LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

cupidus

cupidus (feminine cupida, neuter cupidum, comparative cupidior, superlative cupidissimus)
Classical[ˈkʊ.pɪ.dʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈkuː.pi.dus]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. adjectiveeager, desirous, passionate, fond (+ genitive or + in ablative)
    pacis cupiduspeace lover
    At audistis, patres conscripti, philosophi vocem: negavit se triumphi cupidum umquam fuisse.But you heard, Conscript Fathers, the voice of the philosopher: he denied that he was ever desirous of a triumph.55 BCE, Cicero, In Pisonem 24
  2. adjectivegreedy, covetous
  3. adjectivewanton, lecherous
  4. adjectivepartial, biased, favoring

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

quī nimis cupit; cupidus cibī trāns mēnsam manum tendit.
cupidus -a -um — in Mille Verba, Convīvium

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Velle · Optare · Expetere · Cupere · Avere · Gestire

1. Velle, optare, and expetere, are acts of calm reason and self-determination; whereas cupere, avere, and gestire, acts of excited feeling and of passion. Senec. Ep. 116. Cum tibi cupere interdixero, velle permittam. 2. Velle (ἑλεῖν) means to wish, and co-operate towards the realization of one’s wish, like θέλειν and βούλεσθαι; optare (from ποθεῖν) to wish, and leave the realization of one’s wish to others, or to fate, like ποθεῖν; expetere, to wish, and apply to others for the realization of one’s wish, like ὀρέγεσθαι. Sen. Ep. 95. Sæpe aliud volumus, aliud optamus. Cic. Off. i. 20. Nihil nisi quod honestum sit homines aut admirari aut optare aut expetere oportet. 3. Cupere (κάπτειν) denotes a vehement, passionate desire; gestire (γηθεῖν), a lively desire, showing itself by gestures; avere (from χαίνειν, χάος), an impatient, hasty desire. Cupidus means, being eagerly desirous of something, like ἐπιθυμῶν; gestiens, rejoicing in anticipation of something, like χρῄζων; avidus, being greedy after something. Cic. Sen. 8. Græcas literas sic avide arripui, quasi diuturnam sitim explere cupiens; comp. with Att. ii. 18. Intellexi quam suspenso animo et sollicito scire averes, quid esset novi. And, iv. 11. Perge reliqua; gestio scire ista omnia. (v. 57.)

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativecupiduscupidacupidum
genitivecupidīcupidaecupidī
dativecupidōcupidaecupidō
accusativecupidumcupidamcupidum
ablativecupidōcupidācupidō
vocativecupidecupidacupidum
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativecupidīcupidaecupida
genitivecupidōrumcupidārumcupidōrum
dativecupidīscupidīscupidīs
accusativecupidōscupidāscupida
ablativecupidīscupidīscupidīs
vocativecupidīcupidaecupida

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

novarum rerum cupidum esse
to hold revolutionary opinions.
homines seditiosi, turbulenti or novarum rerum cupidi
revolutionists.
plebis dux, vulgi turbator, civis turbulentus, civis rerum novarum cupidus
a demagogue, agitator.

