A.bravest, best, “πολὺ φ.” Il.1.581, etc.; “μέγα φ.” 16.21, cf. Lyr.Alex.Adesp.25, etc.: c. dat. modi, “χερσίν τε βίηφί τε φ. ἦσαν” Od.12.246; “περὶ δ᾽ ἔγχει Ἀχαιῶν φ. ἐσσι” Il.7.289; “ὄλβῳ φ.” Pi.N. 10.13: of things, κακῶν φέρτατον the best, i.e. least bad, among evils, Il.17.105; “λόγοι φ.” best, Pi.P.5.48; “ὄ τι φέρτατον ἀνδρὶ τυχεῖν” Id.O. 7.26.
2. in form φέριστος, “ἄνδρα φέριστον” Il.9.110; “μὴ φῦναι φέριστον” B.5.160, cf. Pi.Fr.126 (φέρτ- cj. Boeckh): mostly voc. φέριστε, Il.6.123, 15.247, Theoc.7.125, etc.; “φέριστοι” Il.23.409; “φέριστε Καδμείων ἄναξ” A.Th.39; “ὦ φ. δεσποτῶν” S.OT1149; “εἶεν, ὦ φ.” Pl.Phdr.238d;
II. Comp. φέρτερος , α, ον, braver, better, of persons, “πολὺ φ.” Il.4.56, etc.: c. dat. modi, “βίῃ καὶ χερσὶ καὶ ἔγχεϊ φ.” 3.431, cf. Od.6.6; “φ. οὐκ ὀλίγον ἔγχει” Il.19.217: c. inf., “θεοὶ . . φέρτεροί εἰσι νοῆσαι” Od.5.170; “φ. γόνος πατρός” Pi.I.8(7).35; “παῖδα φ. πατρός” A.Pr.768: of things, ἀγών, νόστος, Pi.O.1.7, P.1.35; πολὺ φέρτερόν ἐστιν 'tis much better, Il.1.169; τί φ. ἢ . . c. inf., B.4.18: c. inf., Od.12.109, 21.154; “εἰς τὸ φ. τίθει τὸ μέλλον” E.Hel.346 (lyr.). Adv., “τέττιγος φέρτερον ᾁδεις” Theoc.1.148. (From root φερ- 'bring', 'produce': “ἀπὸ τοῦ φέρειν βέλτιον” Hsch.）
