Strong G3123G3123Hμᾶλλον
more: rather
One of the 2 senses of Strong G3123
- Transliteration
- mallon
- Pronunciation
- mal'-lon
- Morphology
- Greek Adverb
Definition
Neuter of the comparative of the same as G3122; (adverb) more (in a greater degree) or rather: - + better X far (the) more (and more) (so) much (the more) rather.
Detailed definition
μάλα
adv., [in LXX for אֲבָל, 3Ki.1:43, Dan LXX 10:21, al.; compar. for מ, Num.13:32 (31), al.; μᾶλλον ἠ (מ), Gen.19:9, al.; superlat., 2Ma.8:7, 4Ma.4:22 12:9 15:4;]
I. Pos., very, very much, exceedingly (cl.; LXX ut supr.; in NT its place is taken by λίαν, σφόδρα, etc.).
II. Compar., μᾶλλον.
1. Of increase, more; with qualifying words: πολλῷ, Mrk.10:48, Luk.18:39, Rom.5:15, 17, Php.2:12, al.; πόσῳ, Luk.12:24, Rom.11:12, al.; τοσούτῳ... ὅσῳ, Heb.10:25.
2. Of comparison, the more: Luk.5:15, Jhn.5:18, Act.5:14, 1Th.4:1, 10, 2Pe.1:10; ἔτι μ. καὶ μ., Php.1:9; with compar., Mrk.7:36, 2Co.7:13; πολλῴ μ. κρεῖσον, Php.1:23; μ. διαφέρειν, with genitive, Mat.6:26; μ. ἤ, Mat.18:13; with genitive, 1Co.14:18; as periphr. for compar., Act.20:35, 1Co.9:15, Gal.4:27; μ. δέ (EV, yea rather), Rom.8:34.
3. Of preference, rather, the rather, sooner: with qualifying words, πολλῷ, Mat.6:30, al.; πολύ, Heb.12:25; πόσῳ, Mat.7:11, al.; in a question, οὐ μ., 1Co.9:12; after a neg., Mat.10:6, al.; θέλω (εὐδοκῶ) μ., 1Co.14:5, 2Co.5:8; ζηλῶ, 1Co.14:1; with subst., τ. σκότος ἢ τ. φῶς, Jhn.3:19; μ. δέ, Gal.4:9.
III. Superl., μάλιστα
, most, most of all, above all: Act.20:38 25:26, Gal.6:10, Php.4:22, 1Ti.4:10 5:8, 17, 2Ti.4:13, Tit.1:10, Phm 16, 2Pe.2:10; μ. γνώστης, Act.26:3
(AS)
adv., [in LXX for אֲבָל, 3Ki.1:43, Dan LXX 10:21, al.; compar. for מ, Num.13:32 (31), al.; μᾶλλον ἠ (מ), Gen.19:9, al.; superlat., 2Ma.8:7, 4Ma.4:22 12:9 15:4;]
I. Pos., very, very much, exceedingly (cl.; LXX ut supr.; in NT its place is taken by λίαν, σφόδρα, etc.).
II. Compar., μᾶλλον.
1. Of increase, more; with qualifying words: πολλῷ, Mrk.10:48, Luk.18:39, Rom.5:15, 17, Php.2:12, al.; πόσῳ, Luk.12:24, Rom.11:12, al.; τοσούτῳ... ὅσῳ, Heb.10:25.
2. Of comparison, the more: Luk.5:15, Jhn.5:18, Act.5:14, 1Th.4:1, 10, 2Pe.1:10; ἔτι μ. καὶ μ., Php.1:9; with compar., Mrk.7:36, 2Co.7:13; πολλῴ μ. κρεῖσον, Php.1:23; μ. διαφέρειν, with genitive, Mat.6:26; μ. ἤ, Mat.18:13; with genitive, 1Co.14:18; as periphr. for compar., Act.20:35, 1Co.9:15, Gal.4:27; μ. δέ (EV, yea rather), Rom.8:34.
