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πικρός (Ancient Greek)

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πικρός（古典ギリシア語）

Πικρός (Ancient Greek) is the Classical Greek adjective πικρός (pikrós). Originally denoting something pointed or sharp, it extended to taste (pungency) and figurative senses about people and things, including bitter and relentless.

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  5. Related entries (10)
  6. Culture (3)
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Reading the bitterness

Πικρός (pikrós) is a Classical Greek adjective. LSJ (Liddell-Scott-Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon, hosted by Perseus Digital Library) gives its original sense as 『pointed, sharp, keen』, with examples describing an arrow (ὀϊστός) or a plant thorn (γλωχίς).

The same dictionary extends this sense to sharpness across the senses and, for taste, gives 『pungent』. It gives examples describing a root (ῥίζα) and brine (ἅλμη), as well as seawater in opposition to γλυκύς (“sweet”).

Its figurative senses include 『bitter』, for things or people that cause pain rather than expected pleasure. It also gives 『πικρὰ ὄρνις』 (in translation: "angry bird") for an embittered or angry sense, as well as relentless, spiteful, mean, and vindictive senses.

Sources for this overview

  1. πικρός — A Greek-English Lexicon (Liddell-Scott-Jones), Perseus Digital Library

    Henry George Liddell; Robert Scott; Henry Stuart Jones / 1940 / other / full text checked

    Checked for this overview: Presented the original sense of pointed or sharp and its examples. / Presented the extension to sensory sharpness and taste. / Presented figurative senses including bitter and relentless.

Other names: πικρός (grc)

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Culture (3)

πικρός (Ancient Greek) is defined in a dictionary as prop. A. pointed, sharp, keen, "ὀϊστός" Il.4.118..."γλωχίς" S.Tr.681 (in translation: properly, "pointed, sharp, keen," citing ὀϊστός [an arrow] at Il.4.118 and γλωχίς [a plant's barb/point] at S.Tr.681 as examples)contextual

Scope: Perseus, LSJ (Liddell-Scott-Jones) A Greek-English Lexicon, headword πικρός (pikros), sense A (prop.)

The entry gives the proper (original) sense as pointed, sharp, keen, citing examples such as "arrow" and "thorn (of a plant)" (Il.4.118, S.Tr.681).
Limitations: The original printed source underlying the Perseus version has not been checked. Only the online display was checked.
Source: πικρός — A Greek-English Lexicon (Liddell-Scott-Jones), Perseus Digital Library (Henry George Liddell; Robert Scott; Henry Stuart Jones, 1940) · full text checked
Show dataconcept-word-pikros-grc —is_defined_in_dictionary_as→ (the claim sentence above)
claim: clm-w59c-grc-original-sense / type: cultural / updated: 2026-09-04
πικρός (Ancient Greek) is defined in a dictionary as 『II. generally, sharp to the sense: 1. of taste, pungent, "ῥίζα" Il.11.846; "ἅλμη" Od.5.323...of salt water, opp. γλυκύς』. The examples include 「根」 (in translation: "root") and 「塩水」 (in translation: "brine"); γλυκύς means 「甘い」 (in translation: "sweet") and is contrasted with seawater.contextual

Scope: Perseus, LSJ A Greek-English Lexicon, headword πικρός, sense II.1.

The entry generalizes the sense to sharp to the senses, and as its sub-sense 1 gives, for taste, pungent (Il.11.846, Od.5.323). The examples include a root and salt water, and seawater as the opposite of γλυκύς (sweet).
Limitations: The original printed source underlying the Perseus version has not been checked. Only the online display was checked.
Source: πικρός — A Greek-English Lexicon (Liddell-Scott-Jones), Perseus Digital Library (Henry George Liddell; Robert Scott; Henry Stuart Jones, 1940) · full text checked
Show dataconcept-word-pikros-grc —is_defined_in_dictionary_as→ (the claim sentence above)
claim: clm-w59c-grc-taste / type: cultural / updated: 2026-09-04
πικρός (Ancient Greek) is presented as: 『III. metaph., 1. of things, bitter, esp. of what yields pain instead of expected pleasure...2. so of persons...3. embittered, angry, "πικρὰ ὄρνις" S.Ant.423. 4. relentless, "οὐδὲν πικρότερον τῆς ἀνάγκης" Antipho 2.2.4; spiteful, mean, vindictive』. The accompanying explanation calls the sense for things and people 「苦い」 (in translation: "bitter") when they bring pain instead of expected pleasure; it also lists 「憤った」 (in translation: "angry") with 「怒れる鳥」 (in translation: "angry bird"), and 「容赦のない」 (in translation: "relentless") with 「必然ほど容赦ないものはない」 (in translation: "nothing is more relentless than necessity"), plus spiteful, mean, and vindictive uses.contextual

Scope: Perseus, LSJ A Greek-English Lexicon, headword πικρός, sense III.

As figurative senses, the entry lists 1. bitter when applied to things, especially those yielding pain instead of expected pleasure; 2. the corresponding use for persons; 3. embittered or angry (for example, an angry bird, S.Ant.423); and 4. relentless (for example, nothing is more relentless than necessity, Antipho 2.2.4), as well as spiteful, mean, and vindictive.
Limitations: The original printed source underlying the Perseus version has not been checked. Only the online display was checked.
Source: πικρός — A Greek-English Lexicon (Liddell-Scott-Jones), Perseus Digital Library (Henry George Liddell; Robert Scott; Henry Stuart Jones, 1940) · full text checked
Show dataconcept-word-pikros-grc —is_presented_as→ (the claim sentence above)
claim: clm-w59c-grc-metaphor / type: cultural / updated: 2026-09-04

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