Lewis & Short

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tristis, e, adj. [etym. dub.; cf. Sanscr. trastas, frightened; and Lat. terreo], sad, sorrowful, mournful, dejected, melancholy, disconsolate, trist (syn.: maestus, severus, austerus, luctuosus).

  1. I. In gen.: maesti tristesque, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 18: cum maestus errares, quaerere ex te, quid tristis esses, Cic. Div. 1, 28, 59: tristis et conturbatus, id. Verr. 2, 4, 14, § 32: tristis, demissus, id. Mur. 21, 45: sic tristes affatus amicos, Hor. C. 1, 7, 24: Sequanos tristes, capite demisso, terram intueri, Caes. B. G. 1, 32: numquam ego te tristiorem Vidi esse, Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 55: oderunt hilarem tristes, tristemque jocosi, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 89: (faciet) hominem ex tristi lepidum et lenem, Plaut. Cas. 2, 3, 7: quid tu tristis es? id. ib. 2, 2, 6; id. Men. 5, 2, 27; 5, 2, 59: quid es tam tristis? Ter. Hec. 3, 2, 20: malle se adulescentem tristem quam hilarem, Sen. Ep. 36, 3: tristis Erat et me maestum videbat, Curt. 6, 11, 27; Sen. Tranq. 15, 4.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. Of things associated with misfortune or suggestive of sadness, melancholy, saddening, unhappy: ut tuum laetissimum diem cum tristissimo meo conferam, Cic. Pis. 14, 33; cf.: vel defensus tristibus temporibus vel ornatus secundis, id. Fam. 15, 7: esse vultu tristi, Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 124: tristissima exta, Cic. Div. 2, 15, 36: tristissimi exsilii solatium, Liv. 5, 51, 1: tristissimam exegimus noctem, most miserable, Petr. 115: sors, unhappy, miserable, Cic. Mur. 20, 42: eventus, Liv. 8, 24, 18: Kalendae, sad, dismal, Hor. S. 1, 3, 87: Hyades, id. C. 1, 3, 14: Orion, id. Epod. 10, 10: bella, id. A. P. 73: clades, id. C. 3, 3, 62: morbus, Verg. G. 4, 252: fatum, Hor. S. 1, 9, 29: jus sepulcri, Ov. M. 13, 472: officium (exsequiarum), id. ib. 12, 4: funera, Verg. G. 4, 256; Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 74: pars subiere feretro, Triste ministerium, Verg. A. 6, 223: Tartara, id. ib. 4, 243: Acheron, Sil. 13, 571: tristique palus inamabilis undā, Verg. A. 6, 438; Hor. C. 2, 14, 8: arbores, gloomy, sombre, Plin. 16, 25, 40, § 95: adspectus (arboris), id. 13, 22, 40, § 120: tristes et squalidi trunci, Sen. Ep. 12, 1.
      2. 2. Of taste: quod triste et amarum est, harsh, disagreeable, bitter, Lucr. 4, 634: suci, Verg. G. 2, 126: lupinum, id. ib. 1, 75: absinthia, Ov. P. 3, 1, 23; 3, 8, 15: epulae, Sil. 3, 281: sapor. Ov. Tr. 4, 6, 12: pocula, Tib. 1, 5, 50.
      3. 3. Of smell, offensive, foul: anhelitus oris, Ov. A. A. 1, 521.
      4. 4. As subst.: triste, is, n., a sad thing, etc. (poet.): triste lupus stabulis, maturis frugibus imbres, Arboribus venti, a sad thing, a pest, bane, Verg. E. 3, 80: interdum miscentur tristia laetis, Ov. F. 6, 463; cf.: nunc ego mitibus Mutare quaero tristia, Hor. C. 1, 16, 26. Thus Ovid called his elegies that were written in exile Tristia.
  2. II. In partic.
    1. A. Of behavior, etc., towards others.
      1. 1. Glum, gloomy, peevish, morose, ill-humored (syn.: tetricus, severus, austerus): stultitia est, ei te esse tristem, Plaut. Cas. 2, 4, 4: eia, mea Juno, non decet te esse tam tristem tuo Jovi, id. ib. 2, 3, 14: mihi erit tristior, Afran. ap. Non. 410, 2: tristis amica ingrato viro, Prop. 1, 6, 10: puella, id. 1, 10, 21: navita tristis (Charon), gloomy, sullen, Verg. A. 6, 315; so, dii, Hor. S. 1, 5, 103: Erinys, Verg. A. 2, 337: sorores, i. e. the Fates, Tib. 3, 3, 35; Sen. Tranq. 7, 6: ursa, Stat. Achill. 2, 409.
      2. 2. Stern, harsh, severe: judex tristis et integer, Cic. Verr. 1, 10, 30; cf.: cum tristibus severe, cum remissis jucunde vivere, id. Cael. 6, 13.
    2. B. Transf., of things, gloomy, sad, melancholy, stern, harsh, etc.: truculentis oculis, tristi fronte, Plaut. As. 2, 3, 21: voltus, id. Most. 3, 2, 124: fronte gravi et tristi supercilio, Plin. Pan. 41, 3: idem naturā tristiori paululo, Afran. ap. Non. 410, 2: vultus severior et tristior, Cic. de Or. 2, 71, 289; cf.: tristis severitas inest in vultu, Ter. And. 5, 2, 16: vita tristior, Cic. Off. 1, 30, 108: triste et severum genus dicendi, id. Brut. 30, 113; cf.: sermo tristis (opp. jocosus), Hor. S. 1, 10, 11: senectus, Verg. ap. Sen. Ep. 108, 29; cf.: tristis et plenus dignitatis sonus, Cic. Rep. 6, 2, 7: perfert in judiciis tristem et impexam antiquitatem, Tac. Or. 20.
      Of languages, etc.: tua tristia dicta, Verg. A. 10, 612: sententia, Ov. M. 15, 43; Liv. 8, 21, 2: responsum, id. 9, 16, 3: senatūs consultum, id. 5, 6, 2.
      Adv.: tristĕ, sadly, sorrowfully; harshly, severely: salutantes, Stat. Th. 4, 19: triste et acutum resonare, Hor. S. 1, 8, 41: rigens frons, Stat. S. 5, 1, 64.
      Comp.: flere tristius, Prop. 2, 20 (3, 13), 2: adulescentes gravius aegrotant, tristius curantur, with more difficulty, Cic. Sen. 19, 67: respondere tristius, more harshly, id. Fam. 4, 13, 5.