I.perf. diffidi), 3, v. n., to distrust; to be diffident or distrustful, to despair (freq. and class.).
(α).
With dat. (so most freq.): “eum potius (corrupisse), qui sibi aliqua ratione diffideret, quam eum, qui omni ratione confideret,” Cic. Clu. 23, 63: “sibi,” Plaut. Rud. prol. 82; Cic. Prov. Cons. 16, 38: “memoriae alicujus,” id. Part. Or. 17, 59: “sibi patriaeque,” Sall. C. 31, 3: “suis rebus,” Caes. B. G. 5, 41, 5: “veteri exercitui,” Sall. J. 52, 6; 32, 5; 46, 1; “75, 1: suae atque omnium saluti,” Caes. B. G. 6, 38, 2: “summae rei,” id. B. C. 3, 94 fin.: “perpetuitati bonorum,” Cic. Fin. 2, 27, 86: “ingenio meo,” id. Mur. 30, 63: “huic sententiae,” id. Tusc. 5, 1, 3: prudentiae tuae, Sulp. ap. Cic. Fam. 4, 5, 6: “rei publicae,” Cic. Fam. 5, 13, 3: “illis (viris),” Ov. H. 10, 97: “caelestibus monitis,” id. M. 1, 397 et saep.—Pass. impers.: “cur M. Valerio non diffideretur,” Liv. 24, 8; so Tac. A. 15, 4.—
(β).
With a dependent clause: “antiquissimi invenire se posse, quod cuperent, diffisi sint,” Cic. Ac. 2, 3; id. Quint. 24, 77; id. Or. 1, 3; 28, 97; Caes. B. G. 6, 36; Quint. 10, 1, 126 al.; cf.: “quos diffidas sanos facere, facies,” Cato R. R. 157, 13: “quem manu superare posse diffiderent,” Nep. Alcib. 10, 4.—*
(δ).
Rarely with abl. (after the analogy of fido and confido): “diffisus occasione,” Suet. Caes. 3 Burm. and Oud.; so, “paucitate suorum,” Front. Strat. 1, 8, 5 Oud.: “paucitate cohortium (al. paucitati),” Tac. H. 2, 23: “potestate,” Lact. 5, 20 (also Caes. B. C. 1, 12, 2, several good MSS. have voluntate; and id. ib. 3, 97, 2: eo loco, v. Oud. on the former pass.).— (ε) Absol.: “(facis) ex confidente actutum diffidentem denuo,” Plaut. Merc. 5, 2, 15: “jacet, diffidit, abjecit hastas,” Cic. Mur. 21, 45: “ita graviter aeger, ut omnes medici diffiderent. id, Div. 1, 25, 53: de Othone, diffido,” id. Att. 12, 43, 2 al.—Hence, diffīdens , entis, P. a., without self-confidence, diffident, anxious, Suet. Claud. 35; id. Tib. 65. —Adv.: diffīdenter , without self-confidence, diffidently (very rare): timide et diffidenter attingere aliquid, * Cic. Clu. 1, 1: “agere,” Liv. 32, 21, 8: “incedere,” Amm. 26, 7, 13.—Comp.: “timidius ac diffidentius bella ingredi,” Just. 38, 7, 4.
