I.full of sadness, sad, sorrowful, afflicted, dejected, melancholy (class.).
I. Lit.: “quid vos maestos tam tristesque esse conspicor?” Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 18: “id misera maestast, sibi eorum evenisse inopiam,” id. Rud. 2, 3, 67; Cic. Div. 1, 28, 59: “cum immolanda Iphigenia tristis Calchas esset, maestior Ulixes, etc.,” id. Or. 22, 74: “maestus ac sordidatus senex,” id. de Or. 2, 47, 195; id. Fam. 4, 6, 2: “maestus ac sollicitus,” Hor. S. 1, 2, 3: “maestissimus Hector,” Verg. A. 2, 270.—Of inanim. and abstr. things: “maesto et conturbato vultu,” Auct. Her. 3, 15, 27: “maesta ac lugentia castra,” Just. 18, 7: “maestam attonitamque videre urbem,” Juv. 11, 199: “maesta manus,” Ov. F. 4, 454: “horrida pro maestis lanietur pluma capillis,” id. Am. 2, 6, 5: “comae,” id. F. 4, 854: “collum,” id. Tr. 3, 5, 15: “timor,” Verg. A. 1, 202.—Poet., with inf.: “animam maestam teneri,” Stat. Th. 10. 775.—
II. Transf. (poet. and in post-Aug. prose).
A. Like tristis, gloomy, severe by nature: “ille neci maestum mittit Oniten,” Verg. A. 12, 514 (naturaliter tristem, severum, quem Graeci σκυθρωπὸν dicunt ἀγέλαστον, Serv.): “tacitā maestissimus irā,” Val. Fl. 5, 568: “oratores maesti et inculti,” gloomy, Tac. Or. 24.—
B. In gen., connected with mourning; containing, causing, or showing sadness; sad, unhappy, unlucky: “vestis,” a mourning garment, Prop. 3, 4 (4, 5), 13: “tubae,” id. 4 (5), 11, 9: “funera,” Ov. F. 6, 660; cf.: “ossa parentis Condidimus terrā maestasque sacravimus aras,” Verg. A. 5, 48: “a laevā maesta volavit avis,” the bird of ill omen, Ov. Ib. 128: venter, exhausted with hunger, Lucil. ap. Non. 350, 33 (enectus fame, Non.).—Hence, adv., in two forms. *