Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

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 capiebatAc 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 distraxeritet 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.