I.fem.: nulla in me est metus, Enn. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 123 Müll.: metus ulla, id. ap. Non. 214, 11; cf. Ann. v. 537, and Trag. v. 179 Vahl.; dat. metu, Tac. A. 11, 32; 15, 69), fear, dread, apprehension, anxiety; constr. with gen. object., with ne, with acc. and inf.
I. Lit.: “est metus futurae aegritudinis sollicita exspectatio,” Cic. Tusc. 5, 18, 52; cf. id. ib. 4, 30, 64: “metum excitari vel propriis vel communibus periculis,” Mart. Cap. 5, § 505: “in metu esse,” to be in fear, be fearful, Cic. Cat. 1, 7, 18: “est et in metu peregrinantium, ut, etc.,” they are also afraid, Plin. 31, 6, 37, § 71: “mihi etiam unum de malis in metu est, fratris miseri negotium,” a subject of fear, Cic. Att. 3, 9, 3: “metum habere,” to entertain fear, be afraid, id. Fam. 8, 10, 1: “metum concipere,” to become afraid, Ov. F. 1, 485: “capere,” Liv. 33, 27: “accipere,” Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 96: metum facere alicui, to make afraid, put in fear, frighten, Ov. Tr. 5, 10, 28: “metum inicere,” Caes. B. G. 4, 19: incutere, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 4, 2: “inferre,” Liv. 26, 20: “affere,” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 54, § 135: “offerre,” id. Fam. 15, 1, 5: “obicere,” id. Tusc. 2, 4, 10: “intentare,” Tac. A. 15, 54: “metu territare,” to alarm greatly, fill with fear, Caes. B. G. 5, 6: “metum pati,” Quint. 6, 2, 21: “alicui adimere,” to take away, remove, Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 100: “metu exonerare,” to relieve from fear, Liv. 2, 2: “removere metum,” to take away, remove, id. ib.: “levare alicui,” Cic. Tusc. 2, 24, 59: “alicui deicere,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 49, § 130: “solvere,” to remove, dismiss, Verg. A. 1, 463: civitati metum, formidinem oblivionem inicere, Ser. Samm. ap. Macr. S. 3, 9, 7: “metu et impressione alicujus terroris mentiri,” Paul. Sent. 5, 1, 4: “metu mortis furem occidere, Mos. et Rom. Leg. Coll. 7, 3, 3: quis metus aut pudor est umquam properantis avari?” Juv. 14, 178: “reddere metu, non moribus,” id. 13, 204.— Poet. in plur., Hor. C. 1, 26, 1.—
(β).
With gen. object.: “vulnerum metus,” Cic. Tusc. 2, 24, 59: “ne reliquos populares metus invaderet parendi sibi,” Sall. J. 35, 9: “id bellum excitabat metus Pompei victoris Hiempsalem in regnum restituentis,” Sall. H. 1, 39; v. Gell. 9, 2, 14; Non. p. 96: propter metum alicujus, for fear of: “Judaeorum,” Vulg. Johan. 7, 13; 19, 38.—
(γ).
With ne: “quod ubi Romam est nuntiatum, senatui metum injecit, ne, etc.,” Liv. 5, 7, 4: “ne lassescat fortuna, metus est,” Plin. 7, 40, 41, § 130.—
(δ).
With acc. and inf.: “quantus metus est mihi, venire huc salvum nunc patruum!” Ter. Phorm. 3, 1, 18.—(ε) With ab: “metus a praetore Romano,” Liv. 2, 24, 3; 23, 15, 7; 25, 33, 5; cf.: “metus poenae a Romanis,” id. 32, 23, 9; 45, 26, 7.—(ζ) With pro: “metus pro universā republicā,” Liv. 2, 24, 4.—(η) With ex: “metus ex imperatore,” Tac. A. 11, 20.—
B. Poet., religious awe, holy dread: “laurus Sacra comam multosque metu servata per annos,” Verg. A. 7, 60.—Poetic awe: “evoe! recenti mens trepidat metu,” Hor. C. 2, 19, 5.—
II. Transf.
A. Conor., a cause of fear, a terror (poet.): “metus Libyci,” i. e. the head of Medusa, Stat. Th. 12, 606: “nulli nocte metus,” alarms, Juv. 3, 198.—
B. Personified: Mĕtus , the god of fear or terror, Cic. N. D. 3, 17, 44; Verg. G. 3, 552; id. A. 6, 276.