μεστόω
mestóō
G3325 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To fill, make full, cause to be filled. In general usage, μεστόω denotes the act of filling up a space or container, or causing something (concrete or abstract) to reach fullness. Depending on context, can refer to being filled physically (such as with food, drink, or another substance), emotionally, or metaphorically (such as being filled with a quality or influence). In rarer, extended senses, it may imply being so filled as to be overcome (e.g., intoxicated), though this is not its primary nuance.
Semantic Range
to fill, make full, cause to be filled, to replenish, to supply fully, (metaphorically) to saturate or permeate, (rarely) to intoxicate
Root / Etymology
From the adjective μεστός (“full, filled”), itself related to the Proto-Indo-European root *med- (“to measure, to mete out, to fill”). μεστόω is the causative verb form meaning “to make full.”
Historical & Contextual Notes
μεστόω is a Koine and late Greek verb formed from μεστός ‘full’; it is rare in classical Greek and occurs only sporadically, mainly in later prose and Hellenistic writings, more commonly in papyri, inscriptions, and some New Testament passages (e.g., Revelation 17:3). The verb primarily expresses the action of causing to be full or filling something, mirroring the semantics of its adjectival root. In some contexts in later Greek and biblical Greek, a metaphorical sense—such as being filled or pervaded by a quality, or even (rarely) the implication of resulting in intoxication—can appear, particularly where the substance is wine or strong drink. However, the primary meaning remains straightforwardly ‘to fill.’ Standard English translations may occasionally render the term as ‘intoxicate’ when the context is specific to wine, but this is not the default sense of the verb in Greek, and such translations should be guided by context. μεστόω contrasts with πληρόω (‘to fill completely, fulfill’), which emphasizes totality and completion, while μεστόω focuses more on the act of filling or making full, often with an object or substance in mind. Notably, it does not have the theological or metaphorical carryover of πλήρωμα and is thus more neutral. The verb’s rarity outside biblical and papyrological Greek reflects its late formation and limited role in standard Greek vocabulary.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from μεστός; to replenish, i.e. (by implication) to intoxicate:--fill.
Root Family
μεστόω (mestoō) — to fill, to make full, to cause to be replete
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3325-01 |
μεμεστωμένοι | memestomenoi | V PRF PASS PTCP NOM M PL |
full | having been filled | having been filled | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3325-01 |
Acts 2:13 | μεμεστωμένοι | memestomenoi | V PRF PASS PTCP NOM M PL |
full | having been filled | having been filled |