dētĕrĭor, ius
* Adj. comp. (sup. deterrimus, a um) [from an obs. adj. deter, from de, down; hence, lower, inferior, worse], worse, poorer, meaner (freq. and class.—for syn. cf.: malus, injustus, improbus; pravus, nequam, corruptus, perversus; and the compp. pejor, etc.).
* Of inanimate things: seges, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 2, 5, 13: ruina rem non fecit deteriorem, haud scio an jam fructuosiorem,Cic. Att. 14, 11 fin.: so, vectigalia, * Caes. B. G. 1, 36, 4: muraena carne,Hor. S. 2, 8, 44: deterior ac decolor aetas,Verg. A. 8, 326: forma,Lucr. 4, 1275: mores,Plaut. Merc. 5, 1, 9: via,id. Trin. 3, 2, 54 et saep.: video meliora proboque, Deteriora sequor,Ov. M. 7, 21: cuncta aucta in deterius,Tac. A. 2, 82; 3, 10; id. H. 3, 13 al.—Sup.: genus reipublicae ex bono in deterrimum conversum,Cic. Rep. 2, 26; so, genus,id. ib. 1, 42: finis,id. Lael. 16, 59: causa belli,Hor. S. 1, 3, 107: color,Verg. G. 3, 82: cogitare optima simul et deterrima,Quint. 12, 1, 4 et saep.
* Of persons: quo deteriores anteponantur bonis,Plaut. Poen. prol. 39; opp. melior,Cic. Phil. 13, 19; Quint. 2, 4, 21 al.; opp. optimus,Liv. 39, 27; opp. strenuior,Plaut. Ep. 3, 4, 10: vidi ego nequam homines, verum te neminem deteriorem,id. Bac. 5, 2, 61 et saep.: peditatu erat deterior,weaker,Nep. Eum. 3 fin.: infideli deterior,Vulg. 1 Tim. 5, 8.—Sup.: homo deterrime et impudentissime,Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 16; id. Tusc. 1, 33, 81.—dēterius, adv., worse, less: de male Graecis Latine scripta deterius,Cic. Fin. 1, 3, 8: nequi deterius huic sit quam quoi pessumest,Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 80: valeo, Luccei. ap. Cic. Fam. 5, 14: olet herba,Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 19: spe nostra si placeant,id. S. 1, 10, 90.

s. TLL