σεμνός
Alt. σεμνός, ή, όν
Etym. σέβομαι
"revered, august, holy, awful":
I. properly of certain gods; at Athens esp. of the Furies, σεμναὶ θεαί or Σεμναί, Trag.; ς. τέλη their rites, id=Trag.
2. then of things divine, Hhymn., Trag.; ς. βίος a life "devoted to the gods", Eur.; σεμνὰ φθέγγεσθαι ῀ εὔφημα, Aesch.; τὸ ς. "holiness", Dem.
II. of human beings, "reverend, august, solemn, stately, majestic", Hdt., attic
2. of things, Aesch., etc.; οὐδὲν ς. nothing "very wonderful", Arist.; σεμνόν ἐστι, c. inf., 'tis a "noble, fine" thing to.., Plat.
III. in bad sense, "proud, haughty", Trag.: —in contempt or irony, "solemn, pompous, grand", Aesch., etc.; σεμνὸν βλέπειν to look "grave and solemn", Eur.; ὡς ς. οὑπίτριπτος how "grand" the rascal is! Ar.; ὡς ς. ὁ κατάρατος id=Ar.
IV. adv. -νῶς, Eur., etc.: comp. -ότερον, Xen.