scĕlestus, a, um, adj. [scelus; like funestus, from funus], wicked, villanous, infamous, accursed, abominable; knavish, roguish; and subst., a wicked person, a knave, rogue, scoundrel, miscreant (freq. ante-class. in Plaut. and Ter.; after the class. per. sceleratus is more freq.; by Cic. not used of persons).
I Lit., of persons: ego sum malus, Ego sum sacer, scelestus, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 6, 14: eheu, scelestus galeam in navi perdidi, id. Rud. 3, 5, 22: perjuravisti, sceleste, id. Ps. 1, 3, 120 sq.: o scelestum atque audacem hominem! Ter. Eun. 708; Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 36; id. Merc. 1, 90; id. Ps. 3, 2, 103 et saep.; Ter. Heaut. 970; id. Ad. 159; id. Eun. 71 al.; Sall. C. 51, 32; 52, 15; Quint. 2, 16, 2; Hor. C. 2, 4, 17; 3, 2, 31; 3, 11, 39; id. Epod. 7, 1.— Comp. , Plaut. Aul. 3, 2, 5; id. Cist. 4, 1, 8; id. Bacch. 2, 3, 22 al.— Sup. , Plaut. Am. 2, 1, 2.—As a term of reproach or abuse: sceleste, scelesta, etc., you knave! you wretch! sceleste. Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 120; 1, 3, 126; Ter. And. 790; id. Eun. 668; id. Heaut. 312: scelesta, Plaut. As. 1, 2, 23; id. Most. 1, 3, 26; Ter. Eun. 817; 832: scelesti, Plaut. Men. 5, 7, 28; cf. sup. : scelestissime, audes mihi praedicare id? you arrant rogue! id. Am. 2, 1, 11.—Of things: scelestum ac nefarium facinus, Cic. Rosc. Am. 13, 37: res scelesta, atrox, nefaria, id. ib. 22, 62: numquam quidquam facinus feci pejus neque scelestius, Plaut. Men. 3, 1, 2: scelesto facinori scelestiorem sermonem addidit, Liv. 5, 27: scelestae hae sunt aedes, impia est habitatio, Plaut. Most. 2, 2, 73: scelestior cena, id. Rud. 2, 6, 24: lingua, id. Am. 2, 1, 7: facta, id. Mil. 3, 1, 139: ser-vitus, id. Curc. 1, 1, 40: vacuam domum scelestis nuptiis fecisse, Sall. C. 15, 2: servitium, id. H. Fragm. 3, 61, 9 Dietsch: malitia, Phaedr. 2, 4, 5.—
II Transf., in Plaut. for sceleratus (B. 2.), baleful , calamitous , unlucky , unfortunate : scelestiorem ego annum argento faenori Numquam ullum vidi, Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 1: me (vidisti) adeo scelestum, qui, etc., id. Rud. 4, 4, 123; id. Cas. 3, 5, 34: ne ego sum miser, Scelestus, id. Most. 3, 1, 36; id. Capt. 3, 5, 104; id. As. 5, 2, 6; id. Rud. 3, 5, 22; id. Men. 3, 1, 2; id. Cist. 4, 2, 17; cf. scelesta, vae te! Cat. 8, 15 Ellis ad loc.—Adv.: scĕlestē (acc. to. I.), wickedly , viciously , impiously , abominably , detestably : sceleste atque impie facere, Liv. 24, 25: parta bona, Plaut. Rud. 2, 6, 22: insimulare, Vell. 2, 60, 3: exercere arma, Val. Max. 5, 1, 3.— Comp. : interit pudor, Aug. Ep. 202.—Humorously: tu sceleste suspi-caris, ego ἀφελῶς scripsi, roguishly , Cic. Att. 6, 1, 8.