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 δʼ 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. OT 1149; 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 ʼtis 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 ᾄδεις Theoc. 1.148. (From root φερ- ‘bring’, ‘produceʼ: ἀπὸ τοῦ φέρειν βέλτιον Hsch.)