Quranic root
بطأ
b · ṭ · ʾ
The root centers on slowness or delay in an affair, movement, or progress.
From the basic state of being slow or late, the derived family extends to making another lag, deliberately lingering or holding back, and judging another slow.
- Maqāyīs · row 779
- Mufradāt · row 130
- Lane · entry 36569
- Lane · entry 36570
- 1
- Quran-attested forms
- 2
- Quran senses
- 1
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
بَطَّأَ
baṭṭaʾa
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form II
- Form
- II
- 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 hold another back or dissuade him, causing him to delay or lag.
A causative use: the delayed or impeded person may be expressed or understood from context.
- Lane · entry 36567
- Mufradāt · row 130
Selected Quran examples
Quran 4:72word 4
“lags behind”
To lag behind or repeatedly hold oneself back.
In the Quranic occurrence, the form is also explained as self-directed hesitation or persistent hanging back rather than as causing another person to lag.
- Mufradāt · row 130
Selected Quran examples
Quran 4:72word 4
“lags behind”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 4:72لَّيُبَطِّئَنَّlags behind
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 8 Classical meanings
بَطُؤَ
To be or become slow, tardy, delayed, or late, especially in movement, progress, or coming.
An intransitive Form I verb; it can describe slowness as a characteristic or lateness in going or arrival. Its verbal nouns include بُطْءٌ, بَطَاءَةٌ, and بِطَاءٌ.
- Lane · entry 36566
أَبْطَأَ
To be or become slow; of riding beasts, to be or become slow in movement.
A Form IV use attested for beasts being ridden.
- Lane · entry 36568
تَبَاطَأَ
To affect or pretend to be slow; to linger, delay, or hold oneself back from work or action.
A Form VI construction that may express affected slowness as well as actual sluggishness or delay.
- Lane · entry 36569
اِسْتَبْطَأَ
To deem or reckon someone slow, tardy, or dilatory.
A transitive Form X evaluation of another person's promptness or pace.
- Lane · entry 36570
بُطْءٌ
Slowness, tardiness, or delay.
A verbal noun of بَطُؤَ; variant verbal-noun forms include بَطَاءَةٌ and بِطَاءٌ.
- Lane · entry 36571
- Lane · entry 36566
بُطْءًا
In a dialectal idiom, ever or throughout all time.
In لَمْ أَفْعَلْهُ بُطْءًا يَا هَذَا, the expression means, literally, that it was never done ever.
- Lane · entry 36571
بُطْآنَ
In an exclamatory expression: how slow this is in coming forth!
A rare expression of wonder, also reported as بَطْآنَ, equivalent in force to مَا أَبْطَأَهُ.
- Lane · entry 36573
- Lane · entry 36568
بَطِيءٌ
Slow, tardy, dilatory, late, or backward.
An adjective applied to a person, a horse, or a similar being; its plural is بَطَاءٌ.
- Lane · entry 36574
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The Quranic occurrence in 4:72 has two closely related lexical interpretations: causing others to lag and itself hanging back; both are represented above.