3. Of preference, rather, the rather, sooner: with qualifying words, πολλῷ, Mat.6:30, al.; πολύ, Heb.12:25; πόσῳ, Mat.7:11, al.; in a question, οὐ μ., 1Co.9:12; after a neg., Mat.10:6, al.; θέλω (εὐδοκῶ) μ., 1Co.14:5, 2Co.5:8; ζηλῶ, 1Co.14:1; with subst., τ. σκότος ἢ τ. φῶς, Jhn.3:19; μ. δέ, Gal.4:9.
III. Superl., μάλιστα
, most, most of all, above all: Act.20:38 25:26, Gal.6:10, Php.4:22, 1Ti.4:10 5:8, 17, 2Ti.4:13, Tit.1:10, Phm 16, 2Pe.2:10; μ. γνώστης, Act.26:3
(AS)
In the Bible
Strong G3123H appears in 30 verses of the KJV.
Translated in the KJV by
- rather26
- more2
- good1
First verses
- Matthew 10:6But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
- Matthew 10:28And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
- Matthew 25:9But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
- Matthew 27:24When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
- Mark 5:26And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
- Mark 9:42And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
- Mark 15:11But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.
- John 3:19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
- Acts 4:19But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
- Acts 5:29Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
- Romans 8:34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
- Romans 14:13Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.
- 1 Corinthians 5:2And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
- 1 Corinthians 6:7Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
- 1 Corinthians 7:21Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.
- 1 Corinthians 9:15But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.
- 1 Corinthians 14:1Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
- 2 Corinthians 2:7So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.
- 2 Corinthians 5:8We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
- Galatians 4:9But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Occurrences by book
Related words
Word family
Detailed Greek dictionary
Included with: μάλα [μᾰλᾰ;
but [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Homerus Epicus)] sometimes uses the ultima long before λ, [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 3.214, 4.379)]; before μ, [Refs (10.172],)] adverb very, exceedingly, prefixed or subjoined to Adjectives, Verbs, and Adverbs:
II comparative μᾶλλον [ᾱ by nature, Hdn.Gr.[Refs (2.932], _Ionic dialect_)]μάλιον [ᾰ] only in [Refs 7th c.BC+ (7th c.BC: Tyrtaeus Elegiacus 12.6, cf. Choerob.in “Anecdota Graeca - MSS. Bibl. Oxon.” 2.240)]; late Doric dialect μαλλότερον [Refs 5th c.AD+ (Pempelus Philosophus cited in 5th c.AD: Stobaeus, Joannes 4.25.52)]:—more, rather, [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 5.231, 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 1.351, +others: mostly followed by ἤ, but in Prose also by a _genitive_, μ. τοῦ ξυμφέροντος)] more than is expedient, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Antipho Orator 5.1; μ. τοῦ δέοντος 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Gorgias” 487b, 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Memorabilia” 4.3.8 (sometimes expressed by μᾶλλον alone, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Phaedo” 63d); οὐπώποτ᾽ ἔργου μ. εἱλόμην λόγους 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Fragmenta” 394)]; παντὸς μ. most assuredly, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Leges” 715d (see. below 8); in [prev. author] “Ap.” 36d, οὐκ ἔσθ᾽ ὅτι μ. πρέπει οὕτως, ὡς.., ὡς is probably ={ἤ} (see. ὡς))]: denoting a constant increase, more and more, sometimes doubled, μ. μ. [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Iphigenia Taurica” 1406, 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Ranae” 1001 (Lyric poetry), 2nd c.AD: Alexander Rhetor 29)]: in positive sense, exceedingly, κηρόθι μ. [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 9.300, 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 15.370, +others:)] —Usage:
II.1 frequently strengthened by other words, πολὺ μ. [NT+8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 9.700, etc.; ἔτι μ. 14.97, +others; μ. ἔτ᾽ ἢ τὸ πάροιθεν 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 1.322; καὶ μ. 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 8.470; καὶ μ. ἔτι 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 18.22; ἔτι καὶ μ. 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “P.” 10.57; ἔτι καὶ πολὺ μ. 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 23.386, 429, 8th-7th c.BC: Hesiodus Epicus “Theogonia” 428; ἐπὶ μ. 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 3.104; ἔτι ἐπὶ μ. [prev. author] 1.94; πολλῷ μ. 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Phaedo” 80e, NT.1Cor.12.22: also modified, μᾶλλόν τι)] somewhat more, μ. τι περιημέκτεε [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.114, compare 50, etc.; μ. ἤδη προσδεχομένου 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 8.71.)]
