adjective
kakosos
Strong’sG2556
bad, evil
stem kakos-50 times in the New Testamentin 19 of 27 books10 of 26 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
κακός means bad or evil 4. In its most general sense it is the opposite of “good” and can describe anything of poor or worthless quality 1.
Most often in the New Testament it carries a moral sense: wicked, evil, base — used of persons who are evil, and of evil thoughts, conduct, desires, and deeds 1. Used as a noun, "the evil" or "evils," it covers wrongdoing in general, including wrongs done to others 1. Strong's describes this as the subjective side of the word, denoting a depraved character, distinguishing it from a separate Greek word that describes evil in terms of its effects 2.
κακός can also mean harmful or pernicious — describing something injurious or damaging rather than morally wicked, such as harmful animals, harmful speech, or a harmful situation 1. Strong's likewise notes an objective sense of the word as "injurious" 2, matching the ideas of "harm," "ill," and "noisome" given as glosses 2.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
κακός, -ή, -όν,
[in LXX chiefly for רַע, רָעָחprobably supposed to be רָעָה n="H7462";]
SYN.: v.s. ἄθεσμος.
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G2556 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidkak-os'
worthless (intrinsically, such; whereas G4190 properly refers to effects), i.e. (subjectively) depraved, or (objectively) injurious
Fromapparently a primary word;
King Jamesbad, evil, harm, ill, noisome, wicked.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
A bad:
A.I of persons,
A.I.1 of appearance, ugly, εἶδος μὲν ἔην κακός Refs 8th c.BC+
A.I.2 of birth, ill-born, mean, γένος ἐστὲ διοτρεφέων βασιλήων.., ἐπεὶ οὔ κε κακοὶ τοιούσδε τέκοιεν Refs 8th c.BC+
A.I.3 of courage, craven, base, Refs 8th c.BC+; Ἕκτωρ σε κ. καὶ ἀνάλκιδα φήσει Refs 8th c.BC+; οὐδαμῶν κακίονεςRefs 5th c.BC+
A.I.4 bad of his kind, i. e. worthless, sorry, unskilled, ἡνίοχοι Refs 8th c.BC+; [τοξότης] ἢ κ. ἢ ἀγαθόςRefs 8th c.BC+; κ. ἀλήτης a bad beggar,Refs 4th c.BC+; κυβερνήτης, ναύτης, Refs 5th c.BC+ I am not bad in all things, Refs 8th c.BC+: with infinitive, κ. μανθάνειν Refs; [νῆσος] φυτεύεσθαι κακή Refs; compare 11.
A.I.5 in moral sense, base, evil, Refs 8th c.BC+; opposed to Χρηστός, Refs 5th c.BC+
A.I.6 wretched, Refs 3rd c.BC+
A.II of things, evil, pernicious, frequently in Refs 8th c.BC+; Χόλος, ἔρις, Refs 8th c.BC+; πόλεμος, ἔπος, ἔργα, Refs 8th c.BC+; ἦμαρ, ἄνεμος, Refs 8th c.BC+; of omens and the like, unlucky, ὄρνις, ὄναρ, σῆμα, Refs 8th c.BC+; of words, abusive, foul, κ. λόγοι Refs 5th c.BC+; κ. ποιμήν, i.e. the storm, Refs 4th c.BC+: Astrology texts, unlucky, τόποι Refs 4th c.AD+; κ. τύχη, name for the sixth region, Refs 4th c.AD+
B κακόν, τό, and κακά, τά, as substantive, evil, ill, δίδου δ᾽ ἀγαθόν τε κακόν τε Refs 8th c.BC+; so κ. ἄμαχον, ἄπρηκτα, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἔκπαγλον, ἄφερτον, ἀμήχανον, etc., Refs 5th c.BC+; κακὸν ἥκει τινί there's trouble in store for some one, Refs 5th c.BC+; δυοῖν ἀποκρίνας κακοῖν the least of two evils, Refs 5th c.BC+; κακῶν Ἰλιάς, see at {Ἰλιά; κακόν τι ῥέξαι τινά} to do harm or ill to any one, Refs 8th c.BC+; κακὰ φέρειν, τεύχειν τινί, Refs 8th c.BC+; κακόν τι (or κακὰ) ποιεῖν τινα (see. δράω, ποιέω, ἐργάζομαι); κακὸν πάσχειν ὑπό τινος to suffer evil from one, Refs 5th c.BC+
