Quranic root
طفف
ṭ · f · f
The root is oriented toward a small amount or shortfall, especially a deficiency in what is measured.
From the notion of slightness or deficiency, the lexicon develops related senses involving the brim or upper edge of a vessel, and hence being near, raised to a level, or brought within reach. Some further usages, such as cunning and attainment, are reported as divergent developments.
- Maqāyīs · row 3036
- 1
- Quran-attested forms
- 1
- Quran senses
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- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
مُطَفِّفٌ
muṭaffifun
- Part of speech
- Active participle
- 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.
One who gives short measure or short weight, defrauding the other party by making what is measured out deficient.
The Quranic form is plural مُطَفِّفِينَ. The usage concerns cheating in measure or weight by withholding part of what is due, including deficiency in the fulfillment or receipt of a measured amount.
- Lane · entry 11428
- Lane · entry 11411
- Mufradāt · row 900
Selected Quran examples
Quran 83:1word 2
“to those who give less”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 83:1لِّلْمُطَفِّفِينَto those who give less
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 39 Classical meanings
طَفَّ
To be or become near, within reach, or attainable; of something, to rise into view and become available.
Used of a thing approaching another thing, or of something becoming accessible or appearing ready to be taken.
- Lane · entry 11410
طَفَّ
To be or become little in quantity.
A general quantitative usage, distinct from the specialized act of short-measuring.
- Lane · entry 11410
طَفَّ
To pass by hastening or going quickly.
A reported verbal usage describing rapid passage.
- Lane · entry 11410
طَفَّ
To bind all the legs of a she-camel.
Used with the she-camel as its object.
- Lane · entry 11410
طَفَّ
To raise something or someone, make it level with a place, or mount upon a wall.
Includes raising by the leg, foot, arm, or hand and ascending to a higher place.
- Lane · entry 11410
طَفَّفَ
To make defective or deficient.
A broad Form II usage; its specialized application to short measure and weight is represented separately under the Quranic form.
- Lane · entry 11411
طَفَّفَ
To stint or impoverish one's household, acting niggardly in expenditure.
A figurative application to expenditure on dependants.
- Lane · entry 11411
طَفَّفَ
To give a person less than he had taken from him.
A transaction-related construction expressing a deficient return.
- Lane · entry 11411
طَفَّفَ
To take what lies upon or above the top of a vessel.
A vessel-related construction involving the amount at the upper edge.
- Lane · entry 11411
طَفَّفَ
To make full or complete.
A reported contrary signification of the Form II verb.
- Lane · entry 11411
طَفَّفَ
Of the sun, to draw near to setting.
The source reports a possible transcription or form variant; the usage is retained as a cautious Classical meaning.
- Lane · entry 11411
طَفَّفَ
Of a bird, to expand its wings.
Used specifically of a bird spreading or expanding its wings.
- Lane · entry 11411
طَفَّفَ
Of a horse, to leap with its rider.
A conventional equestrian usage describing a horse's leap carrying someone.
- Lane · entry 11411
أَطَفَّ
To have knowledge of an affair or of a person.
Used with an affair or person as the object of knowledge.
- Lane · entry 11412
أَطَفَّ
To seek to deceive someone, sometimes while knowing or observing him.
A reported interpersonal usage involving an intention to outwit or deceive.
- Lane · entry 11412
أَطَفَّ
To look upon something from above, see it, or obtain knowledge of it.
Used with عَلَى and related to looking over, overlooking, or becoming aware of something.
- Lane · entry 11412
أَطَفَّ
To gain possession of another person's property and take it away.
The object is explicitly described as another person's property.
- Lane · entry 11412
أَطَفَّ
To reach or strike someone or something with a stone.
Used in the construction أَطَفَّ عَلَيْهِ بِحَجَرٍ.
- Lane · entry 11412
أَطَفَّ
Of a she-camel, to cast or bring forth an imperfectly formed young one.
Used of the birth of incompletely developed offspring.
- Lane · entry 11412
أَطَفَّ
To put or bring something near.
Used of bringing an object into proximity, including bringing a razor near the nose.
- Lane · entry 11412
أَطَفَّ
To give someone power over a thing or place it within his reach.
A causative construction expressing enablement or access.
- Lane · entry 11412
أَطَفَّ
To hold a sword toward someone and strike him with it.
A weapon-related construction combining presentation of the sword with striking.
- Lane · entry 11412
أَطَفَّ
To make the contents of a measure reach its uppermost part.
Used of filling a measure to the top; an alternative report says it can mean taking what lies above the measure.
- Lane · entry 11412
أَطَفَّ
To take what lies upon or above a measure.
A reported alternative to the filling interpretation in the measure-related construction.
- Lane · entry 11412
اِسْتَطَفَّ
Of a camel's hump, to rise or become high.
Used specifically of the camel's hump.
- Lane · entry 11413
اِسْتَطَفَّ
For what one wants to become prepared and easy to attain.
Used of a desired matter becoming accessible or ready.
- Lane · entry 11413
طَفْطَفَ
To become lax or weak in the hands of an adversary.
A reduplicated-form usage describing loss of strength or resistance before an opponent.
- Lane · entry 11414
طَفٌّ
The side, bank, or shore of something; especially an elevated or bordering part of a river or land.
Also applied geographically to land overlooking a cultivated region.
- Lane · entry 11415
طَفٌّ
The exterior court or yard of a house.
A nominal spatial usage.
- Lane · entry 11415
طَفَافٌ
The amount reaching, rising above, nearly reaching, or slightly falling short of the brim of a measure or vessel.
The lexicon reports variant interpretations concerning the quantity at the vessel's upper edge. It is also used figuratively in a comparison for near equality accompanied by slight deficiency.
- Lane · entry 11418
طَفَافٌ
The blackness of night.
A nominal time-related usage.
- Lane · entry 11418
طَفِيفٌ
Small or scant in quantity; incomplete.
Applied to a thing that is slight in amount or deficient in completion.
- Lane · entry 11421
طَفِيفٌ
Low, base, vile, mean, paltry, or contemptible.
An evaluative adjectival usage, distinct from the quantitative sense.
- Lane · entry 11421
طُفَافَةٌ
The quantity above a measure, the amount falling short of filling a vessel, or a small quantity remaining in it.
Also denotes the uppermost part of the vessel; the source reports variant interpretations concerning whether the amount is above or below the brim.
- Lane · entry 11422
طَفَّافٌ
Of a horse, light, brisk, or quick.
An epithet applied to a horse.
- Lane · entry 11423
طَفَّانُ
Of a vessel, full to its uppermost parts.
Applied to a vessel whose contents have reached the top.
- Lane · entry 11424
الطَّافَّةُ
The strip between mountains and plains, or what surrounds a garden.
A spatial noun for an intervening or surrounding boundary.
- Lane · entry 11425
طَفْطَفَةٌ
The flank or soft, quivering flesh at the side of the body.
Includes the soft parts of the belly, the extremities of the side adjoining the ribs, and the soft part of the liver.
- Lane · entry 11426
طَفْطَافٌ
The extremities of trees or the soft, tender, succulent parts of plants and herbage.
May refer to the leaves of branches.
- Lane · entry 11427
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The sole QAC occurrence is the plural مُطَفِّفِينَ; the public headword is normalized to the singular citation form مُطَفِّفٌ.
The reported full-or-complete readings for Form II and Form IV are Classical usages and are not part of the Quranic sense.
The Form II sunset usage is retained with caution because the lexical source itself notes a possible transcription or form variant.
The Lane Quran reference associated with مُطَفِّفٌ is historical citation evidence; the modern example location supplied here is independently identified by QAC.