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ἀποψύχω

apopsýchō

G674 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To breathe out (one's breath), especially as a result of severe distress or fear; to expire, faint, grow faint-hearted. The primary sense is 'to lose one's strength or spirit to the point of collapse,' sometimes approaching the meaning of 'to die' in certain contexts.

Semantic Range

to breathe out (one's breath), to faint, to lose courage, to become dispirited, to lose heart, to expire

Root / Etymology

From ἀπό (from, away) and ψύχω (to breathe, to blow). The term literally means 'to breathe out' (i.e., exhale), with the prefix intensifying the action to convey loss or release of breath.

Historical & Contextual Notes

ἀποψύχω occurs rarely in surviving Greek literature, with attestation primarily in Hellenistic and Koine sources, including a significant use in Luke 21:26. In this context, it refers not to literal death, but to an overwhelming loss of composure, courage, or strength—comparable to someone swooning or collapsing with fear. The term can also convey becoming dispirited or failing in one's resolve under intense duress, a nuance distinct from more physical terms for fainting or swooning, such as ἐκλύω. The metaphorical sense of 'losing heart' is present in Koine usage. In English translation traditions, this is sometimes rendered as 'hearts failing' or 'fainting from fear,' but the underlying metaphor of breath/life/spirit leaving a person conveys both physical and psychological collapse. The root ψυχ- relates to breath, soul, or life-force, so the act of exhaling here is closely tied to the loss of vitality or courage, though not strictly equivalent to dying. The word does not have significant attestation in Classical Greek; its Koine usage reflects evolving understandings of physical and psychological experiences.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἀπό and ψύχω; to breathe out, i.e. faint:--hearts failing.

Root Family

ψυχ- (ekpsýchō) — to breathe, to blow, to expire

Root ψυχ- to breathe, to blow (of air), to exhale
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G1634 ἐκψύχω expired
G2711 καταψύχω may cool down
G404 ἀναψύχω he revived
G5590 ψυχή living beings
G5591 ψυχικός soulish

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G674-01 ἀποψυχόντων apopsuchonton V PRS ACT PTCP GEN M PL fainting of those breathing out of those fainting away 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G674-01 Luke 21:26 ἀποψυχόντων apopsuchonton V PRS ACT PTCP GEN M PL fainting of those breathing out of those fainting away
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