Quranic root
خفض
kh · f · ḍ
The root centers on lowering, bringing down, or making less, in contrast with raising; it extends to humility, gentleness, quietness, ease, and abasement.
Concrete lowering develops into figurative lowering of rank or status, gentle and submissive conduct, reduced intensity or abundance, and states of ease or repose.
- Mufradāt · row 424
- Lane · entry 19647
- 2
- Quran-attested forms
- 2
- Quran senses
- 4
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
خَفَضَ
khafaḍa
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form I
- Form
- I
- 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.
To lower one's wing: to adopt a gentle, humble, and yielding manner toward another.
In the Quran, this is the figurative جناح construction, expressing gentleness or submissive kindness toward believers or parents, rather than merely physical lowering.
- Lane · entry 19647
- Mufradāt · row 424
Selected Quran examples
Quran 15:88word 13
“And lower”
Quran 17:24word 1
“And lower”
خَافِضٌ
khāfiḍun
- 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 that brings down or abases; in the Quranic description of the Resurrection, that which lowers some people while others are raised.
The supplied Quran occurrence is the feminine form خَافِضَةٌ in the paired expression خَافِضَةٌ رَافِعَةٌ, interpreted as lowering the disobedient or placing some people in a lower fate or rank.
- Lane · entry 19657
- Mufradāt · row 424
Selected Quran examples
Quran 56:3word 1
“Bringing down”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
View all 4 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 35 Classical meanings
خَفَضَ
To lower or depress a thing, opposite to raising it.
A direct transitive use for physically bringing an object down.
- Lane · entry 19647
خَفَضَ
To abase or lower a person's standing.
Attested figuratively of lowering an unbeliever or another person in rank or status.
- Lane · entry 19647
خَفَضَ
Of a bird, to lower, relax, or contract its wing against its side.
Used of a bird settling or ceasing from flight.
- Lane · entry 19647
خَفَضَ
To diminish a share or the means of subsistence; figuratively, for justice or the just party to be brought low or overcome.
The evidence includes uses concerning the portion allotted to a person and the changing relation of justice and injustice.
- Lane · entry 19647
خَفَضَ
To make travel proceed at a gentle pace; of camels or a land, to go or cause movement gently.
The transitive travel example is qualified in the source and is contrasted with a vehement or raised pace; another interpretation takes it as going down or up.
- Lane · entry 19647
خَفَضَ
To lower one's voice or refrain from raising it.
A figurative use, opposite to raising the voice.
- Lane · entry 19647
خَفُضَ
Of life or circumstances, to be or become easy, tranquil, plentiful, and free from hardship.
An intransitive use describing a pleasant or undemanding condition of life.
- Lane · entry 19647
خَفَضَ
To remain, stay, or abide in a place.
Used with بِالمكانِ for staying in a location.
- Lane · entry 19647
خَفَضَ
To die.
An archaic intransitive use, said of a man.
- Lane · entry 19647
خَفَضَ
To circumcise.
The evidence especially applies the verb to circumcising a girl, while also recording a use for circumcising a boy.
- Lane · entry 19647
خَفَّضَ
To draw or bring down a camel's head.
Used to lower the camel's head toward the ground so that it may be mounted.
- Lane · entry 19648
خَفَّضَ
To weaken or lower a person's state or rank.
A causative figurative use concerning condition or status.
- Lane · entry 19648
خَفَّضَ
To calm or tranquillize a person or heart, or make an affair light and easy.
Includes the constructions خَفِّضْ عَلَيْكَ جَاشَكَ and خَفِّضْ عَلَيْكَ الأَمْرَ.
- Lane · entry 19648
خَفَّضَ
To make speech gentle or soft.
A causative use applied to one's words or manner of speaking.
- Lane · entry 19648
خَفَّضَ
To bring death near or leave someone with no escape from it.
Attested figuratively of afflictions that bring a person close to death.
- Lane · entry 19648
اِنْخَفَضَ
To become low, lowered, or depressed.
An intransitive Form VII development of the lowering sense.
- Lane · entry 19651
اِخْتَفَضَ
To become circumcised.
Recorded specifically of a girl.
- Lane · entry 19652
خَفْضٌ
Ease, repose, tranquillity, quietness, and freedom from hardship; also abundance and pleasantness of life.
Used as a noun for an easy or plentiful condition of life.
- Lane · entry 19653
خَفْضٌ
Gentleness or softness of voice.
A noun use describing a low, gentle quality of speech or voice.
- Lane · entry 19653
خَفْضٌ
A gentle pace, opposite to a raised or vehement pace.
Used of movement, especially the pace of camels or travel.
- Lane · entry 19653
خَفْضٌ
Low or depressed land, including a hollow or sunken tract.
A topographical use contrasted with hard or elevated land.
- Lane · entry 19653
خَفْضَةٌ
A state of abasement or being brought low.
Used in the paired expression contrasting a state of lowering with a state of elevation.
- Lane · entry 19654
خَفِيضٌ
Low, soft, or gentle in voice or speech.
An adjectival use applied to a voice or words.
- Lane · entry 19655
خَفِيضٌ
Easy, tranquil, plentiful, or pleasant in respect of life.
An adjectival use applied to life or its circumstances.
- Lane · entry 19655
الخَافِضُ
The Abaser: one of the divine names, meaning the one who abases the proud or anything He wills to abase.
A theological epithet derived from the active-participle sense.
- Lane · entry 19657
خَافِضٌ
One who lowers an age designation in the assessment of livestock.
A specialized use in which an assessor assigns a lower age category to an animal.
- Lane · entry 19657
خَافِضٌ
Gentle, compliant, submissive, grave, or calm.
Especially used in the idiom خَافِضُ الجَنَاحِ, describing a person of yielding and composed manner.
- Lane · entry 19657
خَافِضٌ
Low, soft, or gentle in voice.
Used in describing a woman who is not clamorous or foul-tongued.
- Lane · entry 19657
خَافِضٌ
Easy to irrigate.
Used of land that is easy of irrigation.
- Lane · entry 19657
خَافِضٌ
Easy or gentle in journeying.
Used of a night or route that permits easy travel.
- Lane · entry 19657
خَافِضٌ
Remaining at a watering place.
A specialized description of a people or company staying at water rather than ranging in search of pasture.
- Lane · entry 19657
خَافِضَةٌ
A woman who circumcises girls.
The related masculine active-participle form may be applied to a man who circumcises boys.
- Lane · entry 19657
مَخْفِضٌ
A place where people are in ease, tranquillity, or plentiful and pleasant circumstances.
A place noun describing the setting in which a group enjoys ease.
- Lane · entry 19659
مَخْفِضٌ
The anatomical place where a girl's circumcision is performed.
A technical anatomical use.
- Lane · entry 19659
مَخْفُوضٌ
A girl who has been circumcised.
A passive-participial technical use.
- Lane · entry 19660
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The three Quranic occurrences of the Form I verb are imperatives in lowering-wing constructions; the broader physical, status, voice, and other meanings listed separately are Classical Arabic evidence, not additional Quranic verb senses.
The Quranic active-participle occurrence is feminine خَافِضَةٌ and is presented under the normalized masculine singular citation form خَافِضٌ.
The Lane travel example under خَفَضَ is explicitly qualified and has an alternative interpretation involving descent or ascent.