II.2 sometimes with a second comparative, ῥηΐτεροι μ. [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 24.243, compare 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.32, 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Septem contra Thebas” 673, “Supp.” 279, 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Antigone” 1210, 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Electra” 222, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Phaedo” 79e, 4th c.BC: Isaeus Orator 4.14 (assuming variant), 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Topica” 116b24.)]
II.3 μᾶλλον δέ much more.., or rather.., to correct a statement already made, ὁ δεσπότης πέπραγεν εὐτυχέστατα, μ. δ᾽ ὁ Πλοῦτος αὐτός [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Plutus” 634; πολλοί, μ. δὲ πάντες 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 18.65, compare 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Symposium” 173e; so ἢ μ. 1st c.AD: Cornutus Philosophus “de Natura Deorum” 20, 6th c.AD: Simplicius Philosophus “in Aristotelis Physica commentaria - Comm. in Arist. Graeca” 25.16)]; οὐχὶ μ. ἤ.. not so, but rather so.., [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 2.87.)]
II.4 μ. δὲ καὶ ἡσυχαίτερα more or less violent, [Refs ([prev. author] 3.82.)]
II.5 οὐδὲν μ. none the more,[Refs 5th c.BC+ ([prev. work] 79; οὐδέν τι μ. 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Phaedo” 87d)]; μηδέν τι μ. ἤ.. [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Ajax” 280.)]
II.6 μ. ἤ.. followed by οὐ in comparisons, where preference implies rejection or denial, πόλιν ὅλην διαφθεῖραι μᾶλλον ἤ οὐ τοὺς αἰτίους [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 3.36)]: preceded by another negative, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 4.118, 5.94, 7.16. γ, etc.: by an _interrogative_ which conveys a _negative_ force, τίδεῖ.. μᾶλλον, ἤ οὐ..; 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Historia Graeca (Hellenica)” 6.3.15.)]
II.7 τὸ μ. καὶ ἧττον, a form of argument, a fortiori, [Refs 4th c.BC+ (4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Rhetorica” 1397b12.)]
II.8 παντὸς μ., see at {πᾶς} [Refs (III.4.)]
III superlative μάλιστα most of all, above all, [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Homerus Epicus, etc.; πᾶσι, μάλιστα δ᾽ ἐμοί 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 21.353)]; μ. μὲν.., ἔπειτα or ἔπειτα δέ.., first and above all.., next.., [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Tyrannus” 647, compare “Ph.” 1285)]; μ. μὲν.., δεύτερον δὲ.. [Refs 4th c.BC+ (4th c.BC: Isaeus Orator 2.20)]; μ. μὲν.., εἰ δὲ μὴ.. [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 8.22, 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.40, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 590d, 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 20.25, etc.; τοῦτο δ᾽ ἐστὶ μ. μὲν θάνατος, εἰ δὲ μή, πάντα τὰ ὄντα ἀφελέσθαι [prev. author] 21.152)]; μάλιστα μὲν.., μᾶλλον μέντοι.. [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Symposium” 180b)]; μάλιστα.., εἰ μὴ δ᾽.. [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Philoctetes” 617)]; δοκέων μιν μ. ταύτης ἂν πείθεσθαι certainly, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 3.53)]; τί μ.; what precisely? [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Gorgias” 448d, compare “Men.” 80b, “Smp.” 218c: with _genitive_ _partitive_, μ. πάντων 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 2.37, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Protagoras” 327a, compare 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 4.86)]; τὸ μ. πάντων the supreme reality, [Refs 3rd c.AD+ (3rd c.AD: Plotinus Philosophus 5.5.11)]; τὸ μ. εἶναι the highest degree of being, [Refs ([prev. author] 6.2.7.)]
