Lewis & Short

ŏpĕrōsus, a, um, adj. [opera].

  1. I. Taking great pains, painstaking, active, busy, industrious, laborious (class.; syn.: laboriosus, industrius): senectus, opp. to languida atque iners, Cic. Sen. 8, 26: colonus, Ov. Nuce, 57: cultibus ambae, id. Am. 2, 10, 5.
    Poet. with Gr. acc.: Cynthia non operosa comas (al. comis), Prop. 5, 8, 52.
    Poet. with gen.: vates operose dierum, in regard to, Ov. F. 1, 101.
    Sup.: Syria in hortis operosissima, exceedingly industrious in gardening, Plin. 20, 5, 16, § 33.
    1. B. Transf., of a medicine, active, efficacious, powerful, drastic (poet.): herbae, Ov. M. 14, 22.
  2. II. That costs much trouble, troublesome, toilsome, laborious, difficult, elaborate (syn. difficilis): labor operosus et molestus, Cic. N. D. 2, 23, 59: artes, handicrafts, id. Off. 2, 5, 17: opus, id. Q. Fr. 2, 14, 1: res, Liv. 4, 8: templa, costly, sumptuous, Ov. M. 15, 667: moles mundi, the artfully constructed fabric of the universe, id. ib. 1, 258: castaneae cibo, hard to digest, Plin. 15, 23, 25, § 93: carmina, elaborate, Hor. C. 4, 2, 31.
    Comp.: ne quis sepulcrum faceret operosius, quam quod decem homines effecerint triduo, Cic. Leg. 2, 26, 64: divitiae operosiores, Hor. C. 3, 1, 48; 3, 12, 5.
    Hence, adv.: ŏpĕrōsē.
    1. A. Lit., with great labor or pains, laboriously, carefully (class.): nec flat operose, Cic. Or. 44, 149: vina condita, Ov F. 5, 269.
      Comp.: dicemus operosius, more precisely, Plin. 18, 26, 65, § 238.
    2. B. Transf., exactly, accurately (post-Aug.): dicemus mox paulo operosius, Plin. 18, 26, 65, § 238.