χείρων
Alt. χείρων, ονος, ὁ, ἡ,
Etym. irreg. comp. and superl. of κακός
Etym. from Root ΧΕΡ, v. χερείων II
I. of persons, "worse, meaner, inferior", Hom., etc.; σὺ μὲν ἐσθλός, ἐγὼ δὲ σέθεν πολὺ χείρων Il.: in moral sense, "worse than others, a knave", Soph., Thuc., etc.
2. "worse" in quality, "inferior", Il.; χ. εἰς τὴν ἀρετήν Plat.; χ. τὰ πολεμικά Xen.; c. inf., χ. ποιεῖν id=Xen.
II. of things, "inferior", Il., Xen.
2. "worse, more severe", νόσος Eur.; μοῖρα Plat.
III. the neut. is used,
1. as a Subst., τὰ χερείονα "the worse advice, ill counsels", Il.: —ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον τρέπεσθαι, κλίνειν to fall off, get worse, Xen.
2. χεῖρόν τινι (sc. ἔστι or ἔσται) "it is or will be worse" for one, Od., Xen.; οὐ χεῖρον, in an answer, 'tis "well", Ar.
3. as adv., like Lat. pejus, worse, χεῖρον βουλεύεσθαι Thuc.; βιῶναι, ζῆν Plat.
b. "in inferior degree, less", Xen., etc.
B. Sup. χείριστος, η, ον "worst", Lat. pessimus, Plat., etc.: esp. οἱ χείριστοι "men of lowest degree", Xen.