Arabic vocabulary
جَزَعَdespair in Arabic
جَزَعَ is how you say “despair” in Arabic. Hear it pronounced and see it used in real example sentences from classical texts below.
Root ج ز ع (j-z-ʿ)verb (form I)Pronounced jaziʿa
Meaning of despair in Arabic
- to be impatient, unable to bear hardship — the opposite of ṣabr, 'patience'
- to grieve, to be stricken with sorrow
- to despair; to be seized by grief so violent it turns one from one's purpose — philologists linked this to the root's core sense of 'cutting off'
- to cross, pass over (a valley, land, or desert) — a distinct usage of the same form I verb, applied to physical crossing rather than emotion
Classical philologists treated 'cutting off' as the root's primary sense, and explained despair/impatience (جَزَعٌ) as grief so severe it 'cuts' a person off from their composure or purpose. In classical and Qur'anic usage جَزَعٌ is regularly paired as the opposite of صَبْرٌ (patient endurance).
Words from the same root
- جِزْعٌthe bend, or turning-point, of a valley
- جَزْعٌbanded onyx — beads prized for their streaks of black and white
- جَزِعٌimpatient, easily overcome by grief
- انجزعto break, snap in half (of a rope, staff, or spear)
- اجتزعهُto break off and cut off a branch for oneself
- تَجَزَّعَto divide something up among themselves (e.g. spoils)
- جزّعto console someone, causing their grief or impatience to cease
- جِزْعَةٌa small remaining portion, of wealth, water, or milk
Common questions
- How do you say "despair" in Arabic?
- جَزِعَ (jaziʿa), or the noun جَزَعٌ (jazaʿ) for 'impatience, despair' — the opposite of ṣabr, 'patience'.
- What does the Arabic root ج-ز-ع mean?
- It centers on cutting, breaking, or dividing: it produces words for a snapped rope (انجزع), a portion cut off (جِزْعَة), and despair/impatience (جَزِعَ) — grief severe enough to 'cut' someone off from their composure.
Definitions synthesised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).
Example sentences
يا آدم، لا تجزع من قولي لك اخرج منها، فلك ولصالح ذريتك خلّفتها
O Adam, do not grieve over My saying to you: 'Get out of it,' for I created it for you and your righteous descendants.
تَجْزَعْ — you despair. Present-form verb 'despair, panic', 'you' form, shortened after 'la' to make a prohibition — 'do not despair'.
From: Adam's Descent →لا تجزع من كأس زلل كانت سبب كيسك،
Do not despair from a cup of slip that was the cause of your prudence.
تَجْزَعْ — you despair. Present-form verb 'despair', 'you' form, shortened after 'la' — 'do not despair'.
From: Adam's Descent →
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