Quranic root
عجز
ʿ · j · z
The root has two principal orientations: weakness or inability, and the rear or latter part of a thing.
The sense of falling behind or reaching the end develops into incapacity to attain or accomplish something. A separate branch names the hinder part or end, with extensions to bodily, material, and figurative rear portions.
- Maqāyīs · row 3144
- Mufradāt · row 948
- Lane · entry 2208
- Lane · entry 2216
- 6
- Quran-attested forms
- 6
- Quran senses
- 26
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
عَجَزَ
ʿajaza
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form I
- Form
- I
- Quran occurrences
- 1 occurrence
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
To be unable; to lack the strength, power, or ability to do, attain, or accomplish something.
Form I, commonly construed with عَنْ for inability with respect to an act or object. The Quranic occurrence presents inability to perform an act.
- Lane · entry 2208
- Mufradāt · row 948
Selected Quran examples
Quran 5:31word 14
“Am I unable”
أَعْجَزَ
ʾaʿjaza
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form IV
- Form
- IV
- Quran occurrences
- 4 occurrences
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
To render unable to reach, overtake, or accomplish something; in the corresponding intransitive or inverted construction, to fail to reach or escape.
Form IV. In the Quranic constructions, the object is not able to evade or escape divine power, or is unable to cause failure in its attainment.
- Lane · entry 2211
- Mufradāt · row 948
Selected Quran examples
Quran 8:59word 8
“escape”
Quran 72:12word 5
“we will cause failure”
عَجُزٌ
ʿajuzun
- Part of speech
- Noun
- Quran occurrences
- 2 occurrences
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
The rear, hinder part, or latter end of a thing; in the Quranic expression أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ, the trunks or stems of palm trees.
The Quranic form is the plural أَعْجَازُ. The sense extends from a thing's rear portion to its latter or terminal part; in the cited simile it denotes palm trunks.
- Lane · entry 2216
- Mufradāt · row 948
Selected Quran examples
Quran 54:20word 4
“trunks”
Quran 69:7word 13
“trunks”
عَجُوزٌ
ʿajūzun
- Part of speech
- Noun · feminine
- Quran occurrences
- 4 occurrences
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
An aged or very old woman.
A feminine noun; the Quranic occurrences refer to a woman advanced in age, with old age conventionally associated with diminished strength.
- Lane · entry 2221
- Mufradāt · row 948
Selected Quran examples
Quran 11:72word 5
“an old woman”
Quran 51:29word 8
“An old woman”
مُعَاجِزٌ
muʿājizun
- Part of speech
- Active participle
- Quran occurrences
- 3 occurrences
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
One who opposes or contests, striving to outstrip or frustrate the Prophet's party; one who acts as though he could render them unable or evade the divine command.
Active participle of Form III, attested in the Quran in the plural مُعَاجِزِينَ. The interpretation includes opposing, striving for precedence, and imagining that the opposing party can be rendered unable or escaped. The associated resultative wording can describe being outstripped.
- Lane · entry 2236
- Mufradāt · row 948
Selected Quran examples
Quran 22:51word 5
“(to) cause failure”
Quran 34:5word 5
“(to) cause failure”
مُعْجِزٌ
muʿjizun
- Part of speech
- Active participle
- Quran occurrences
- 12 occurrences
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
One able to escape, evade, or elude; one who can frustrate another's ability to attain or overcome.
Active participle of Form IV, especially in the construction بِمُعْجِزِينَ. Quranic contexts deny that people can escape or evade divine power.
- Lane · entry 2229
- Mufradāt · row 948
Selected Quran examples
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 5:31أَعَجَزْتُAm I unable
- 6:134بِمُعْجِزِينَescape (it)
- 8:59يُعْجِزُونَescape
- 9:2مُعْجِزِىescape
- 9:3مُعْجِزِىescape
Broader Classical Arabic meanings
Recorded for this root in the Classical lexicons beyond its Quran usage. These are secondary to the Quran senses above.
Show 32 Classical meanings
عَجْزٌ
Being or becoming behind, behindhand, or backward with respect to something; holding back or abstaining from it, especially at the latter part or end of an affair.
A primary verbal-noun sense distinct from the direct Quranic inability use.
- Lane · entry 2208
عَجَزَتْ
To become aged, especially said of a woman.
The sense is explained through the association of old age with loss of strength; it is a verbal use, not merely the noun for an old woman.
- Lane · entry 2208
- Lane · entry 2235
عَجِزَ / أَعْجَزُ
To become, or be, large in the hinder parts; of a woman, to be broad or heavy about the hips and posterior.
A bodily description, separate from the general sense of inability.
- Lane · entry 2208
- Lane · entry 2227
عَجْزَاءُ
A high or elevated piece of sand, especially an oblong, fertile sand formation resembling firm ground.
A figurative topographical use derived from the form or appearance of a large rear portion.
- Lane · entry 2208
- Lane · entry 2227
عُجِزَ / مَعْجُوزٌ
To be importuned or pressed by someone begging for one's property; one so importuned.
A passive or resultative use, distinct from inability.
- Lane · entry 2208
- Lane · entry 2233
عَجَّزَ
To attribute or impute inability to someone, to deem or make someone unable; hence to withhold, keep back, or divert someone from a person or thing.