cŭpĭdus, a, um, adj. cupio,
I. longing, desiring, desirous, eager, in a good and bad sense, wishing, loving, fond, etc. (very freq. and class.); constr. with gen., abl., inf., in, or absol.
I. In a good sense.
1. Of persons.
(a). With gen.: ejus videndi cupidus, Ter. Hec. 3, 3, 12; so, huc redeundi, abeundi a milite, Vosque hic videndi, id. ib. 1, 2, 16: redeundi domum, id. ib. 3, 1, 3: bellandi, Caes. B. G. 1, 2: te audiendi, Cic. de Or. 2, 4, 16: valde spectandi, id. ib. 1, 35, 162: satis faciendi rei publicae, Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 18, 1 et saep.: vitae, Lucr. 6, 1238; Cic. Fam. 14, 4, 1: mortis, Hor. S. 2, 2, 98: liberorum, Quint. 4, 2, 42: sententiarum, id. 5, 13, 31: pacis, Hor. S. 2, 1, 44 et saep.—Comp.: contentionis quam veritatis, Cic. de Or. 1, 11, 47.—Sup.: litterarum, Nep. Cato, 3, 1: nostri, Cic. de Or. 1, 22, 104. —
(b). With inf.: attingere, Prop. 1, 19, 9: moriri, Ov. M. 14, 215.—*
(g). With in and abl.: cupidus in perspiciendā cognoscendāque rerum naturā, Cic. Off. 1, 43, 154.—
(d). Absol.: si quicquam cupido optantique obtigit, Cat. 107, 1: cupidum vires Deficiunt, Hor. S. 2, 1, 12.—
2. Of things: equorum Vis cupida, Lucr. 2, 265.—
II. In a bad sense, passionately desiring or longing for, eager, greedy, lustful, passionate.
A. In gen.
1. Of persons.
(a). With gen.: auri, Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 51; cf. pecuniae, Cic. Verr. 1, 3, 8: damni, Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 34: vini, id. ib. 1, 2, 50 (not vino, v. Ritschl ad h. l.): rerum novarum, imperii, Caes. B. G. 5, 6; cf.: rerum novarum, id. ib. 1, 18: cujuscumque motūs novi, Tac. H. 1, 80; and: nullius rei nisi imperii, Nep. Reg. 2, 2: laedendi, Quint. 5, 7, 16: maledicendi, id. 6, 2, 16 et saep.—
(b). Absol.: cupidos moderatis anteferre, Cic. Font. 14, 32 (10, 22): non esse mirandum, qui in illā re turpis aut cupidus aut petulans fuerit, hāc quoque in re eum deliquisse, id. Inv. 2, 10, 33: emit homo cupidus (for which, just before, cupiditate incensus), eager to purchase, id. Off. 3, 14, 59: stultus cupidusque, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 24: cupidusque et amata relinquere pernix, id. A. P. 165 al.—
2. Of things: cor, Lucr. 4, 1138; Prop. 1, 8, 29; Hor. C. 3, 14, 26 al.—
B. In partic.
1. Longing from love, pining, languishing for, loving.
a. Of persons: neu me cupidum eo (sc. ad uxorem ducendam) impulisset, Ter. Phorm. 1, 3, 6: maritus, Cat. 64, 375; Tib. 1, 8, 74; Ov. M. 4, 679: cupidi nomen amantis habe, id. H. 3, 26.—
b. Of things: simul ac cupidae mentis satiata libido est, Cat. 64, 147; Ov. M. 11, 63; id. Am. 3, 7, 9 al.—
2. Desirous of money, avaricious, covetous, Quint. 11, 1, 88: multitudo cupidorum hominum, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 22, 64: homo castus ac non cupidus, id. Sest. 43, 93; Vitr. 1, 1, 7; so in sup., Suet. Vesp. 16.—
3. Devoted to a party, favoring any one, partial: quaestores vehementer (Verris), Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 4, § 12: cupidi et irati et conjurati testes, id. Font. 10, 21 (6, 11): judices (with infesti, invidentes), Tac. Or. 31; cf. comp.: judex, Cic. Caecin. 3, 8; and auctor, id. Clu. 24, 66.—Hence, cŭ-pĭdē, adv., eagerly, in a good and bad sense, zealously, passionately, vehemently, ardently, warmly, partially, etc. (freq. and class.), Plaut. Stich. 2, 1, 11; Ter. Ad. 2, 2, 1; Cic. Att. 6, 3, 3; id. Rosc. Am. 18, 50; id. Phil. 2, 21, 52; Nep. Arist. 1, 4; Quint. 1, 3, 13; Cat. 63, 2; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 100 et saep.—Comp., Caes. B. G. 1, 15; 5, 15; Liv. 3, 32, 3 al.— Sup., Caes. B. G. 1, 40; id. B. C. 2, 20; Sall. C. 40, 4 al.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*kwep-
  2. Latincupidus

Proto-Indo-European *kup-yé-tider. Proto-Italic *kupjō Latin cupiō Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-der. Proto-Italic *-iðos Latin -idus Latin cupidus From cupiō + -idus.

Descendants
  • Frenchcupide
  • Italiancupido
  • Old Catalancobeu
  • Provençalcoubefrom Old Occitan cobe
  • Provençalcoubifrom Old Occitan cobe
  • Old Catalancobésfrom Old Occitan cobe
  • Welshcybydd

Quick answers

What does cupidus mean in Latin?
cupidus, a adjective, means “eager, desirous, passionate, fond (+ genitive or + in ablative); greedy, covetous; wanton, lecherous”.
How do you pronounce cupidus?
In classical Latin, [ˈkʊ.pɪ.dʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈkuː.pi.dus].
Where does cupidus come from?
Proto-Indo-European *kwep- → Latin cupidus.