I.ugly, unsightly, unseemly, foul, filthy (class.; esp. freq. in a trop. sense; syn.: taeter, foedus, deformis, obscaenus, immundus).
I. Lit.: “aspectus deformis atque turpis,” Cic. Off. 1, 35, 126; Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 125: “ornatus,” id. ib. 1, 2, 94; cf. “infra, II.: vestitus,” Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 57: “colores foedā specie,” Lucr. 2, 421: “pes,” Hor. S. 1, 2, 102: “podex,” id. Epod. 8, 5: “rana,” id. ib. 5, 19: “pecus,” id. S. 1, 3, 100: “viri morbo,” deformed, disfigured, id. C. 1, 37, 9: “macies,” id. ib. 3, 27, 53: “scabies,” Verg. G. 3, 441: “podagrae,” id. ib. 3, 299: “udo membra flmo,” i. e. befouled, id. A. 5, 358; cf. “toral,” Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 22; Mart. 7, 36, 5; 8, 79, 2.—Sup.: simia quam similis turpissima bestia nobis, Enn. ap. Cic. N. D. 1, 35, 97 (Sat. v. 45 Vahl.)—
II. Transf., of sound, disagreeable, cacophonous: “si etiam abfugit turpe visum est,” Cic. Or. 47, 158.—
III. Trop., unseemly, shameful, disgraceful, base, infamous, scandalous, dishonorable (syn.: “inhonestus, impurus, sordidus, indecorus): pulchrum ornatum turpes mores pejus caeno collinunt,” Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 133: “verbum,” Ter. Heaut. 5, 4, 19: “cum esset proposita aut fuga turpis aut gloriosa mors,” Cic. Fin. 2, 30, 97: “mors honesta saepe vitam quoque turpem exornat, at vita turpis saepe ne morti quidem honestae locum relinquit,” id. Quint. 15, 49: “adulescentia,” id. Font. 15, 34: “causam,” Auct. Her. 1, 6, 9: “causa,” Caes. B. C. 3, 20: “luxuria cum omni aetati turpis, tum senectuti foedissima est,” Cic. Off. 1, 34, 123: “si enim disserunt, nihil esse obscenum, nihil turpe dictu,” id. Fam. 9, 22, 1: “neque rogemus res turpes, nec faciamus rogati,” id. Lael. 12, 40: “formido mortis,” id. Rep. 1, 3, 4: “pars ingentem formidine turpi Scandunt equum,” Verg. A. 2, 400: “repulsa,” Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 43: “turpem senectam Degere,” id. C. 1, 31, 19: “adulter,” id. ib. 1, 33, 9: “meretricis amor,” id. S. 1, 4, 111: “non turpis ad te, sed miser confugit,” Cic. Quint. 31, 98; id. Att. 5, 11, 5: “prodis ex judice Dama Turpis,” Hor. S. 2, 7, 55: “sub dominā meretrice turpis,” id. Ep. 1, 2, 25: “Egestas,” Verg. A. 6, 276: “facta,” Quint. 1, 2, 2: “fama,” Tac. A. 12, 49: “nihil turpe est, cujus placet pretium,” Sen. Ep. 95, 33: “luxus,” Juv. 6, 298: “fames,” Flor. 4, 5, 3: “foedus,” Val. Max. 1, 6, 7: “metus,” id. 2, 9, 8.—Comp.: “quid hoc turpius? quid foedius?” Cic. Phil. 2, 34, 86: “quid est autem nequius aut turpius effeminato viro?” id. Tusc. 3, 17, 36: “nihil est turpius quam cum eo bellum gerere, quocum familiariter vixeris,” id. Lael. 21, 77; 26, 99; Caes. B. G. 4, 2.—Sup.: “homo turpissimus atque inhonestissimus,” Cic. Rosc. Am. 18, 50: “iste omnium turpissimus et sordidissimus,” id. Att. 9, 9, 3: “turpissima fuga,” Caes. B. C. 2, 31: turpissimus calumniae quaestus, Crassus ap. Cic. de Or. 2, 55, 226: “quod quidem mihi videtur esse turpissimum,” Cic. Tusc. 2, 4, 12.—
b. As subst.: turpĕ , is, n., a base or shameful thing, a disgrace, shame, reproach: “nec honesto quicquam honestius, nec turpi turpius,” Cic. Fin. 4, 27, 75: turpe senex miles, turpe senilis amor. Ov. Am. 1, 9, 4: honesta et turpia virtutis ac malitiae societas efficit, Sen. Ep. 31, 5.—Adv. (poet.): “turpe incedere,” in an unsightly manner, unbecomingly, Cat. 42, 8: “gemens,” Stat. Th. 3, 334.—
c. Turpe est, or simply turpe, with a subj.-clause: “habere quaestui rem publicam, non modo turpe est, sed sceleratum etiam et nefarium,” Cic. Off. 2, 22, 77: “quod facere non turpe est, modo, etc.,” id. ib. 1, 35, 127: “benevolentiam adsentando colligere turpe est,” id. Lael. 17, 61: “quid autem turpius quam illudi?” id. ib. 26, 99; cf. id. ib. 21, 77: “turpe erit, ingenium mitius esse feris,” Ov. Am. 1, 10, 26; cf.: “turpe ducet cedere pari,” Quint. 1, 2, 22.— Hence, adv.: turpĭter , in an ugly or unsightly manner.
1. Lit. (so rare): “ut turpiter atrum Desinat in piscem mulier formosa superne,” Hor. A. P. 3: “claudicare,” Ov. Am. 2, 17, 20.—
2. Trop., in an unseemly manner, basely, shamefully, dishonorably (class.): “turpiter et nequiter facere aliquid,” Cic. Tusc. 3, 17, 36; “unum illud extimescebam, ne quid turpiter facerem,” id. Att. 9, 7, 1: “turpiter se in castra recipere,” Caes. B. G. 7, 20: “me turpiter hodie hic dabo,” Ter. Eun. 2, 1, 24; id. Hec. 4, 4, 2; Cic. Att. 6, 3, 9; 7, 2, 7; id. Mil. 4, 9; Caes. B. G. 7, 80; id. B. C. 3, 24; Auct. B. G. 8, 13; Hor. A. P. 284; Ov. M. 4, 187; Phaedr. 1, 25, 2; Val. Max. 2, 7, 15.—Comp., Ov. Tr. 5, 6, 13.—Sup., Cic. N. D. 1, 12, 29; Sen. Ep. 82, 12.