B.2 κακά, τά, evil words, reproaches, πολλά τε καὶ κακὰ λέγειν Refs 5th c.BC+
B.3 Philos., κακόν, τό, Evil, Refs 3rd c.AD+
B.4 of a person, pest, nuisance, τουτὶ παρέξει τὸ κ. ἡμῖν πράγματα Refs 5th c.BC+; also, comically, ὅσον συνείλεκται κακὸν ὀρνέων what a devil of a lot of birds, Refs
C degrees of Comparison:
C.1 regular comparative in Epic dialect, κακώτερος Refs 8th c.BC+: also in late Prose, Refs 4th c.AD+: irregular κακίων, ον [with ῐ], Refs 8th c.BC+, with ῑ in Trag., except Refs 5th c.BC+
C.2 superlative κάκιστος Refs 8th c.BC+
D adverb κακῶς ill, ἢ εὖ ἦε κακῶς Refs 8th c.BC+; κακῶς ποιεῖν τινα to treat one ill; κακῶς ποιεῖν τι to hurt, damage a thing; κακῶς ποιεῖν τινά τι to do one any evil or harm; κ. πράσσειν to fare ill, Refs 5th c.BC+; of illness, NT+4th c.BC+; Χρῆν Κανδαύλῃ γενέσθαι κ. Refs 5th c.BC+; with play on two senses, ὡς κ. ἔχει ἅπας ἰατρός, ἂν κ. μηδεὶς ἔχῃ Refs 3rd c.BC+; κ. ἐρεῖν τινά, λέγειν τὴν πόλιν, Refs 6th c.BC+; κ. εἰδότες, ={ἀγνοοῦντες}, Refs 5th c.BC+; κακῶς ἐκπέφευγα I have barely escaped, Refs 4th c.BC+: comparative κάκιον Refs 5th c.BC+: superlative κάκιστα Refs 5th c.BC+
D.2 adverb and adjective frequently coupled in Trag., Attic dialect, etc., κακὸν κακῶς νιν.. ἐκτρῖψαι βίον NT+5th c.BC+; in reversed order, ὥσπερ ἀξία κακῶς κακὴ θανεῖται Refs 5th c.BC+; with intervening words, κακῶς.. ἀπόλλυσθαι κακούς Refs 5th c.BC+. (Perh. cognate with Avest. kasu-, comparative kasyah-, superlative kasišta- 'small', Lithuanian nukašëti 'grow feeble, thin', Refs 1st c.BC+ hager.)
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
Every form this word takes in Biblang, with the Greek it corresponds to and how often the New Testament uses it.
| Job in the sentence case | masculine singular | feminine singular | neuter singular | masculine plural | feminine plural | neuter plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | kakosos1×κακὸς | kakosas | kakosem24×κακὸν | kakosois1×κακοὶ | kakosais1×κακαί | kakoseim6×κακὰ |
| object accusative | kakoson | kakosan1×κακήν | kakosoin3×Κακοὺς | kakosain | ||
| direct address vocative | kakosor | kakosar | kakosoir | kakosair | ||
| of, belonging to genitive | kakosou | kakosau | kakoseu8×κακοῦ | kakosoiu | kakosaiu | kakoseiu4×κακῶν |
| to, for dative | kakoso | kakosa | kakose1×κακῷ | kakosoi | kakosai | kakosei |
Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
kakos is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
50 occurrences, every one of them listed
kakosos“wicked”subjectnominative singular1×
Matthew 24:48ean de legateia tos kakosos doulos ekeinos en ta kardia autou; …But suppose that servant is wicked and says in his heart, ‘My …
kakosan“evil”objectaccusative singular1×
Colossians 3:5… tau gēau, porneian, akatharsian, pathem, epithumian kakosan, kai tan pleonexian hotinas atō eidōlolatrias,… earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.