Form II causative usage; the withholding sense is explained as making attainment impossible.
- Lane · entry 2209
عَجَّزَ
To put a travel bag or pack upon a beast of burden.
A specialized Form II construction.
- Lane · entry 2209
عَجَّزَ
Of a poet, to utter or write the last foot of a verse.
A technical poetic use of Form II.
- Lane · entry 2209
عَاجَزَ
To incline to a trusted person and have recourse to him for refuge or protection.
A Form III construction with إِلَى; the related expression can describe turning from truth to falsehood for protection.
- Lane · entry 2210
عَاجَزَ
Of a group, to leave one thing and begin another.
A conventional Form III use describing a change of activity.
- Lane · entry 2210
تَعَجَّزَ
To ride upon the hinder part or rump of a camel.
Form V construction with the camel as object.
- Lane · entry 2212
عَجْزٌ / أَعْجَزُ
A disease in the hinder part of a horse or similar animal that makes it heavy or sluggish.
An animal-health term, distinct from ordinary inability.
- Lane · entry 2213
- Lane · entry 2227
عُجْزٌ
The old age of a woman.
A simple noun for the state of being an old woman.
- Lane · entry 2214
أَعْجَازُ الإِبِلِ
In the expression رَكِبَ أَعْجَازَ الإِبِلِ, to expose oneself to abasement, difficulty, and sustained exertion in seeking something; more broadly, to remain dependent on or behind others.
An idiomatic extension of the rear-of-a-camel sense.
- Lane · entry 2216
عَجُزٌ
The last foot or latter hemistich of a verse; by extension, the latter part of a rhymed clause or word.
A technical poetic and rhetorical use, contrasted with صَدْرٌ.
- Lane · entry 2216
عِجْزَةٌ
The last child born to a man's or couple's parents, especially one born after the parents have become old.
The expression ابن العِجْزَةِ denotes a child born in such circumstances.
- Lane · entry 2220
عَجُوزٌ
A man's wife, whether old or young; by the corresponding convention, a husband may also be called by the related age title.
This is a relational conventional use and does not require that the spouse actually be old.
- Lane · entry 2221
عَجُوزٌ
An extremely old or aged man, or an old and weak man.
Classical usage extends the term beyond its common feminine application.
- Lane · entry 2221
عَجُوزٌ
Old wine.
A tropical designation based on the wine's age.
- Lane · entry 2221
عَجُوزٌ
A particular nail in the hilt of a sword.
A specialized technical term associated with another nail called الكَلْبُ.
- Lane · entry 2221
عَجُوزٌ
A sword blade, or a sword.
A rare lexical use distinct from the age-related meaning.
- Lane · entry 2221
أَيَّامُ العَجُوزِ
A named period of severe late-winter days, traditionally counted as five or seven days, sometimes associated with the destructive wind of ʿĀd.
A conventional calendrical expression; accounts differ over the number and names of the days.
- Lane · entry 2221
عَجِيزٌ
One who is impotent with women; also a stallion unable to cover.
A specialized sexual and animal-breeding use.
- Lane · entry 2222
عِجَازَةٌ
The backtoe of a bird.
A specialized anatomical term.
- Lane · entry 2223
عَاجِزٌ
Lacking strength, power, or ability; powerless, unable, or impotent.
The ordinary active-participle adjective of the basic inability branch, not a separate Quranic form group here.
- Lane · entry 2226
عَاجِزٌ
Of a garment, too short, narrow, or scanty.
A tropical application of inability to provide sufficient coverage or extent.
- Lane · entry 2226
عَجْزَاءُ
An eagle deficient or short in the tail, or marked by a distinctive whiteness or coloration in its hinder part.
A specialized descriptive term with variant zoological explanations.
- Lane · entry 2227
إِعْجَازَةٌ
A pillow-like pad used by a woman to enlarge the appearance of her hinder part.
A cosmetic or clothing-related object, also reported under a related vocalization.
- Lane · entry 2228
مُعْجِزَةٌ
A miracle associated with a prophet that disables opponents by making them unable to produce its like; in theology, an extraordinary event supporting a prophetic claim.
A technical theological term, distinct from the active participle مُعْجِزٌ.
- Lane · entry 2229
مِعْجَزَةٌ
A zone or waist-belt worn next to the wearer's hinder part.
A specialized clothing term named in relation to عَجُز.
- Lane · entry 2231
مِعْجَازٌ
One who is habitually or constantly lacking strength or ability; perpetually unable or impotent.
An intensive nominal pattern.
- Lane · entry 2232
مِعْجَازٌ
A road.
A rare lexical item with no further semantic restriction supplied.
- Lane · entry 2232
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
Lane and Mufradat report an alternate Quran reading مُعَجِّزِينَ, interpreted as hindering or attributing impotence to the Prophet's followers. It is not assigned to the canonical QAC form group مُعَاجِزِينَ because its morphology differs.
A Lane Quran citation is preserved only as lexical evidence where relevant; its historical citation notation has not been converted into an additional modern verse location.
Unassigned or ambiguous evidence
The alternate reading مُعَجِّزِينَ discussed for the passages represented by مُعَاجِزِينَ is outside the supplied canonical QAC form group and is therefore recorded as a variant rather than as a separate public Quranic form.