A.nice, refined, gentlemanly, ἐσμὲν ἅπαντα κομψοὶ ἄνδρες we are perfect gentlemen, Eup.159, cf. Ar.V.1317; “κ. ἐν συνουσίᾳ” Id.Nu.649; τὸ θῆλυ τοὺς πόδας ἔχει κομψοτέρους more delicate, finer, Arist.Phgn.809b9.
2. smart, clever, ingenious, of persons or their words and acts, “ὁ πρῶτος εὑρὼν κ. ἦν τραγήματα” Alex.185; “κ. θεαταί” Cratin.169, cf. 307; “Θηραμένης ὁ κ.” Ar.Ra.967; “Σικελὸς κ. ἀνήρ” Timocr.6, cf. Pl.Grg.493a; κ. περί τι clever about . . , Id.R.495d (Sup.), Cra.405d; of a dog's instinct, “κ. τὸ πάθος αὐτοῦ τῆς φύσεως” Id.R.376a; μὰ γῆν . . , μὴ 'γὼ νόημα κομψότερον ἤκουσά πω a more ingenious device . . , Ar.Av.195; τὸ πρᾶγμα κ. [ἐστι] Id.Th.93, cf. 460 (lyr., Comp.), Dionys.Com.3.1; esp. in a sneering sense, over-ingenious, “κομψός γ᾽ ὁ κῆρυξ καὶ παρεργάτης λόγων” E.Supp.426; τρίβων γὰρ εἶ τὰ κομψά versed in subtleties, Id.Rh.625; “μή μοι τὰ κομψὰ ποικίλοι γενοίατο, ἀλλ᾽ ὧν πόλει δεῖ” Id.Fr.16; τὸ κ. refinement, subtlety, Arist.Pol.1265a12; “τῶν ἰατρῶν ὅσοι κ. ἢ περίεργοι” Id.Resp.480b27; “κ. σοφίσματα” E.Fr. 188.5; τοῦτ᾽ ἔχει -ότατον this is the subtlest part of it, Pl.Tht.171a; κομψότερος . . ὁ λόγος ἢ κατ᾽ ἐμέ too subtle for me, Id.Cra.429d:—but in Pl. and Arist., usu. clever, esp. skilful in technique, with at most a slight irony (κομψοὺς Πλάτων οὐ τοὺς πανούργους, ἀλλὰ τοὺς βελτίστους Moer.p.206 P.).
3. more generally, nice, good, pleasant, “πάντων δὲ κομψότατον τὸ τῆς πόας” Pl.Phdr.230c; τὰ κ. ταῦτα χλανίσκια that nice suit of yours, Aeschin.1.131.
II. Adv. -ψῶς cleverly, Ar.Ach.1016 (lyr.), Pl.Cra.399a, etc.: Comp. -οτέρως Isoc. 15.195; κ. ἔχειν to be well, 'nicely' in health, PPar.18.3 (ii B.C.), cf. PLond. ined.2126 (ii/iii A.D.), etc.; κομψότερον σχεῖν to get better in health, Ev.Jo.4.52, cf. Arr.Epict.3.10.13, POxy.935.5 (iii A.D.): Sup. -ότατα nicely, Ar.Lys.89; λέγεσθαι κομψότατα most cleverly, Pl.Tht.202d.— Chiefly found in Att. Com. and Prose; Trag. only in E. (Orig. sense uncertain; = στρεβλός, Erot. (citing Euripides); = στρογγύλος, Hsch.）
