ἀποτολμάω (G662) — Greek Lexicon

ἀποτολμάω

apotolmáō

G662 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To venture boldly; to act with exceptional daring or frankness, especially in undertaking something that may seem audacious or beyond normal courage. In Koine usage, the nuance is an intensified boldness, carrying the sense of daring to the extreme or going beyond what is ordinarily considered bold. The word can connote speaking or acting openly when such action entails risk or requires unusual resolve.

Semantic Range

to be very bold, to venture greatly, to act with pronounced daring or audacity, to speak or act openly with courage even in the face of risk or opposition

Root / Etymology

Formed from the preposition ἀπό ('from,' 'away from') and the verb τολμάω ('to dare,' 'to have courage to do or say something'). The prefixed ἀπό intensifies the root meaning, suggesting an action that moves beyond ordinary boldness.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The verb ἀποτολμάω is rare and appears in Koine literary and documentary sources with the sense of extraordinary or conspicuous boldness. In the New Testament, its usage (e.g., 2 Corinthians 10:2) indicates a boldness that is not just ordinary courage but the willingness to take a risk or do something that others might avoid out of caution. The intensifying prefix ἀπό distinguishes it from the more common τολμάω, which means 'to dare' or 'to be bold.' The term is attested in Hellenistic Greek outside Christian texts, where it similarly refers to venturesome or unrestrained boldness, sometimes with a negative nuance of presumption. Standard English translations may render it as 'to be very bold' or 'to dare fully,' but these can understate the nuance of calculated risk-taking or public forthrightness implied in the Koine context.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἀπό and τολμάω; to venture plainly:--be very bold.

Root Family

ἀποτολμάω (apotolmaō) — to dare, to be exceedingly bold, to undertake with audacity

Root τολμ- to dare, to be bold, to undertake boldly

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G662-01`	ἀποτολμᾷ	apotolma	`V PRS ACT IND 3P SG`	is very bold	ventures with audacious boldness	ventures with audacious boldness	1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G662-01`	Romans 10:20	ἀποτολμᾷ	apotolma	`V PRS ACT IND 3P SG`	is very bold	ventures with audacious boldness	ventures with audacious boldness

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