Quranic root
يأس
y · ʾ · s
The root centers on the cutting off or absence of hope, hence despair and the loss of expectation.
The semantic range develops from cessation of hope to despairing states and causative or derived forms. A secondary Quranic usage of the Form I verb is reported as “to know,” explained either as a dialectal or figurative usage or as knowledge inferred from the certainty underlying despair.
- Maqāyīs · row 5244
- Mufradāt · row 1621
- 3
- Quran-attested forms
- 4
- Quran senses
- 13
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
يَئِسَ
yaʾisa
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form I
- Form
- I
- Quran occurrences
- 8 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 despair of something; to lose or cut off hope concerning it.
Commonly construed with مِنْ for the person or matter concerning which hope is abandoned. This is the ordinary Quranic sense of the verb.
- Lane · entry 17233
- Mufradāt · row 1621
Selected Quran examples
Quran 12:87word 8
“despair”
Quran 29:23word 7
“(have) despaired”
To know or recognize, in the Quranic expression associated with أَفَلَمْ يَيْأَسِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا.
A reported dialectal or figurative usage, and in this Quranic construction also explained as knowledge inferred from the believers’ despair that the matter could be otherwise; it is not the ordinary meaning of the verb.
- Lane · entry 17233
- Mufradāt · row 1621
Selected Quran examples
Quran 13:31word 20
“know”
اِسْتَيْأَسَ
āistayʾasa
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form X
- Form
- X
- 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.
To despair; to give up hope.
Form X expressing the experience or attainment of a state in which hope has been abandoned, including despair concerning someone or something.
- Mufradāt · row 1621
Selected Quran examples
Quran 12:80word 2
“they despaired”
Quran 12:110word 3
“gave up hope”
يَؤُوسٌ
yaʾūsun
- Part of speech
- Intensive adjective (Quranic noun use)
- 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.
Intensely or habitually despairing; strongly given to despair.
An intensive adjectival expression for a pronounced or recurrent state of despair.
- Lane · entry 17241
- Mufradāt · row 1621
Selected Quran examples
Quran 11:9word 10
“(is) despairing”
Quran 41:49word 10
“then he gives up hope”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 5:3يَئِسَ(have) despaired
- 11:9لَيَـُٔوسٌۭ(is) despairing
- 12:80ٱسْتَيْـَٔسُوا۟they despaired
- 12:87تَا۟يْـَٔسُوا۟despair
- 12:87يَا۟يْـَٔسُdespairs
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 7 Classical meanings
أَيْأَسَهُ
To cause someone to despair; to cut off his hope.
Form IV causative, commonly construed with مِنْ for the thing concerning which hope is cut off.
- Lane · entry 17234
أَيْأَسَهُ
To cause a woman to become barren.
A specialized causative use, attested in the expression أَيْأَسَهَا اللهُ.
- Lane · entry 17234
يَئِسَ
Of a woman, to become barren.
A specialized use of the Form I verb with a woman as subject.
- Lane · entry 17233
يَأَسٌ
Phthisis or pulmonary consumption.
A disease name in Classical Arabic.
- Lane · entry 17237
يَائِسٌ
Despairing; one who has lost hope.
The ordinary active-participial adjective, distinct from the intensive form يَؤُوسٌ.
- Lane · entry 17241
يَائِسَةٌ
A barren woman.
Feminine adjective or noun in the specialized barren-woman usage.
- Lane · entry 17242
مَيْؤُوسٌ مِنْهُ
Despaired of; regarded as beyond hope.
Passive participial construction with مِنْهُ identifying the person or thing regarded as hopeless.
- Lane · entry 17243
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The interpretation of the Quranic Form I expression at 13:31 as “know” is a reported dialectal, figurative, or inferential usage and should not be generalized as the ordinary meaning of يَئِسَ.