III.1 strengthened, ὡς μ. certainly, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Supplices” 294, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 460a, etc.; ὅσον μ. 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Prometheus Vinctus” 524; ὅσα ἐδύνατο μ. 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.185; ὡς δύναμαι μ. 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 367b; ὡς οἷόν τε μ. [prev. author] “Grg.” 510b; εἰς ὅσον ἀνθρώπῳ δυνατὸν μ. [prev. author] “Phdr.” 277a; ὅτι μ. δύνασαι [prev. author] “Sph.” 239b; μακρῷ μ. 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.171; πολλῷ μ. 2nd c.AD: Pausanias Periegeta 1.42.3; παντὸς μ. 1st c.BC: Dionysius Halicarnassensis 3.35, etc.)]
III.2 with the Article, ἐς τὰ μ. in the highest degree, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.20, 2.76, 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 6.104, 8.6, 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 21.212: without ἐς, φίλοι τὰ μ. 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 2.147, compare 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.92, 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 21.62; τά γε μ. 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Leges” 794d)]; εἰ τὰ μ. ἦσαν ἀληθεῖς if they were ever so true, [Refs 4th c.BC+ (4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 18.95)]; εἰ τὰ μ. μὴ τινές, ἀλλὰ πάντες.. if (to put an extreme case) not some, but all.., [Refs ([prev. author] 20.2; εἰ.. δοκοίη τὰ μ. [prev. author] 18.21)]; ἀνὴρ δόκιμος ὁμοῖα τῷ μ. as famous as he that is most [famous], [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 7.118, compare 3.8; τοῖς μάλισθ᾽ ὁμοίως 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator “Epistulae” 2.24.)]
III.2.b ἐν τοῖς μ. especially, as much as any, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 8.90, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Symposium” 173b, etc.)]: with a superlative, ἐν τοῖς μ. ὠμότατος [Refs 2nd c.AD+ (2nd-3rd c.AD: Aelianus “Varia Historia” 14.40; φιλτάτη καὶ ἀναγκαιοτάτη ἐν τοῖς μ. 6th c.AD: Procopius Caesariensis Historicus “Historia Arcana” 4.)]
III.3 added to a superlative (see. μάλα [Refs 8th c.BC+ (11.2, πλεῖστον), ἔχθιστος μ., μ. φίλτατος, 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 2.220, 24.334; μ. κῃ ἐμφερέστατα 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 2.76; μ. φίλτατος 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Hippolytus” 1421: to a _comparative_ (?), μ. δὴ ὀκνηρότεροι ἐγένοντο 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 4.55.)]
III.4 μάλιστα for μᾶλλον, μ. τῆς κόρης [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Iphigenia Aulidensis” [1594]; μ. ἤ ἐμοί 3rd c.BC: Apollonius Rhodius Epicus 3.91.)]
III.5 with numerals, in round numbers, about, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 3.29, 92, 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Historia Graeca (Hellenica)” 5.2.31, etc.)]; πεντήκοντα μάλιστα[Refs 5th c.BC+ (is 49 in 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.118; ἑκατοστὸς μ. 99t h, [prev. author] 8.68)]; ἐς μέσον μάλιστά κῃ about the middle, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.191, compare 76; ἥμισυ μ. 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.93)]; μ. σφᾶς μεσοῦν δειπνοῦντας that they were about the middle of supper, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Symposium” 175c; κου μ. 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 7.22; μ. πως 2nd c.BC: Polybius Historicus 2.41.13.)]
III.6 in answers, most certainly, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Plutus” 827, etc.; μ. γε 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Tyrannus” 994, 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Nubes” 253; μ. πάντων [prev. author] “Av.” 1531; πάντων μ. 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Gorgias” 453d; see above 1.4)]. (Orig. perhaps fiercely, compare μαλερός.)
