Quick Definition
κωλύω v. I prevent, hinder
Strong's Definition
from the base of 2849; to estop, i.e. prevent (by word or act)
KJV Usage: forbid, hinder, keep from, let, not suffer, withstand
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | ἀκωλύτως · διακωλύω · δύσκολος · δυσκόλως
13.146 · Be, Become, Exist, Happen · Happen
to prevent, to hinder to cause something not to happen
MAT 19:14 · MRK 9:38 · MRK 9:39 · MRK 10:14 · LUK 6:29 · LUK 9:49 · LUK 9:50 · LUK 11:52 · LUK 18:16 · LUK 23:2 · ACT 8:36 · ACT 10:47 · ACT 11:17 · ACT 16:6 · ACT 24:23 · ACT 27:43 · ROM 1:13 · 1CO 14:39 · 1TH 2:16 · 1TI 4:3 · HEB 7:23 · 2PE 2:16 · 3JN 1:10
1 διακωλύω may be somewhat stronger in meaning than κωλύω, but this cannot be determined on the basis of existing contexts.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
κωλύω; impf. 1 pers. plur. ἐκωλύομεν (Mk. ix. 38 T Tr txt. WH); 1 aor. ἐκώλυσα; Pass., pres. κωλύομαι; 1 aor. ἐκωλύθην ; (fr. κόλος, lopped, clipped; prop. to cut off, cut short, hence) to hinaer, prevent, forbid ; [fr. Pind. down]; Sept. for 873, twice (viz. 1 5. χχν. 26; 2 S. xiii. 13) for yy: τινά foll. by an inf. [W. § 65,2 β. ; cf. B. § 148, 13], Mt. xix. 14; Lk. xxiii.2; Acts xvi. 6; xxiv. 23; 1 Th. ii. 16; Heb. vii. 23; τί κωλύει pe βαπτισθῆναι ; what doth hinder me from being (to be) baptized? Acts viii. 36; the inf. is omitted, as being evident from what has gone before, Mk. ix. 38 sq.; x. 14; Lk. ix. 49; xi. 52; xviii. 16; Acts xi. 17; Ro. i. 13; 3 Jn. 10; αὐτόν is wanting, because it has preceded, Lk. ix. 50; the ace. is wanting, because easily supplied from the context, 1 Tim. iv. 3; as often in Grk. writ., constr. w. τινά twos, to keep one from a thing, Acts xxvii. 43; with acc. of the thing, τὴν παραφρονίαν, to restrain, check, 2 Pet. ii, 16; τὸ λαλεῖν γλώσσαις, 1 Co. xiv. 39; τί, foil. by τοῦ μή, can any one hinder the water (which offers itself), that these should not be baptized? Acts x.47; in imitation of the Hebr. 852 foll. by }D of the pers. and the ace. of the thing, to withhold a thing from any one, i. e. to deny or refuse one a thing: Lk. vi. 29 [B. § 132, 5] (τὸ μνημεῖον ἀπὸ σοῦ, Gen. xxiii. 6). [Comp.: διακωλύω.]
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
κωλύω kōlyō 23x
to hinder, restrain, prevent, Mt. 19:14; Acts 8:36; Rom. 1:13
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
κωλύω
(< κόλος), [in LXX for כּלא, מנע, etc.;]
to hinder, restrain, forbid, withhold: c. acc. et inf., Mt 19:14, Lk 23:2, Ac 8:36 16:6 24:23, I Th 2:16, He 7:23; inf. om., Mk 9:38, 39 10:14, Lk 9:49, 50 11:52 18:16, Ac 11:17, Ro 1:13, III Jo 10; acc. om., I Ti 4:3; c. acc. pers. et gen. rei, Ac 27:43; c. acc. rei, I Co 14:39, II Pe 2:16; id. seq. τοῦ μή, Ac 10:47; id. seq. ἀπό (like Heb. כָּלָא מִן, Ge 23:6, al.), Lk 6:29 (cf. δια-κωλύω).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