kakosem“evil”subject or objectdirect singular24×
Matthew 27:23tos de fēate; Tinem gar kakosem poiata? tois de perissōs krazale legarōntois; …“Why?” asked Pilate. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted …
Mark 15:14… Pilatos legate autoi; Tinem gar poiata kakosem? tois de perissōs krazala; Staurasar auton.“Why?” asked Pilate. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted …
Luke 23:22… tritem legata pros autoin; Tinem gar kakosem poiata houtos? oudenem aitiem thanatou heuriskama …… time he said to them, “What evil has this man done? I have …
John 18:30“evil”… legala auto; Ei mē ate houtos kakosem poiarōntos, ouk an si paradōana auton.“If He were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed Him over to you.”
Acts 16:28… tos Paulos legarōntos; Mēdenem prassaseia siauto kakosem, hapantois gar anō enthade.… in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself! We are all here!”
Acts 23:9… mereu toiu Farisaioiu diamachole legarōntois; Oudenem kakosem heuriskanō en to anthrōpo houto; ei …… and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a …
Acts 28:5“harm”… thērem eis tem purem paschata oudenem kakosem;… shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.
Romans 2:9… pantan psuchan anthrōpou tou katergazorōntou tem kakosem, Ioudaiou tē prōtem kai Hellēnou;… for every human being who does evil, first for the Jew, then for …
Romans 7:19… poiamō agathem, alla hem ouk thelamō kakosem houtem prassamō.… Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do.
Romans 12:17mēdeno kakosem anti kakoseu apodōarōntois; pronoorōntois kaleim enōpion …Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is …
Romans 12:21… alla nikasōr en te agathe tem kakosem.… be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 13:4… eis tem agathem. ean de tem kakosem poiaseiō, fobosōr; ouk gar eikē tan …… your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not …
Romans 13:4… atō, ekdikos eis organ to tem kakosem prassarōnto.… an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.
Romans 13:10tas agapas to plēsion kakosem ouk ergazotō; plērōmem oun nomou tas …Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is …
Romans 14:20… tou theou. panteim men kathareim, alla kakosem to anthrōpo to dia proskommeu esthiarōnto.… food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to let his …
Romans 16:19… tem agathem, akeraioin de eis tem kakosem.… good and innocent about what is evil.
1 Corinthians 13:5… heautau, ouk paroxunotō, ouk logizotō tem kakosem,… angered, it keeps no account of wrongs.
2 Corinthians 13:7… pros ton theon mē poiara vin kakosem mēdenem, ouk hina nis dokimois fanineia, …… that you will not do anything wrong — not that we will appear to …
1 Thessalonians 5:15horavōr mē tinos kakosem anti kakoseu tino apodōateia, alla pantote …Make sure that no one repays evil for evil. Always pursue what is …
1 Peter 3:9mē apodōarōntois kakosem anti kakoseu ē loidorian anti loidoriau …Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult …
3 John 1:11Agapētor, mē mimosōr tem kakosem alla tem agathem. tos agathopoiarōntos ek …Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one …
Romans 7:21… poiarō tem kalem hoti mi tem kakosem parakeiotō;… When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
James 3:8… glōssan oudenos damazara dunotō anthrōpoiu; akatastatem kakosem, mestas iou thanatēforou.… the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
Revelation 16:2“foul”… eis tan gēan; kai geneta helkem kakosem kai ponērem epi toin anthrōpoin toin …… his bowl on the earth, and loathsome, malignant sores broke out on those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its …
kakoseu“evil”of, belonging togenitive singular8×
John 18:23… Ei kakōs lalama, marturasar peri teu kakoseu; ei de kalōs, tinem min derasō?… wrong, testify as to what was wrong. But if I spoke correctly, why …
Romans 12:17mēdeno kakosem anti kakoseu apodōarōntois; pronoorōntois kaleim enōpion pantoiu anthrōpoiu;Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in …
Romans 12:21mē nikosōr hupo teu kakoseu, alla nikasōr en te agathe tem …Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
1 Thessalonians 5:15horavōr mē tinos kakosem anti kakoseu tino apodōateia, alla pantote tem agathem …… that no one repays evil for evil. Always pursue what is good for …
Hebrews 5:14… echarōntoiu pros diakrisian kaleu tē kai kakoseu.… their senses to distinguish good from evil.
