Bible Lexicons

πικρός, ά, όν,

poet. also ός, όν Od. 4.406: —

prop. pointed, sharp, keen, ὀϊστός Il. 4.118, al.; βέλεμνα 22.206; γλωχίς S. Tr. 681: metaph., γλώσσης πικροῖς κέντροισι E. HF 1288 . II generally, sharp to the sense:

1 of taste, pungent, ῥίζα Il. 11.846; ἅλμη Od. 5.323; δάκρυον (v.l. for πυκνόν ) 4.153; of salt water, opp. γλυκύς, Hdt. 4.52, cf. 7.35; ἁλμυρὸς καὶ π . Pl. Lg. 705a; πριγλία π . PCair.Zen. 82.8 (iii B.C.); ἀπ' ὄμφακος πικρᾶς A. Ag. 970; ὑγρότης π ., opp. ὀξεῖα, Meno Iatr. 5.13; also of smell, pungent, Od. 4.406; πικρὸν ὀδωδώς Alciphr. 3.59 . (This sense prevails in the derived and compd. words.)

2. of feeling, sharp, keen, ὠδῖνες Il. 11.271, S. Tr. 41 .

3. of sound, piercing, shrill, οἰμωγά Id. Ph. 189 (lyr.); φθόγγος Id. OC 1610; γόοι, ὄδυρμα, E. Ph. 883, Tr. 1227 (lyr.); πικροτάτη ὄψ Ar. Pax 805 (lyr.).

III metaph.,

1 of things, bitter, esp. of what yields pain instead of expected pleasure, freq. in threats, μὴ τάχα πικρὴν Αἴγυπτον καὶ Κύπρον ἵκηαι (v.l. ἴδηαι ) Od. 17.448, cf. Ar. Av. 1045, Th. 883 (lyr.), E. Med. 399, IA 955, Ba. 357, Cyc. 589; π. Σίγειον κατηγόμην S. Ph. 355; τὸ πὰρ δίκαν γλυκὺ πικροτάτα μένει τελευτά Pi. I. 7(6).48, cf. A. Ag. 745 (lyr.); τιμωρία, ἀγῶνες, Id. Pers. 473, S. Aj. 1239; δύαι, χεῖμα, A. Pr. 180 (lyr.), Ag. 198 (lyr.); πικρότερ' ἀχέων Id. Supp. 875 (lyr.); λόγοι E. Hel. 481; πικροτάτου χρυσοῦ φύλαξ Id. Hec. 772; τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον γλυκὺ πικρῷ μεμειγμένον Pl. Phlb. 46c; ἔχει τι τὸ π. τῆς γεωργίας γλυκύ Men. 795: c. inf., μὴ λίαν πικρὸν εἰπεῖν ᾖ D. 1.26 .

2. so of persons, prob. in Sapph. Supp. 4.1 ( Comp. ); γλυκὺν ὧδε φίλοις ἐχθροῖσι δὲ π. Sol. 13.5, cf. Thgn. 301, A. Ch. 234, Eu. 152 (lyr.), etc.; ἔς τινας Hdt. 1.123: abs., A. Pr. 739, Th 940(lyr.); π. θεοῖς hateful to them, S. Ph. 254; π. πολίταις E. Med. 224, cf. Supp. 1222; ἐμοὶ π. τέθνηκεν ἢ κείνοις γλυκύς his death is matter of sorrow to me, S. Aj. 966; δαίμων π ., of untimely death (Lat. acerbus), IG 3.1338.

3. embittered, angry, πικρὰ ὄρνις S. Ant. 423 .

4. relentless, οὐδὲν πικρότερον τῆς ἀνάγκης Antipho 2.2.4; spiteful, mean, vindictive, βάσκανον καὶ πικρὸν καὶ κακόηθες οὐδέν ἐστι πολίτευμα ἐμόν D. 18.108; π. καὶ συκοφάντης Id. 25.45, cf. Arist. Rh. 1368b21, EN 1126a19: in Com. of old men, σκυθρός, π., φειδωλός Men. 10, cf. 825, 843, Georg.Fr. 3 . Adv. -ρῶς pedantically, D.H. Lys. 6; with rigid accuracy, Apollon.Cit. 3, Plu. 2.659f. Adv. -ρῶς harshly, bitterly, vindictively, A. Pr. 197, S. OC 990; π. ἐξετάσαι D. 2.27, 18.265; π. ἔχειν τισί, πρός τινας, Id. 10.54, Ephesians 3:10; π. φέρειν τι E. Ion 610, cf. Andr. 190; ἔκλαυσε π. Ev.Matthew 26:75 : Comp. -ότερον Men. Mon. 659, etc.: Sup. -ότατα Plb. 1.72.3 . [ ῑ in Hom. and Ep.; ῐ freq. in Trag., as A. Pers. 473, Ag. 970, S. Aj. 500, E. Hec. 772, and in Theoc. 8.74: ι therefore is not long by nature as in μικρός .]