Quick Definition
κλαίω v. I weep, weep for, mourn
Strong's Definition
of uncertain affinity; to sob, i.e. wail aloud (whereas 1145 is rather to cry silently)
KJV Usage: bewail, weep
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | aor. ἔκλαυσα | κλάδος
25.138 · Attitudes and Emotions · Laugh, Cry, Groan
to weep, to wail, to lament, weeping, crying to weep or wail, with emphasis upon the noise accompanying the weeping In MAT 2:18 κλαίω occurs with a so-called ‘direct object,’ for example, Ραχὴλ κλαίουσα τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς ... ὅτι οὐκ εἰσίν ‘Rachel weeps for her children ... because they are all dead.’ The so-called direct object is, however, the cause of the weeping, and the so-called transitive usage of κλαίω does not alter the meaning.
MAT 2:18 · MAT 26:75 · MRK 5:38 · MRK 5:39 · MRK 14:72 · MRK 16:10 · LUK 6:21 · LUK 6:25 · LUK 7:13 · LUK 7:32 · LUK 7:38 · LUK 8:52 · LUK 8:52 · LUK 19:41 · LUK 22:62 · LUK 23:28 · LUK 23:28 · JHN 11:31 · JHN 11:33 · JHN 11:33 · JHN 16:20 · JHN 20:11 · JHN 20:11 · JHN 20:13 · JHN 20:15 · ACT 9:39 · ACT 21:13 · ROM 12:15 · ROM 12:15 · 1CO 7:30 · 1CO 7:30 · PHP 3:18 · JAS 4:9 · JAS 5:1 · REV 5:4 · REV 5:5 · REV 18:9 · REV 18:11 · REV 18:15 · REV 18:19
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
κλαίω ; impf.éeAaov; fut. κλαύσω (LK. vi. 25; Jn. xvi. 20; and Tr WHtst. in Rev. xviii. 9, for κλαύσομαι; more com. in Grk. writ., esp. the earlier, and found in Lev. x. 6; Joel ii. 17, and ace. to most edd. in Rev. xviii. 9; cf. Kriiger 8 40 5. v., i. p. 175 sq.; Kiihner ὃ 343 s. v.,i. p. 847; [Veitch s. v.]; B. 60 (53); [W. 87(83)]); 1 aor. ἔκλαυσα; Sept. freq. for 133; [from Hom. down]; to mourn, weep, lament a. intrans.: Mk. xiv. 72; xvi. 10; Lk. vii. 13, 38; Jn. xi. 31, 33; xx.-11, 13,15; Acts ix. 39; xxi.13; Rey. [v. 5]; xviii. 15,19; πολλά, for which 1, T Tr WH πολύ, Rev. v. 4; πικρῶς, Mt. xxvi. 75; Lk. xxii. 62; weeping as the sign of pain and grief for the thing signified (i. e. for pain and grief), Lk. vi. 21, 25, (opp. to γελᾶν); Jn. xvi. 20; Ro. xii. 15, (opp. to χαίρειν) ; Phil. iii. 18; 1 Co. vii. 30; Jas.iv.9; v.1; of those who mourn the dead: Mk. v. 38 sq.; Lk. vii. 32: viii. 52; ἐπί τινι, over any one, Lk. xix. 41 RG (Sir. xxii. 11); also joined with πενθεῖν, Rey. xviii. 11 RGL; κλ. ἐπί τινα, Lk. xix.41 LT Tr WH; xxiii. 28; joined with κόπτεσθαι foll. by ἐπί τινα, Rev. xviii. 9 T Tr WH. b. trans. τινά, to weep for, mourn for, bewail, one [ef. B. § 131, 4; W. 32, ly.]: Mt. ii. 18, and Ree. in Rey. xviii. 9.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
κλαίω klaiō 40x
intrans. to weep, shed tears, Mt. 26:75; Mk. 5:38, 39; Lk. 19:41; 23:28; trans. to weep for, bewail, Mt. 2:18
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
κλαίω,
[in LXX chiefly for בּכה;]
of any loud expression of pain or sorrow, esp. for the dead, to weep, lament; intrans.: Mk 5:38, 39 14:72 (M, Pr., 131) Mk 16:[10], Lk 7:13, 32, 38 8:52, Jo 11:31, 33 16:20 20:11, 13, 15 Ac 9:39 21:13, I Co 7:30, Phl 3:18, Ja 4:9 5:1, Re 5:5 18:15, 19; πολύ, Re 5:4; πολλά, Ac 8:24 (WH, mg.); πικρῶς, Mt 26:75, Lk 22:62; opp. to γελάω, Lk 6:21, 25; χαίρω, Ro 12:15; seq. ἐπί, c. acc., Lk 19:41 23:28, Re 18:9;
trans., c. acc. pers., to weep or lament for, bewail: Mt 2:18.†
SYN.: v.s. δακρύω.
