I.to wish or desire greatly, to long for a thing (class.).
(α).
With acc.: “quae majori parti pulcherrima videntur, ea maxime exoptant,” Cic. Off. 1, 32, 118: “Samnitium adventum,” Liv. 9, 25, 5: “illum exoptavit potius?” Plaut. Bacch. 3, 4, 3: “aliquid,” id. As. 3, 3, 133: “omnes te oderunt, tibi pestem exoptant,” wish you, Cic. Pis. 40, 96.—
(β).
With inf.-clause as object: “multis de causis te exopto quam primum videre,” Cic. Fam. 4, 6, 3: “aemulari neglegentiam alicuius,” Ter. And. prol. 20 (but not in Enn. Ann., where the better read. is laudarier optans, v. Vahl. p. 80).—
(γ).
With ut: “omnium hominum exopto ut fiam miserorum miserrimus,” Plaut. Men. 5, 2, 65: “ut sempiternae laudi tibi sit iste tribunatus exopto,” Cic. Fam. 2, 7, 1.—
(δ).
Absol.: “neque nobis cupientibus atque exoptantibus fructus otii datus est,” Cic. de Or. 1, 1, 2.—Hence, exoptātus , a, um, P. a., greatly wished or desired, longed for: “edepol me uxori exoptatum credo adventurum domum,” Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 22; id. Truc. 2, 6, 33; id. Capt. 5, 4, 9; id. Curc. 2, 3, 27: “Antiphila, maxume animo exoptata meo,” Ter. Heaut. 2, 4, 28: “ut exoptatum inimico nuntium primus adferret,” Cic. Rosc. Am. 7, 19: “erit et tibi exoptatum optinget,” Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 20; id. As. 3, 3, 136.—Comp.: “nihil exoptatius adventu meo,” Cic. Att. 5, 15, 1.—Sup.: “o mi ere exoptatissume,” Plaut. Trin. 4, 3, 65: “gratulatio,” Cic. Att. 4, 1, 2.—Adv. seems not to occur.
