fătŭus, a, um, adj. [root fa, cf. for; properly, garrulous], foolish, silly, simple (class.; syn.: stultus, stolidus, insipiens, desipiens, stupidus, hebes, ineptus, insulsus, absurdus).
I Adj. : ego me ipsum stultum existimo, fatuum esse non opinor, Afran. ap. Isid. Orig. 10, 246: stulti, stolidi. fatui, fungi, bardi, blenni, buccones, Plaut. Bacch. 5, 1, 2: fatuus est, insulsus, Ter. Eun. 1079: non modo nequam et improbus, sed etiam fatuus et amens es, Cic. Deiot. 7, 21: monitor, id. de Or. 2, 24, 99: homo, Poët. ap. Cic. de Or. 2, 67, 274: puer, Cic. Att. 6, 6, 3: nisi plane fatui sint, id. Fin. 2, 22, 70: mores, Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 18.—
B Poet. transf.
1 Insipid , tasteless , of food: ut sapiant fatuae, fabrorum prandia, betae, Mart. 13, 13.—
2 Awkward , clumsy , unwieldy : illa bipennem Insulsam et fatuam dextra tenebat, Juv. 6, 658.—
II Subst.: fătŭus , i, m., and fătŭa , ae, f., a fool , simpleton , a jester , buffoon.
A In gen., one who acts foolishly : paene ecfregisti, fatue, foribus cardines, Plaut. Am. 4, 2, 6; Cat. 83, 2; Juv. 9, 8.—
B Esp., kept by Romans of rank for their amusement: Harpasten, uxoris meae fatuam, scis hereditarium onus in domo mea remansisse ... si quando fatuo delectari volo, me rideo, Sen. Ep. 50, 2; Lampr. Comm. 4, 3.
VIII —Hence, fătŭe , adv., foolishly , absurdly : plerumque studio loquendi fatue modo accedendum, Quint. 6, 4, 8 dub. (Spald. and Zumpt, fatui); Tert. adv. Herm. 10; id. de Pat. 6. —Hence,