ἄγριος
ágrios
G66 attributive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Fundamentally, 'belonging to the country, uncultivated, wild (as of plants or animals)'. In various contexts, refers to: (1) growing or living in the wild (not domesticated or cultivated), such as wild plants or wild animals; (2) exhibiting characteristics perceived as fierce, savage, untamed, violent, or rough; used descriptively both literally (e.g., wild olives) and figuratively (e.g., wild behavior or temperament).
Semantic Range
wild (of plants/animals), uncultivated, uncivilized, rough, fierce, savage, untamed, unrefined (of persons or behaviors)
Root / Etymology
From ἀγρός ('field, countryside, rural area') + suffix -ιος, forming an adjective meaning 'of the field/country, rural, rustic'.
Historical & Contextual Notes
ἄγριος appears in classical Greek (e.g., Homer, Herodotus) to describe things originating or situated in the uncultivated countryside—'wild' in contrast to cultivated or domesticated. In the Septuagint and New Testament, the term often describes plants (e.g., wild olive in Romans 11:17) and animals not under human control, and by extension, persons or behaviors considered rough, unrefined, or violent. The English translation 'wild' is often accurate but can miss connotations of 'uncultivated' or 'untamed' distinct from 'dangerous' or 'savage.' In philosophical or cultural discourse, ἄγριος may contrast with ἥμερος ('cultivated, tamed, gentle'). Semantically distinct from related terms such as θηριώδης ('beast-like, bestial') or ἀνήμερος ('untamed'), which bear more strongly pejorative or animalistic senses. The word retains both literal and metaphorical applications throughout Hellenistic and Koine usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἀγρός; wild (as pertaining to the country), literally (natural) or figuratively (fierce):--wild, raging.
Root Family
ἄγριος (agrios) — rural, wild, untamed, uncultivated
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G66-02 |
ἄγριον | agrion | ADJ.A NOM N SG |
wild | wild | wild | 2 |
G66-01 |
ἄγρια | agria | ADJ.A NOM N PL |
wild | wild things | wild | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G66-02 |
Matthew 3:4 | ἄγριον | agrion | ADJ.A NOM N SG |
wild | wild | wild |
G66-02 |
Mark 1:6 | ἄγριον | agrion | ADJ.A ACC N SG |
wild | wild | wild |
G66-01 |
Jude 1:13 | ἄγρια | agria | ADJ.A NOM N PL |
wild | wild things | wild |