δειλός

I. of persons, cowardly, opp. ἄλκιμος, Il. 13.278; opp. ἀνδρεῖος, Pl. Phdr. 239a, etc.: hence, vile, worthless, Il. 1.293; δειλαί τοι δειλῶν γε καὶ ἐγγύαι Od. 8.351; opp. ἐσθλός, lowborn, mean, Hes. Fr. 164; πλοῦτος καὶ δειλοῖσιν ἀνθρώπων ὁμιλεῖ B. 1.50; ἀγαθοὶ δειλῶν ἐπὶ δαῖτας ἴσιν Eup. 289; of animals, Hdt. 3.108: c.gen., δειλὸς μυάγρης afraid of . ., AP 9.410 (Tull. Sab.): c.inf., ib.6.232 (Crin.). Adv. ‐λῶς Theoc. Adon. 15, Plu. 2.26b.

2. more commonly, miserable, wretched, with a compassionate sense, δειλοὶ βροτοί poor mortals! Il. 22.31, al.; ἆ δειλέ poor wretch! ἆ δειλοί poor wretches! 17.201, Od. 20.351; ἆ δειλὲ ξείνων 14.361; Πατροκλῆος δειλοῖο Il. 17.670.

II. of things, miserable, wretched, γῆρας Hes. Op. 113; δ. δ’ ἐνὶ πυθμένι φειδώ ib.369; τὰ δ. κέρδη S. Ant. 326; ἔργα, λόγος, etc., Thgn. 307, E. Andr. 757, etc.: Comp., Longin. 2.1: Sup., Ar. Pl. 123: neut. pl. as Adv., ὀχλεῖ μοι δειλὰ ὁ Τρωΐλος PIand. 11.4 (iii A.D.).—Trag. use δειλός chiefly in former sense, δείλαιος in latter.