Lewis & Short

vīlis, e, adj., of small price or value, purchased at a low rate, cheap (opp. carus).

  1. I. Lit.: nec quicquam hic vile nunc est nisi mores mali, Plaut. Trin. 1, 1, 10: annona vilior, id. Mil. 3, 1, 138: istaec (puella) vero vilis est, Ter. Phorm. 3, 3, 25: istuc verbum vile est viginti minis, Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 139: ex eis praediis talenta argenti bina Statim capiebat … Ac rebus vilioribus multo talenta bina, Ter. Phorm. 5, 3, 8: frumentum quoniam vilius erat, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 84, § 195: res vilissimae (opp. pretiosissimae), id. Fin. 2, 28, 91.
    Abl. neutr. (sc. pretio), at a small price, at a low rate, cheaply: Ep. Quanti eam emit? Th. Vili, Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 49: vili vendere, Mart. 12, 66, 10.
    Comp.: quod viliori praedium distraxerit … et si non viliori vendidit, etc., Dig. 43, 24, 11, § 8.
    Sup.: res stipulatoris vilissimo distracta est, Dig. 13, 4, 2 fin.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. Of trifling value, cheap, poor, paltry, common, mean, worthless, base, vile (cf. indignus): si honor noster vobis vilior fuisset, Cic. Fl. 41, 103: nihil tam vile neque tam vulgare, id. Rosc. Am. 26, 71: Velia non est vilior quam Lupercal, id. Fam. 7, 20, 1: hi quorum tibi auctoritas est videlicet cara, vita vilissima, id. Cat. 1, 8, 19: fidem fortunas pericula vilia habere, Sall. C. 16, 2: nec adeo vilis tibi vita esset nostra, ut, etc., Liv. 40, 9: et genus et virtus nisi cum re vilior alga est, Hor. S. 2, 5, 8: inter Perfectos veteresque referri debet an inter Viles et novos? id. Ep. 2, 1, 38: vilis Europe, vile, abandoned, id. C. 3, 27, 57: tu poscis vilia rerum, id. Ep. 1, 17, 21: si, dum me careas, est tibi vile mori, Ov. H. 7, 48.
      Neutr. adverb.: et vile virentes Hesperidum risit ramos, i. e. in the ordinary manner, Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 37: vile comparati, Schol. Juv. 11, 145.
      Prov.: vile est, quod licet, Petr. 93.
          1. (β) With inf.: stat fucare colos nec Sidone vilior, Ancon. Sil. 8, 438.
    2. B. Found in great quantities, abundant, common (poet. and rare): poma, Verg. G. 1, 274: phaselus, id. ib. 1, 227.
      Hence, adv.: vīlĭter.
      1. 1. Lit., cheaply: venire poteris intestinis vilius, Plaut. Curc. 2, 1, 28: vilissime constat, Plin. 18, 6, 8, § 45: vilissime constiterit, Col. 9, 1, 6.
      2. 2. Transf., meanly, poorly, vilely: se ipsum colere, App. Flor. 1, p. 344, 29; Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 97: vilissime natus, Eutr. 9, 21.