Quranic root
زري
z · r · y
The root centers on treating something as beneath regard: holding it cheap, lightly esteemed, or contemptible.
From this orientation develop branches of blaming and finding fault, undervaluing or despising, and specialized derived uses for reprovers and contemptuous persons. The Quranic Form VIII use realizes the branch of esteeming people lightly or regarding them as insignificant.
- Maqāyīs · row 2240
- Mufradāt · row 619
- 1
- Quran-attested forms
- 1
- 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.
اِزْدَرَى
āizdarā
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form VIII
- Form
- VIII
- 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 regard someone as insignificant or of little account; to esteem lightly and despise.
In the Quranic construction تَزْدَرِي أَعْيُنُكُمْ, the subject “your eyes” regards the people as few, insignificant, or beneath regard. The construction expresses esteeming them lightly rather than merely seeing them.
- Mufradāt · row 619
Selected Quran examples
Quran 11:31word 17
“look down upon”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 11:31تَزْدَرِىٓlook down upon
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 9 Classical meanings
زَرَى عَلَيْهِ
To blame, find fault with, reprove, or reproach someone or his deed.
The reproach may be angry or severe, and the expression can also describe anger toward someone arising from friendly concern.
- Lane · entry 31156
زَرَى عَلَيْهِ
To mock, scoff at, deride, or ridicule someone.
Recorded as a further use of the Form I construction زَرَى عَلَيْهِ.
- Lane · entry 31156
أَزْرَى بِهِ
To hold a person, thing, case, or affair in little, light, or mean estimation; to contemn or despise it; or to lower its estimation.
The Form IV construction is used with بِـ. It may also convey falling short of the estimation due to someone or something.
- Lane · entry 31157
أَزْرَى بِهِ
To bring against someone an imputation of fault, vice, or a compromising matter, seeking to involve him in confusion.
The imputed matter may be a fault, vice, thing, affair, or action.
- Lane · entry 31157
زَارٍ عَلَى إِنْسَانٍ
A person who makes no account of someone and disapproves his conduct.
This expression is associated with blaming, finding fault, displeasure, or reproving a person.
- Lane · entry 31162
زَرِيٌّ
Of a skin used for water or milk: middling in size, between small and large.
A specialized descriptive use applied to a water- or milk-skin.
- Lane · entry 31161
مِزْرَاءٌ
A man who blames or finds fault with people.
An agentive noun for a person characterized by this conduct.
- Lane · entry 31163
مُزْدَرٍ
Contemning or despising; regarding others as beneath regard.
An active participial or adjectival use; the related form مُسْتَزْرٍ is also recorded.
- Lane · entry 31164
مُزْدَرٍ
The lion.
A rare substantivized designation recorded as a further use of this word.
- Lane · entry 31164
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The Quranic form is attested once as the active imperfect تَزْدَرِي; the public headword is normalized to the Form VIII perfect اِزْدَرَى.
The Form VIII lexical entry in the supplied classical evidence is cross-referential; the explicit Quran-specific explanation is therefore grounded in the Quran-focused lexical evidence.
A classical parenthetical leaves unclear whether the final gloss concerning making someone despised applies to أَزْرَى بِهِ, اِزْدَرَاهُ, or both; it has not been used to expand the Quranic sense beyond the directly supported use.
Unassigned or ambiguous evidence
The supplied classical discussion does not resolve whether the gloss “made him to be contemned or despised” belongs specifically to أَزْرَى بِهِ or also to اِزْدَرَاهُ; the ambiguity is retained under the Form IV classical entry and does not alter the Quranic sense assignment.