Quick Definition
κατήφεια, ας, ἡ n.f. a downcast countenance, gloom, dejection
Strong's Definition
from a compound of 2596 and perhaps a derivative of the base of 5316 (meaning downcast in look); demureness, i.e. (by implication) sadness
KJV Usage: heaviness
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, f. | -ας | κατά + φάς | φαίνω
25.296 · Attitudes and Emotions · Discouragement
gloom, depression a state of mental gloominess and dejection In a number of languages it may be extremely difficult to speak of ‘changing’ one activity into another or one state into another, and so this expression in JAS 4:9 must often be rendered as ‘instead of laughing, mourn, and instead of being happy, become sad.’
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
κατήφεια, -as, 7, (fr. κατηφής, of ἃ downcast look; and this fr. κατά, and τὰ φάη the eyes; Etym. Maen. [496, 53] κατήφεια: ἀπὸ τοῦ κάτω τὰ φάη βάλλειν τοὺς ὀνειδιζομένους ἢ λυπουμένους ; because, as Plut. de dysopia [al. de vitioso pudore (528 e.)] 6. 1 says, it is λύπη κάτω βλέπειν ποιovaa), prop. a downcast look expressive of sorrow; hence shame, dejection, gloom, [A. V. heaviness]: Jas. iv. 9. (Hom. 1]. 3, 51; 16, 498 ete.; Thue. 7, 75; Joseph. antt. 13,16, 1; Plut. Cor. 20; [Pelop. 33, 3, and often; Dion. Hal., Char., etc.]; often in Philo.)
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
κατήφεια katēpheia 1x
dejection, sorrow, Jas. 4:9*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
* κατήφεια, -ας, ἡ
(< κατηφής, downcast, Wi 17:4*),
dejection: Ja 4:9.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
κατήφεια. In P Oxy ΠῚ. 471° (ii/a.p.) τί οὖν ὁ κατηφὴς σὺ καὶ ὑπεραύ[σ]τηρος οὐκ ἐκώλυες ; the context suggests that κατηφής = ‘with eyes cast down for shame,” and the same reference to the outward expression of the countenance underlies the only occurrence of the subst. in the NT, Jas 4°, where it should be rendered ‘‘gloominess” rather than “heaviness’’ (AV, RV). See also the citations in Field Notes, p. 238, e.g. Charit. Aphrod. vi. 8: πρὸς δὲ τὴν φήμην κατήφεια πᾶσαν ἔσχε Βαβυλῶνα (these tidings cast a gloom over the whole city).
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
κατήφεια (katēpheia) — gloominess. κατήφ-εια, Ionic dialect and Epic dialect κατηφ-είη, ἡ, (κατηφής) dejection (λύπη κάτω βλέπειν ποιοῦσα [Refs 8th c.BC+]; opposed to χαρά, [NT+3rd c.BC+]