What does turpis mean in Latin?

turpis, a adjective, means “ugly, unsightly; foul, filthy; cacophonous, disagreeable”.

How do you pronounce turpis?

In classical Latin, [ˈtʊr.pɪs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈtur.pis].

adjectivethird-declension two-termination adjective

turpis

turpis (neuter turpe, comparative turpior, superlative turpissimus, adverb turpiter)

Classical[ˈtʊr.pɪs]Ecclesiastical[ˈtur.pis]

turpe sg. nom. n.; sg. acc. n.; sg. voc. n.№ 377 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

two terminationugly, unsightly; foul, filthy
Attributed to Ennius by Cicero in Dē nātūrā deōrum, Book I, Chapter XXXVHow similar to us is that most vile beast, the ape!
Vidē quam turpī lētō pereāmus!See what a disgraceful death we die!
two terminationcacophonous, disagreeable
figurativelytwo terminationbase, infamous, scandalous, dishonorable, shameful, disgraceful, unseemly, vile
Nunc hiemem inter sē luxū, quam longa, fovēre,Now [Dido and Aeneas] warm one another in wanton excess for as long as winter lasts, mindless of their kingdoms, and seized by shameful lust.29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 4.193–194

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

foedus animō; turpe factum.

turpis -e — in Mille Verba, Animus et Adfectūs

foedus, inhonestus

turpis -e — in IVLIANVS I: Gallia, ch. 6, 15

inhonestus

turpis -e — in IVLIANVS II: Imperium, ch. 5

contrārium honestī

shameful

turpis -e — in De Bello Gallico I, ch. 17

foedus animō, inhonestus

turpis -e — in Aeneis, ch. 10

shameful

turpis -e — in Viri Romae Facillimi, ch. 3, 5, 16, 18, 20, 22, 25, 26

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Teter · Fœdus · Turpis · Deformis

Teter, tæter (ἀταρτηρός) is the ugliness which disturbs the feeling of security, and excites fear or shuddering, like hideous, shocking, βλοσυρός; fœdus (ψοῖθος), that which offends natural feelings, and excites loathing and aversion, like μιαρός; turpis (from torpere) that which offends the moral feeling, or sense of decency, and excites disapprobation or contempt, in opp. to honestus, gloriosus, like αἰσχρός; deformis, that which offends the finer sensations, and excites dislike, in opp. to formosus, like δυσειδής. Cic. Off. i. 34. Luxuria cum omni ætate turpis, tum senectuti fœdissima est. Rep. ii. 26. Tyrannus quo neque tetrius neque fœdius . . . animal ullum cogitari potest. Vatin. 3. Quanquam sis omni diritate teterrimus. Vell. Pat. ii. 69. In Vatinio deformitas corporis cum turpitudine certabat ingenii. (v. 111.)

Declension

singular
form	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	turpis turpiculus	turpis turpicula	turpe turpiculum
genitive	turpis turpiculī	turpis turpiculae	turpis turpiculī
dative	turpī turpiculō	turpī turpiculae	turpī turpiculō
accusative	turpem turpiculum	turpem turpiculam	turpe turpiculum
ablative	turpī turpiculō	turpī turpiculā	turpī turpiculō
vocative	turpis turpicule	turpis turpicula	turpe turpiculum

plural
form	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	turpēs turpiculī	turpēs turpiculae	turpia turpicula
genitive	turpium turpiculōrum	turpium turpiculārum	turpium turpiculōrum
dative	turpibus turpiculīs	turpibus turpiculīs	turpibus turpiculīs
accusative	turpīs turpēs, turpiculōs	turpīs turpēs, turpiculās	turpia turpicula
ablative	turpibus turpiculīs	turpibus turpiculīs	turpibus turpiculīs
vocative	turpēs turpiculī	turpēs turpiculae	turpia turpicula

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

vita honesta (turpis): a virtuous (immoral) life.
honesta expetere; turpia fugere: to follow virtue; to flee from vice.

turpis, e, adj. Sanscr. root tarp-, to be ashamed,

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.

Origins

Uncertain. Traditionally derived from Proto-Indo-European *trep- (“to turn”) (with the word interpreted as "turning away" > "repelling" > "disgusting"), and compared with Ancient Greek τρέπω (trépō, “to turn, divert”), Sanskrit त्रपते (trapate, “to be ashamed”). Compare typologically Russian отврати́тельный (otvratítelʹnyj) (< Old Church Slavonic отъвратити (otŭvratiti) < вратити (vratiti)). De Vaan is skeptical of the semantics of this derivation, and prefers, albeit with hesitation, to compare the word with torpeō (“to be stiff”).

Elsewhere

Italianstorpiarefrom Vulgar Latin *exturpiāre
Frenchestropierfrom Vulgar Latin *exturpiāre
Germanstruppierenfrom Vulgar Latin *exturpiāre
Portugueseestropiarfrom Vulgar Latin *exturpiāre
Spanishestropearfrom Vulgar Latin *exturpiāre
Italianstroppiarefrom Vulgar Latin *exturpiāre
Piedmontesestropièfrom Vulgar Latin *exturpiāre
Romanshstrupiarfrom Vulgar Latin *exturpiāre
Romanshstrupchiarfrom Vulgar Latin *exturpiāre
Romanshstrupchierfrom Vulgar Latin *exturpiāre

Ibero-Romance

Portuguesetorpe
Spanishtorpe
Spanishestorpar
Galiciantorpe

Borrowings

Englishturpid
Frenchturpide
Frenchturpe
Hungarianturpisság

Insular Romance

Sardinianturpe
Sardiniantzurpu

Italo-Romance

Italianturpe
Galluresetulpi

Balkan Romance

Albanianturp

Padanian

Romanshtuorp

In English words that came into English from turpis

turpitudeturpitūdō
turpidturpis