., too mighty, too powerful (post-Aug.): Cn. Pompeium esse nimium jam liberae reipublicae, Vell. 2, 32, 1: legio legatis nimia ac formidolosa erat, Tac. Agr. 7; Flor. 3, 15, 3.
- II. Transf., great beyond measure, i. e. very great, very much: homo nimiā pulchritudine, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 8: nimia memoras mira, id. Am. 2, 1, 69; 5, 1, 52; Mart. 5, 64, 3.
- 2. Subst.: nĭmĭum, ii, n.: nimium boni est, cui nil est [in diem] mali, it is great good fortune (a transl. of Eurip. Hec. 2: κεῖνος ὀλβιώτατος), Enn. ap. Cic. Fin. 2, 13, 41 (Trag. v. 237 Vahl.).
Hence,
- b. In the abl., nĭmĭo, adverb., exceedingly, by far, much, very, Plaut. Truc. 4, 1, 6: nimio mavolo, id. Poen. 1, 2, 90.
Esp., with comparatives, = multo: scito, nimio celerius venire quod molestum’st, Plaut. Most. 1, 1, 69 Lorenz ad loc.: nimio nequior, id. ib. 1, 2, 65: quia te nimio plus diligo, Anton. ap. Cic. Att. 10, 8 A, 1: ne doleas plus nimio, Hor. C. 1, 33, 1: nimio minus, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 21: nimio melius, id. Pers. 1, 3, 31: nimio plus quam satis tutum esset, etc., Liv. 1, 2, 3: nimio plus quam velim, id. 2, 37, 4; 29, 33, 4: nimio amplior, Gell. 1, 3, 25.
Hence, adv., in two forms.
- A. nĭmĭum, too much, too ( = nimis, in all uses, v. infra): nimium parce facere sumptum, Ter. And. 2, 6, 19: nimium dicere, opp. parum, Cic. Clu. 58, 160: nimium ne crede colori, Verg. E. 2, 17: diu, Cic. Cat. 1, 5, 10: longum tempus, id. Att. 12, 18, 1: nimium multi, id. Clu. 46, 126: nimium gratum … gratum praeter modum, id. Planc. 33, 82: amantes mei, Quint. 1 prooem. 7 et saep.
- (β) Non nimium, not very much, not particularly: illud non nimium probo, Cic. Fam. 12, 30, 7.
- 2. Transf., very much, greatly, exceedingly: homo nimium lepidus, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 8: nimium lepida nimisque nitida femina, id. ib. 4, 2, 12; id. Ps. 1, 2, 71: loci nimium mirabiles, id. Trin. 4, 2, 86: nimium vellem, Ter. Eun. 3, 5, 49: o fortunatos nimium, sua si bona norint, Agricolas! Verg. G. 2, 458: felix, heu nimium felix! id. A. 4, 657; Stat. S. 3, 3, 25.
In class. prose esp.
- b. Nimium quantum, as much as can be, very much indeed, exceedingly, very: differt inter honestum et turpe nimium quantum, Cic. Fin. 4, 25, 70: sales in dicendo nimium quantum valent, id. Or. 26, 87: ille nimium quantum audacter, Oves, inquit, etc., Gell. 16, 6, 9 (nimium quam, false reading for quae nimium, Quint. 4, 2, 70. In Plaut. Bacch. 1, 2, 13, the better reading is hem quam, v. Ritschl ad h. l.).
- B. nĭmĭē (post-class.).
- 1. Too much, excessively: nimie aliquid facere, Capitol. Gord. 6: arat (frontem rugis) non nimie sed pulchre dictum, Macr. S. 6, 6.
- 2. Transf., very much, very: in locis nimie frigidis, Pall. 4, 10.