tristis, e, adj. [etym. dub.; cf. Sanscr. trastas, frightened; and Lat. terreo], sad, sorrowful, mournful, dejected, melancholy, disconsolate, trist (syn.: maestus, severus, austerus, luctuosus).
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. 355: malle se adulescentem tristem quam hilarem, Sen. Ep. 36, 3: tristis Erat et me maestum videbat, Curt. 6, 11, 27; Sen. Tranq. 15, 4.—
B Transf.
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 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 Of smell, offensive , foul : anhelitus oris, Ov. A. A. 1, 521.—
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.—
II In partic.
A Of behavior, etc., towards others.
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. Ach. 2, 409.—
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.—
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. 857: 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.