I.lovely, comely, charming, pleasing, winning, agreeable, graceful, beautiful, elegant, etc. (syn.: pulcher, formosus, speciosus).
I. Physically: “species,” Plaut. Poen. 5, 2, 153: “vultus,” Ter. And. 1, 1, 93; Suet. Ner. 51: “gestus et motus corporis,” Cic. Brut. 55, 203: “soror,” Cat. 89, 2.—Sup.: “diva venustissima Venus,” Plaut. Poen. 5, 4, 4: “forma,” Suet. Aug. 79.—Transf., of inanim. things: “sphaera venustior et nobilior,” Cic. Rep. 1, 14, 21: “hortuli,” Phaedr. 4, 5, 34: “Sirmio,” Cat. 31, 12: “aspectus figurationis,” Vitr. 3, 2.—
II. Mentally: “Graecus facilis et valde venustus,” Cic. Pis. 28, 70: “plerumque dolor etiam venustos facit,” Plin. Ep. 3, 9, 3: venustum esse, quod cum gratiā quādam et venere dicatur apparet, Quint. 6, 3, 18: “(genus dictionis) sententiosum et argutum, sententiae concinnae et venustae,” Cic. Brut. 95, 325: “(antiqua comoedia) grandis et elegans et venusta,” Quint. 10, 1, 65: “transitus,” id. 9, 2, 61.—Comp.: “homines venustiores,” Cat. 3, 1: “longe venustiora omnia in respondendo quam in provocando,” Quint. 6, 3, 13.—Sup.: “repercutiendi genus venustissimum,” Quint. 6, 3, 78: “materia,” id. 6, 3, 84: “lusus,” id. 5, 13, 46.—Adv.: vĕnustē , charmingly, gracefully, beautifully: venuste cecidisse, most delightfully, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 4, 2: “dicere,” Quint. 6, 3, 54: “respondere,” id. 5, 7, 31: “eludere,” id. 5, 13, 48: “scribere mimiambos,” Plin. Ep. 6, 21, 4.— Comp.: “Hispanus hunc colorem venustius (adhibuit),” Sen. Contr. 1, 1, 20.—Sup.: quibus venustissime Curio respondit, se, etc., Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 11, 2: “omnia venustissime fingere,” Quint. 6, 3, 41.