LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

lepidus1

lepidus (feminine lepida, neuter lepidum, superlative lepidissimus, adverb lepidē)
Classical[ˈɫɛ.pɪ.dʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈlɛː.pi.dus]

Meaning

  1. adjectivepleasant, charming
  2. adjectivewitty
  3. adjectiveeffeminate

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Lepidus · Facetus · Festivus · Salsus · Dicax · Cavillator

Lepos, facetiæ, and festivitas, denote the harmless wit, which, like humor, is only opposed to seriousness, and is the attribute of a benevolent mind; lepos (from λέπω, λεπτός,) the lightest wit, in opp. to dull gravity; festivitas (from σπαθᾶν) the more cheerful sort of wit, in opp. to gloomy seriousness; facetiæ, the jocund wit, in opp. to sober seriousness; whereas sales, dicacitas, and cavillatio, denote the more pungent wit, which is a sign of an acute intellect; sales (ἅλες) the piquant wit, in opp. to what is flat and trivial, which aims at a point, whether others may be pleasantly or painfully affected by it; dicacitas (from δακεῖν) the satirical wit, which is exercised at the cost of others, yet so that the jest is still the principal aim,—the pain inflicted, only an accidental adjunct; cavillatio, the scoffing wit, in which the mortification of others is the principal aim, the jest only a means and unimportant form. Cic. Orat. 30. Demosthenes non tam dicax fuit, quam facetus. Est autem illud acrioris ingenii, hoc majoris artis. (v. 21).

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativelepiduslepidalepidum
genitivelepidīlepidaelepidī
dativelepidōlepidaelepidō
accusativelepidumlepidamlepidum
ablativelepidōlepidālepidō
vocativelepidelepidalepidum
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativelepidīlepidaelepida
genitivelepidōrumlepidārumlepidōrum
dativelepidīslepidīslepidīs
accusativelepidōslepidāslepida
ablativelepidīslepidīslepidīs
vocativelepidīlepidaelepida

lĕpĭdus, a, um, adj. lepos,
I. pleasant, agreeable, charming, fine, elegant, neat (esp. freq. in Plaut. and Ter.; in Cic. very rare).
I. In gen.: fui ego bellus, lepidus, Plaut. Capt. 5, 2, 3: nugator, id. Curc. 4, 1, 1: virgo, id. ib. 1, 3, 11: mortalis, id. Truc. 5, 1, 57: o lepidum patrem! Ter. And. 5, 4, 45: ego usa sum benigno et lepido et comi, id. Hec. 5, 3, 39: lepida es, id. ib. 5, 1, 26: forma lepida et liberalis, Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 41: mores, id. Most. 2, 3, 12: fama, id. Trin. 2, 2, 98: facinus lepidum et festivum, id. Poen. 1, 2, 95: dies, id. Aul. 4, 8, 4: itan' lepidum tibi visum est, scelus nos irridere? Ter. Eun. 5, 7, 17.—Comp.: nos invenies alterum Lepidiorem ad omnes res, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 65.—Sup.: pater lepidissime, Ter. Ad. 5, 7, 13: o capitulum lepidissimum, id. Eun. 3, 3, 25.—
B. In a bad sense, nice, effeminate: hi pueri tam lepidi ac delicati, Cic. Cat. 2, 10, 23.—
II. In partic., of speech, smart, witty, facetious: lepida et concinna, Auct. Her. 4, 23, 32: scimus inurbanum lepido seponere dicto, Hor. A. P. 273: versus, Cat. 6, 17.—Hence, adv.: lĕpĭdē, pleasantly, agreeably, charmingly, finely, prettily.
1. In gen.: lepide ornata, Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 84: stratus lectus, id. ib. 3, 3, 84: hoc effectum lepide tibi tradam, id. Curc. 3, 15: lepide ludificatus, id. Cas. 3, 2, 27: intellexisti, id. Truc. 3, 2, 13: lepide prospereque evenire, id. Ps. 2, 1, 1: ubi lepide voles esse tibi, mea rosa, mihi dicito, when you want to enjoy yourself, id. Bacch. 1, 1, 50.—
2. In partic.
(a). As an affirmative response, yes, very well: lepide licet, Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 1.—
(b). As a term of applause, splendidly, excellently: euge, euge, lepide, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 85: facete, laute, lepide: nihil supra, Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 37.—Comp.: nimis lepide fabulare: eo potuerit lepidius pol fieri, Plaut. Mil. 3, 5, 52.—Sup.: lepidissime et comissime, Plaut. Mil. 3, 3, 66.—
(g). Of speech, smartly, wittily, humorously: in quo lepide in soceri mei persona lusit is, qui elegantissime id facere potuit, Lucilius: Quam lepide lexeis compostae, etc., Cic. de Or. 3, 43, 171; cf. id. Or. 44, 149: in libris multa posuit lepide atque argute reperta, Gell. 13, 10, 3.

Origins

From *lep- + -idus (adjective-forming suffix), with the same root as the noun lepōs (“charm, grace”). It is uncertain whether the noun or adjective was formed first; the origin of the root is also unclear. See lepōs for possible cognates.

Descendants
  • Italianlepido
  • Portugueselépido
  • Middle Frenchlepide
proper noun · masculinesecond declension
Lepidus2
Lepidus m sg (genitive Lepidī)
Classical[ˈɫɛ.pɪ.dʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈlɛː.pi.dus]

Meaning

  1. masculinesingularA Roman cognomen — famously held by
  2. masculinesingularMarcus Aemilius Lepidus, a Roman consul

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeLepidus—
genitiveLepidī—
dativeLepidō—
accusativeLepidum—
ablativeLepidō—
vocativeLepide—

Lĕpĭdus, i, m.,
I. a surname in the gens Aemilia; e. g. M. Aemilius Lepidus, consul 675 A. U. C., an enemy of Sylla, Cic. Cat. 3, 10, 24; Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 91, § 212.—Another M. Aemilius Lepidus, triumvir with Antony and Octavius, Cic. Mil. 5, 13; id. Phil. 5, 14, 39; v. his letters to Cicero ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 34 sq.—Hence,
A. Lĕpĭdā-nus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to Lepidus, Lepidan: bellum, Sall. H. Fragm. 3, 63 Dietsch.—
B. Lĕpĭdĭānus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to Lepidus, Lepidian: tumultus, which broke out a year after Sylla's death, in the consulate of M. Æmilius Lepidus, Macr. S. 1, 32.

Origins

From lepidus (“pleasant; charming”).

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

Biography & mythologyLepidusLepidus. 17. M. Aemilius Lepidus, M. F. Q. N., the triumvir, was the brother of the preceding [No. 16], and the son of No. 13. He was a lineal descend…

Quick answers

What does lepidus mean in Latin?
lepidus, a adjective, means “pleasant, charming; witty; effeminate”.
How do you pronounce lepidus?
In classical Latin, [ˈɫɛ.pɪ.dʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈlɛː.pi.dus].