← G2555 G2557 →

κακός

kakós

G2556 substantive adjective

SILEX Entry

Root κακ- bad, inferior, evil, wrong

Definition

Bad, of poor quality, morally wrong. The core meaning of κακός is 'bad' or 'of poor quality or condition.' In certain contexts, it carries an ethical sense of 'morally wrong' or 'evil.' It can also describe injury, harm, or what is objectionable or harmful to well-being. In physical contexts, it denotes what is useless, deficient, or inferior. In moral and personal applications, it may refer to base character, evil intention, or misfortune.

Semantic Range

bad, of inferior quality, deficient, physically or morally base, wrong, evil (in character or deed), harmful, injurious, troublesome, causing adversity or distress, misfortune

Root / Etymology

Root/Etymology: Root κακ-, possibly of pre-Greek origin and attested from the Mycenaean period. Not transparently derived from another Greek word; connections to other Indo-European roots are debated and uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Historical & Contextual Notes: Attested from the earliest Greek literature (Homer onward), κακός referred both to physical inferiority ('bad, poor, low in quality') and to moral deficiency ('wicked, base'). In epic and classical Greek, it might contrast with ἀγαθός ('good'), marking distinctions of value, skill, or moral character. In the Hellenistic and Koine periods, the term continues to possess a broad range: physical objects, conditions, or people can all be κακός if deficient or harmful. In the Septuagint and New Testament, κακός can denote general adversity (trouble, harm, calamity), moral evil ('wrongdoing,' 'evil character'), or personal injury. It is often used in parallel with πονηρός, a related but distinct term; πονηρός tends to denote active harmfulness or malicious intent, while κακός more often refers to intrinsic badness, inferiority, or a state of being flawed. English translations variously render κακός as 'bad,' 'evil,' 'wicked,' or 'harm,' but often lose the lexical distinction from πονηρός ('evil, wicked, malicious') and do not consistently reflect the word's full semantic range. In some Second Temple and New Testament texts, κακός can refer to misfortune or general adversity, not only to personal wickedness.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

apparently a primary word; worthless (intrinsically, such; whereas πονηρός properly refers to effects), i.e. (subjectively) depraved, or (objectively) injurious:--bad, evil, harm, ill, noisome, wicked.

Root Family

κακός (kakos) — bad, inferior, evil, wrong

Word Forms

9 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
G2556-06 κακὸν kakon ADJ.S ACC N SG evil bad thing 29
G2556-08 κακοῦ kakou ADJ.S GEN N SG evil of what is bad 8
G2556-01 κακά kaka ADJ.S ACC N PL evil bad things 6
G2556-09 κακοὺς kakous ADJ.S ACC M PL evil bad ones 3
G2556-07 κακὸς kakos ADJ.A NOM M SG badly 1
G2556-04 κακῷ kako ADJ.S DAT N SG evil to what is bad 1
G2556-05 κακοὶ kakoi ADJ.R NOM M PL evil bad ones 1
G2556-03 κακήν kaken ADJ.A ACC F SG evil bad (feminine singular accusative) 1
G2556-02 κακαί kakai ADJ.A NOM F PL evil bad (feminine plural) 1

Occurrences in Scripture

51 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
G2556-09 Matthew 21:41 κακοὺς kakous ADJ.S ACC M PL bad ones
G2556-07 Matthew 24:48 κακὸς kakos ADJ.A NOM M SG badly
G2556-06 Matthew 27:23 κακὸν kakon ADJ.S ACC N SG bad thing
G2556-05 Mark 7:21 κακοὶ kakoi ADJ.R NOM M PL evil bad ones
G2556-06 Mark 15:14 κακόν kakon ADJ.S ACC N SG evil bad thing
G2556-01 Luke 16:25 κακά kaka ADJ.S ACC N PL evil things bad things
G2556-06 Luke 23:22 κακὸν kakon ADJ.S ACC N SG evil bad thing
G2556-08 John 18:23 κακοῦ kakou ADJ.S GEN N SG wrong of what is bad
G2556-06 John 18:30 κακὸν kakon ADJ.S ACC N SG evil bad thing
G2556-01 Acts 9:13 κακὰ kaka ADJ.S ACC N PL evil bad things
← G2555 Greek Lexicon G2557 →