πικρῶς
pikrōs
G4090 adverb
SILEX Entry
Definition
In a bitter manner, with bitterness. Refers to acting or experiencing in a harsh, painful, or resentful way, often conveying strong negative emotion or intensity. Can denote literal bitterness (gustatory) but more frequently marks emotional or figurative distress, harshness, or sharp pain.
Semantic Range
bitterly (taste), bitterly (emotionally), with sharp pain, with harshness, with intense or violent feeling, with grief or resentment
Root / Etymology
Adverbial form of πικρός (pikros, 'bitter'). Created with the adverbial suffix -ῶς, indicating manner.
Historical & Contextual Notes
πικρῶς is primarily found in Hellenistic and Koine Greek, particularly within literary and emotional contexts where the speaker wishes to describe action or feeling marked by sharpness, harshness, or painful emotion. In the LXX and New Testament usages, it most often refers to the manner of weeping or lamentation ('bitterly'), such as Peter's weeping after his denial (Matthew 26:75; Luke 22:62). The adverb thus extends the core taste meaning of the adjective πικρός to the domain of emotion, similar to English 'bitterly' as in 'bitterly disappointed.' Classical Greek employs the adverb less frequently, but the semantic range is continuous from classical through Koine periods. English translations sometimes render πικρῶς as 'bitterly' in reference to weeping or regret, but the underlying Greek conveys not only emotional pain but often an intensity or violence of feeling that may go beyond the mild connotation of 'bitterness' in modern English.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
adverb from πικρός; bitterly, i.e. (figuratively) violently:--bitterly.
Root Family
πικρῶς (pikrōs) — bitter, sharp, painful
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4090-01 |
πικρῶς | pikros | ADV |
bitterly | bitterly | bitterly | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4090-01 |
Matthew 26:75 | πικρῶς | pikros | ADV |
bitterly | bitterly | bitterly |
G4090-01 |
Luke 22:62 | πικρῶς | pikros | ADV |
bitterly | bitterly | bitterly |