ἥκιστος

A. least, ὁ δ’ ἥκιστ’ ἔχων μακάρτατος S. Fr. 410.

2. c. inf., worst at . . , ἥ. θηρᾶν, κρυμῷ ὁμιλεῖν, Ael. NA 9.1,4.31 (cf. foreg.).

II. mostly as Adv., ἥκιστα least, Hp. Acut. 68, S. Ph. 427, etc.; οὐκ ἥ. ἀλλὰ μάλιστα Hdt. 4.170; ὡς ἥ. as little as possible, Th. 1.91.

2. in reply to a question, not at all, S. OT 623, E. HF 299, etc.; ἥκιστά γε S. OT 1386, Pl. Phdr. 276c; ἥ. πάντων Ar. Pl. 440.

3. οὐχ ἥ., freq. in litotes, above all, more than all, A. Ch. 116; οἵ τε ἄλλοι καὶ οὐχ ἥ. Ἀθηναῖοι Pl. Prt. 324c, cf. Tht. 177c, Smp. 178a, al.; ἐπὶ πολλῶν μέν . . , οὐχ ἥ. δὲ ἐν τοῖς παροῦσι πράγμασι D. 2.1, cf. Th. 7.44, etc.: c. gen., οὐχ ἥ. Ἀθηναίων σέ, ἀλλ’ ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα Pl. Cri. 52a.