I.without resources, helpless, weak (class.).
I. In gen.: “ab ope inops, qui ejus indiget,” Varr. L. L. 5, § 92 Müll.: “inopes relicti a duce,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 34: “nihil cum potentiore juris humani relinquitur inopi,” Liv. 9, 1, 8: “solare inopem et succurre relictae,” Verg. A. 9, 290.—
II. In partic., helpless through poverty, destitute, needy, indigent.
A. Lit.: “res pauperes inopesque,” Plaut. Rud. 1, 5, 24: “aerarium inops et exhaustum,” empty, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 70, § 164: “te semper inops vexet cupido,” unsated, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 98: “domus cujusvis inopis,” Nep. Ages. 7, 4. —Esp., of the dead who could not pay Charon's fee: “haec omnis inops inhumataque turba est,” Verg. A. 6, 325; cf.: “infletaeque jacent inopes super arva catervae,” Aus. Mos. 4: mortuis in ore nummum immittere, ut apud inferos non tamquam inopes errent, Schol. Juv. 3, 267. —
(β).
With gen., destitute of, without: “humanitatis,” Cic. de Or. 2, 10, 40: “amicorum,” id. Lael. 15: “animi,” Verg. A. 4, 300: “mentis,” Ov. F. 4, 457: “consilii,” Liv. 26, 18, 6: “rationis,” Stat. Th. 1, 373: “senatus auxilii humani,” Liv. 3, 7, 7: “terra pacis,” Ov. P. 2, 2, 96: “somni cibique,” id. M. 14, 424: “provinciae virorum,” Tac. H. 2, 67: “miles Martis,” that never fights, Sil. 9, 334.—
(γ).
Plur. as subst.: ĭnŏpes , um, opp. potentes, Sall. H. Fragm. 4, 61, 17 Dietsch.— Sing.: “si nihil cum potentiore juris humani relinquitur inopi,” Liv. 9, 1, 8. —
B. Trop.
1. Of inanimate things, mean, wretched, contemptible: “inopis et pusilli animi esse,” Hor. S. 1, 4, 17: “nostras inopes noluit esse vias,” Ov. Ib. 24: “advorsus atque inops amor,” Lucr. 4, 1142: “odia aegra sine armis errabant, iraeque inopes,” impotent, Val. Fl. 5, 147: “vita,” Vell. 2, 19, 4. —
2. Of speech, poor in words or ideas, meagre: “non erat abundans, non inops tamen,” Cic. Brut. 67, 238: “non inops verbis,” id. ib. 70, 247: “ad ornandum,” id. ib. 76, 263: “Latinam linguam non modo non inopem, sed locupletiorem etiam esse quam Graecam,” id. Fin. 1, 3, 10: “vir inopi lingua et infacundus,” Gell. 18, 8, 6.