κωλύω. P Eleph τοῦ (B.c. 223-2) ἀπόστειλ[ο]ν . ., ὅπως μὴ διὰ ταῦτα κωλυώμεθα.. . . τοὺς [λ]όγους εἰς τὴν πόλιν [κα]ταπέμψαι, P Magd 2° (B.C 221) ἐμοῦ δὲ βουλομένης ἐπισυντελέσαι τὸν τοῖχον, . . . Πόωρις κεκώλυκεν οἰκοδομεῖν, P Petr IT. 11(1)? (1}8.6.} (= Se/ections, p. 7) μηθέν σε τῶν ἔργων κωλύει, P Oxy III. 471% (ii/a.D.) τί οὖν ὃ κατηφὴς σὺ καὶ ὑπεραύ[σ]τηρος οὐκ ἐκώλνες ; “‘ why then did not you with your modesty and extreme austerity stop him?” (Εα4.), | 2. VIII. 1101! (4.10. 367-70) ὅτι δὲ κεκώλυται παρὰ Tots γόμοις τοῦτο, δῆλον, ‘that this is forbidden by the law is clear’’ (Ed.). A good ex. of the conative participle is afforded by Pretsigke 4284® (A.D. 207) ᾿Ορσεύς tis ἀνὴρ βίαιος kal αὐθάδης τυ[γχάν]ων ἐπῆλθεν ἡμῖν... κ[ω]λύων τὴν κατεργασίαν: cf. Chrest. I. 3547%. For κώλυμα see P Hib I. 907° (B.c. 222) ἐὰμ μή [te βα]σιλικὸν κώλυμα ylévntat, ‘‘if there be no hindrance on the part of the State” (Edd.) : for κώλυσις see P Tebt 11. 3937" (A.D. 150) ἢ καὶ κώλυσιν ἢ κακοτεχ[νίαν, ‘or hindrance or fraud” | , κώμη (Edd.), and for κωλυτής see OG/S 57 (B.C. 311) εἰ μὴ κωλυταί τιΐνες ἐγένοντο, τότε ἂν συνετελέσθη ταῦτα.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
κωλύω (kōluō) — to prevent. κωλύω, future -ύσω [Refs 5th c.BC+]: aorist ἐκώλῡσα [Refs 5th c.BC+]; perfect κεκώλῡκα [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, future κωλυθήσομαι [LXX+2nd c.AD+]: also in middle form -ύσομαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]: aorist ἐκωλύθην [Refs]perfect κεκώλῡμαι[Refs]. [ῡ always before a consonant: common before a vowel, κωλῡόμεσθα [Refs 7th c.BC+].]:—hinder, prevent:—Constr.:
1. with accusative et infinitive, κ. ἐκρέειν τὸν Νεῖλον [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κώλυεν [μιν] μεῖναι Pi.[same place]; τί δῆτα καὶ σὲ κωλύει <λαβεῖν> κέρδο; [Refs 5th c.BC+]:— passive, χρημάτων σπάνει [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τοῦ ὕδατος πιεῖν from drinking the water, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
1. b rarely with participle pro infinitive, κ. τινὰ πόλεμον εἰσάγοντα [Refs]:—passive, μὴ κωλύωνται περαιούμενοι [Refs 5th c.BC+]
1. c with relative clause, κωλύειν εἴ τις ἐπαγγέλλεται, = {τινὰ μὴ ἐπαγγέλλεσθαι}, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἐκωλύσαμεν, ἵνα γένησθε.. [Refs 1st c.AD+]
2. with genitive of things, κ. τινά τινος hinder one from a thing, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, τῆς ὁρμῆς ἐκωλύθησαν [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
3. with accusative of things, prevent, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, ἐν τούτῳ κεκωλῦσθαι ἐδόκει τὰ πράγματα [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μηδὲ.. δαπάνῃ κεκωλύσθω let there be no hindrance by reason of expense, [Refs]
3. b withhold, τι ἀπό τινος [LXX+NT]
4. with accusative person, hinder, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
5. absolutely, οὐδ᾽ ὁ κωλύσων παρῆν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of the tribune's intercessio, [Refs 1st c.AD+]; τὸ κωλῦον hindrance, [Refs 5th c.BC+]infinitive may be supplied, εἶτα τίς σε κωλύει (i.e. γεωργεῖν); [Refs 5th c.BC+]; αὐτοὶ ὠφελούμενοι τοὺς πολεμίους κωλύσετε [ὠφελεῖσθαι] [Refs 5th c.BC+]
6. frequently in [Refs] there is nothing to hinder, with accusative et infinitive, ὁμόψηφον τὸν Ἀργεῖον εἶναι κ. οὐδέν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί κ. ἡμᾶς διελθεῖ; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐδὲν κ., absolutely, as a form of assent, be it so, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί γὰρ κ.; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὔτε ἐκεῖνο κωλύει ἐν ταῖς σπονδαῖς neither is that any hindrance, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὔτε μίαν δυοῖν τὴν αὐτὴν εἶναι κ. nor is there any hindrance to one of two being the same, [Refs 4th c.BC+]