Quranic root
خضع
kh · ḍ · ʿ
The root has two principal semantic axes: lowering or bending, which develops into humility and submission, and a distinct group of meanings involving sound or tumult.
Physical lowering of the neck or body extends to being humble, submissive, or still, and further to softened speech and downward or setting motion. A separate lexical branch denotes resonant, confused, or bodily sounds.
- Maqāyīs · row 1603
- 2
- Quran-attested forms
- 2
- Quran senses
- 2
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
خَضَعَ
khaḍaʿa
- 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 soften one's speech in a manner that can arouse desire.
In the Quranic construction خَضَعَ بِالْقَوْلِ, the verb concerns softened or suggestive speech rather than ordinary humility or bodily submission.
- Lane · entry 19420
- Mufradāt · row 416
Selected Quran examples
Quran 33:32word 10
“be soft”
خَاضِعٌ
khāḍiʿun
- 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.
Humble, submissive, or bowed down.
In 26:4, the plural active participle occurs in a construction mentioning the necks of the people, expressing bodily submission toward the object.
- Lane · entry 19432
Selected Quran examples
Quran 26:4word 11
“(in) humility”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
View all 2 occurrencesBroader Classical Arabic meanings
Recorded for this root in the Classical lexicons beyond its Quran usage. These are secondary to the Quran senses above.
Show 23 Classical meanings
خَضَعَ
To be or become lowly, humble, or submissive.
A general state of abasement or submission; the bodily aspect may be contrasted with خُشُوعٌ, which is especially associated with the voice or eyes.
- Lane · entry 19420
خُضُوعٌ
Bodily humility or submission, especially a lowering in the neck or body.
Distinguished in one lexical explanation from خُشُوعٌ as primarily concerning the voice or eyes.
- Lane · entry 19420
خَضَعَ
To become still and tractable or submissive.
Describes a behavioral state of quiet compliance.
- Lane · entry 19420
خَضَعَ
To bend, stoop, or lower oneself physically, especially in the neck; of a hawk, to lower its head in a stoop or pounce.
A physical lowering or bending construction, including the neck.
- Lane · entry 19420
خَضَعَ
To hasten or exert oneself in going.
Used of camels or a horse, with the meaning explained through their lowering the neck while moving quickly.
- Lane · entry 19420
خَضَعَ
To incline toward setting.
Used of a star, asterism, the sun, or stars inclining toward their setting place.
- Lane · entry 19420
خَضَعَ
To make someone or something still, submissive, or stooping.
The transitive use includes causing a neck to bend or stoop, including through the effects of old age.
- Lane · entry 19420
خَضَعَ
To invite someone to what is foul, abominable, or evil.
A transitive construction taking the person invited and the evil or foul object as its complement.
- Lane · entry 19420
أَخْضَعَ
To humble, abase, or bring someone low; of poverty or need, to compel someone to seek help.
The causative is especially used of want or necessity making a person have recourse to another and request aid.
- Lane · entry 19423
خَضِعٌ
A plant bending because of softness or tenderness.
An adjectival description of a plant's physically flexible or bent condition.
- Lane · entry 19427
خُضَعَةٌ
A person who is lowly, humble, or submissive toward everyone.
A conventional characterization of excessive or indiscriminate submissiveness.
- Lane · entry 19430
خُضَعَةٌ
One who overcomes or subdues opponents and humbles or abases them.
A conventional agentive use referring to domination of adversaries.
- Lane · entry 19430
خَاضِعٌ
Soft in speech and still.
A plural descriptive use of the active participle; the speech-related branch concerns softened discourse, while stillness is a related behavioral description.
- Lane · entry 19432
خَاضِعٌ
Inclining downward, including with the head toward the ground or with the stars toward setting.
Applied to ostriches and gazelles with lowered heads, and to stars inclining toward their setting place.
- Lane · entry 19432
خَاضِعٌ
Striving, exerting itself, or hastening in movement.
Used in the plural of camels; the usage is associated with the lowering of their necks while moving.
- Lane · entry 19432
خَاضِعٌ
Low or depressed, of a shoulder joint.
An anatomical description of a shoulder whose joint lies low or depressed.
- Lane · entry 19432
خَاضِعٌ
Inviting someone to what is foul, abominable, or evil.
An adjectival or participial use corresponding to the transitive construction of inviting another to an evil matter.
- Lane · entry 19432
أَخْضَعُ
Content with abasement.
An adjectival description of a person characterized by acceptance of a humiliated state.
- Lane · entry 19433
أَخْضَعُ
Having a naturally stooping neck.
Applied to people and various animals as a physical description of a naturally lowered or bent neck.
- Lane · entry 19433
- Mufradāt · row 416
خَضَعَ
To cut meat.
A distinct lexical use reported for the verb with meat as its object.
- Mufradāt · row 416
خَيْضَعَةٌ
The tumult, din, or confused clash of battle; in some usage, the battle or melee itself.
A sound- and battle-related lexical branch, with the battle sense explained through the submission of combatants to one another in some accounts.
- Maqāyīs · row 1603
خَضِيعَةٌ
A sound heard from an animal's belly during rapid movement; also the hollow flank structures of a horse that produce such a sound.
The sound is described as indistinct or resonant and is associated especially with a horse's increased pace.
- Maqāyīs · row 1603
خَضْعَةٌ
The sound made by the impact of a whip.
A sound noun contrasted with the cutting action of a sword.
- Maqāyīs · row 1603
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The Lane discussion's historical Quran citation for the neck-submission expression is not converted into a modern location; the example location 26:4:11 is used because that occurrence is independently supplied by QAC.