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
κλαίω. P Oxy I. 1155. (letter of consolation—ii/A.D.) (= Sedections, p. 96) ἔκλαυσα ἐπὶ τῶι εὐμοίρωι (‘blessed one’’) ὡς ἐπὶ Διδυμᾶτος ἔκλαυσα. In P Oxy III. 5288 (ii/a.p.) a husband writes to his wife, who had left him, urging her return—ywookew oe θέλω ad’ ὡς ἐκξῆλθες (1 ἐξ-) ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ πένθος ἡγούμην νυκτὸς κλέί =al)ov ἡμέρας δὲ πενθῷ (1.- θῶν), “ΕἼ assure you that ever since you left me I have been in mourning, weeping by night and lamenting by day” (Edd.). For the form κλάω (cf. ἔκλαεν 3 Kings 184°) see P Par 347 (li/B.C.) γυναῖκας κλαούσας, and for κλάγω see 20. 5135 (B.c. 160) (= Selections, p. 20) κλάγω ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν : see further Mayser Gr. p. 104 f., Moulton Gv. ii. p. 81. MGr κλαί(γ)ω.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
κλαίω (klaiō) — to weep. κλαίω, old Attic dialect κλάω (see. below) [ᾱ] never contracted; Aeolic dialect κλαΐω [Refs]; Epic dialect 2nd pers. singular optative κλαίοισθα [Refs 8th c.BC+]imperfect ἔκλᾱον, Epic dialect κλαῖον [Refs 8th c.BC+], Ionic dialect κλαίεσκον [Refs 8th c.BC+]future κλαύσομαι, 2nd pers. singular κλαύσῃ or κλαύσει, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Attic dialect also κλαιήσω [NT+4th c.BC+]aorist ἔκλαυσα, Epic dialect κλαῦσα [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—middle, aorist ἐκλαυσάμην [Refs 7th c.BC+]:—passive, future κλαυσθήσομαι [LXX+5th c.BC+]: aorist ἐκλαύσθην [Refs 3rd c.BC+]: perfect κέκλαυμαι [Refs 5th c.BC+] is recognized as Attic dialect by [Refs 2nd c.AD+], and is found in codices of [Refs 5th c.BC+]
I. intransitive, cry, wail, lament, of any loud expression of pain or sorrow, κλαῖον δὲ λιγέως [Refs 8th c.BC+]; for the dead, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; διὰ τί οἱ κλαίοντες ὀξὺ φθέγγοντα; [Refs 4th c.BC+]; of infants, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; of crying for joy, κλαῖον δὲ λιγέως, ἁδινώτερον ἤ τ᾽ οἰωνοί κτλ. [Refs 8th c.BC+]
I.2. αὐτὸν κλαίοντα ἀφήσω [Refs] shall send him home crying, howling, i.e. well beaten, [Refs 8th c.BC+] he shall howl, i.e. he shall suffer for it, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κλαύσει μακρά you shall howl loudly, i.e. suffer severely, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κλαίων to your sorrow or loss, at your peril, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κλάειν ἔγωγέ σε λέγω (opposed to χαίρειν σοι λέγω) [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σέ δ᾽ ἐᾶν κλάειν μακρὰ τὴν κεφαλήν suffer terribly in the head, [Refs]
II. transitive, weep for, lament, κλαῖεν ἔπειτ᾽ Ὀδυσῆα, φίλον πόσιν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; τι [Refs 5th c.BC+]:— passive, to be mourned or lamented, ἀνδρὸς εὖ κεκλαυμένου [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.2. cry for, of infants, μάμμας καὶ τιτθάς [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
III. middle, bewail oneself, weep aloud, [Refs 4th c.BC+]perfect participle passive κεκλαυμένος bathed in tears, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
III.2. transitive, bewail to oneself, πάθη.. πόλλ᾽ ἔγωγ᾽ ἐκλαυσάμην [Refs 4th c.BC+]