I.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. 4, 4, 41; Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 36; id. Merc. 1, 90; id. Ps. 3, 2, 103 et saep.; Ter. Heaut. 5, 2, 17; id. Ad. 2, 1, 5; id. Eun. 1, 1, 26 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. 4, 4, 51; id Eun. 4, 4, 1; id. Heaut. 2, 3, 71: “scelesta,” Plaut. As. 1, 2, 23; id. Most. 1, 3, 26; Ter. Eun. 5, 1, 1; 5, 1, 16: “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.