δύσκολος
dýskolos
G1422 substantive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
primarily, hard to please, difficult, or exacting (often in manner or disposition); secondarily, fastidious or hard to satisfy (especially regarding food), peevish, irritable, or intractable. The term can describe a person who is difficult to deal with, either because of critical standards or a disagreeable temperament.
Semantic Range
hard to please, difficult, exacting, fastidious (esp. about food), peevish, irritable, surly, hard (in sense of impracticable or hard to deal with)
Root / Etymology
From the prefix δυσ- (dys-, meaning 'bad,' 'hard,' or 'difficult') and the noun κόλος (probably related to κολία, 'food, meal;' however, the exact compounding sense is debated). The formation corresponds to 'difficult in respect to food,' but usage extends to general difficulty or hard-to-please character. Exact etymology of the second element is debated or uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, δύσκολος described a person who was difficult, hard to please, surly, or unsociable—originally and often in contexts relating to food but quickly extended metaphorically to difficult or disagreeable character traits. The sense of being fastidious (particularly with food) is attested from earlier periods, though by the Hellenistic and Koine periods, it could also denote general difficulty or obstinacy in dealings with others. The word rarely appears in the New Testament (unique in Matthew 19:23, 'it is hard for a rich man...'). In Septuagint and other Greek literature, its range includes 'grumpy,' 'morose,' 'disagreeable,' and 'hard to deal with.' The primary English translation as 'hard' does not fully reflect the nuances of stubborn unpleasantness, fastidiousness, or disagreeable disposition that δύσκολος can convey. Related to δυστρόπος ('hard to turn') and contrasted with εὔκολος ('easygoing,' 'content'). The term appears in later Greek literature, notably as the title of the comedy 'Dyskolos' by Menander, illustrating a churlish or cantankerous character.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from δυσ- and (food); properly, fastidious about eating (peevish), i.e. (genitive case) impracticable:--hard.
Root Family
δύσκολος (dýskolos) — difficult, hard to please, disagreeable, exacting
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1422-01 |
δύσκολόν | duskolon | ADJ.S NOM N SG |
hard | hard to please | difficult | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1422-01 |
Mark 10:24 | δύσκολόν | duskolon | ADJ.S NOM N SG |
hard | hard to please | difficult |