1 Peter 3:9mē apodōarōntois kakosem anti kakoseu ē loidorian anti loidoriau tounantion de …Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with …
1 Peter 3:10… hēmerain agathain pauatar tan glōssan apo kakoseu kai cheileim teu mē lalara dolon,… days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.
1 Peter 3:11ekklinatar de apo kakoseu kai poiatar agathem, zētatar eirēnan kai …He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek …
kakose“bad”to, fordative singular1×
Romans 13:3… fobos te agathe erge alla te kakose. thelasō de mē foborō tan exousian? …… terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid …
kakosois“evil”subjectnominative plural1×
Mark 7:21… kardiau toiu anthrōpoiu tois dialogismois tois kakosois ekporeuolō, porneiais, klopais, fonois,… within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
kakosoin“evil”objectaccusative plural3×
Matthew 21:41legalō auto; Kakosoin kakōs apolati autoin, kai ton ampelōnon …“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied …
Philippians 3:2Blepavōr toin kunoin, blepavōr toin kakosoin ergatoin, blepavōr tan katatoman.… for those dogs, those workers of evil, those mutilators of the flesh!
Revelation 2:2… su, kai hoti ouk dunosō bastazara kakosoin, kai peirazasa toin legarōntoin heautoin apostoloin, …… you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and you have tested and exposed …
kakosais“bad”subjectnominative plural1×
1 Corinthians 15:33mē planovōr; ftheralō ētheim chrēsteim homiliais kakosais.Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
kakoseim“evil”subject or objectdirect plural6×
Luke 16:25… zōa su, kai Lazaros homoiōs teim kakoseim; nun de hōde parakalotō sis de …… your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted …
Acts 9:13… polloiu peri tou androu houtou, hoseim kakoseim toi hagioi su poiata en Ierousalēm;… about this man and all the harm he has done to Your saints …
Romans 3:8… tinois nin legarō hoti Poianeia teim kakoseim hina erchateia teim agatheim? hoiu tem …… that we say, “Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation …
2 Timothy 4:14Alexandros tos chalkevos polleim mi kakoseim endeiketa apodōati auto tos kurios kata …Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay …
1 Peter 3:12… autoiu, prosōpem de kuriou epi poiarōntoin kakoseim.… Lord is against those who do evil.”
Titus 1:12… idios autoiu profētos, Krētois aei pseustois, kakoseim thēreim, gastrais argais;… has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”
kakoseiu“evil”of, belonging togenitive plural4×
Romans 1:30katalaloin, theostugoin, hubristoin, huperēfanoin, alazōnoin, efeuretoin kakoseiu, gonevoi apeithoin,… boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents.
1 Corinthians 10:6… eis tem mē arō nin epithumētoin kakoseiu, kathōs kakeinois epithumala.… examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did.
1 Timothy 6:10rizas gar panteiu teiu kakoseiu atō tas filargurias, hau tinois oregorōntois …… the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered …
James 1:13… peirazomō; tos gar theos apeirastos atō kakoseiu, peirazatō de autos oudenon.… For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.