but [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Homerus Epicus)] sometimes uses the ultima long before λ, [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 3.214, 4.379)]; before μ, [Refs (10.172],)] adverb very, exceedingly, prefixed or subjoined to Adjectives, Verbs, and Adverbs:
II comparative μᾶλλον [ᾱ by nature, Hdn.Gr.[Refs (2.932], _Ionic dialect_)]μάλιον [ᾰ] only in [Refs 7th c.BC+ (7th c.BC: Tyrtaeus Elegiacus 12.6, cf. Choerob.in “Anecdota Graeca - MSS. Bibl. Oxon.” 2.240)]; late Doric dialect μαλλότερον [Refs 5th c.AD+ (Pempelus Philosophus cited in 5th c.AD: Stobaeus, Joannes 4.25.52)]:—more, rather, [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 5.231, 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 1.351, +others: mostly followed by ἤ, but in Prose also by a _genitive_, μ. τοῦ ξυμφέροντος)] more than is expedient, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Antipho Orator 5.1; μ. τοῦ δέοντος 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Gorgias” 487b, 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Memorabilia” 4.3.8 (sometimes expressed by μᾶλλον alone, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Phaedo” 63d); οὐπώποτ᾽ ἔργου μ. εἱλόμην λόγους 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Fragmenta” 394)]; παντὸς μ. most assuredly, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Leges” 715d (see. below 8); in [prev. author] “Ap.” 36d, οὐκ ἔσθ᾽ ὅτι μ. πρέπει οὕτως, ὡς.., ὡς is probably ={ἤ} (see. ὡς))]: denoting a constant increase, more and more, sometimes doubled, μ. μ. [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Iphigenia Taurica” 1406, 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Ranae” 1001 (Lyric poetry), 2nd c.AD: Alexander Rhetor 29)]: in positive sense, exceedingly, κηρόθι μ. [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 9.300, 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 15.370, +others:)] —Usage:
II.1 frequently strengthened by other words, πολὺ μ. [NT+8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 9.700, etc.; ἔτι μ. 14.97, +others; μ. ἔτ᾽ ἢ τὸ πάροιθεν 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 1.322; καὶ μ. 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 8.470; καὶ μ. ἔτι 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 18.22; ἔτι καὶ μ. 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “P.” 10.57; ἔτι καὶ πολὺ μ. 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 23.386, 429, 8th-7th c.BC: Hesiodus Epicus “Theogonia” 428; ἐπὶ μ. 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 3.104; ἔτι ἐπὶ μ. [prev. author] 1.94; πολλῷ μ. 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Phaedo” 80e, NT.1Cor.12.22: also modified, μᾶλλόν τι)] somewhat more, μ. τι περιημέκτεε [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.114, compare 50, etc.; μ. ἤδη προσδεχομένου 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 8.71.)]
II.2 sometimes with a second comparative, ῥηΐτεροι μ. [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 24.243, compare 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.32, 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Septem contra Thebas” 673, “Supp.” 279, 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Antigone” 1210, 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Electra” 222, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Phaedo” 79e, 4th c.BC: Isaeus Orator 4.14 (assuming variant), 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Topica” 116b24.)]
II.3 μᾶλλον δέ much more.., or rather.., to correct a statement already made, ὁ δεσπότης πέπραγεν εὐτυχέστατα, μ. δ᾽ ὁ Πλοῦτος αὐτός [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Plutus” 634; πολλοί, μ. δὲ πάντες 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 18.65, compare 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Symposium” 173e; so ἢ μ. 1st c.AD: Cornutus Philosophus “de Natura Deorum” 20, 6th c.AD: Simplicius Philosophus “in Aristotelis Physica commentaria - Comm. in Arist. Graeca” 25.16)]; οὐχὶ μ. ἤ.. not so, but rather so.., [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 2.87.)]
II.4 μ. δὲ καὶ ἡσυχαίτερα more or less violent, [Refs ([prev. author] 3.82.)]
II.5 οὐδὲν μ. none the more,[Refs 5th c.BC+ ([prev. work] 79; οὐδέν τι μ. 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Phaedo” 87d)]; μηδέν τι μ. ἤ.. [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Ajax” 280.)]
II.6 μ. ἤ.. followed by οὐ in comparisons, where preference implies rejection or denial, πόλιν ὅλην διαφθεῖραι μᾶλλον ἤ οὐ τοὺς αἰτίους [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 3.36)]: preceded by another negative, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 4.118, 5.94, 7.16. γ, etc.: by an _interrogative_ which conveys a _negative_ force, τίδεῖ.. μᾶλλον, ἤ οὐ..; 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Historia Graeca (Hellenica)” 6.3.15.)]
II.7 τὸ μ. καὶ ἧττον, a form of argument, a fortiori, [Refs 4th c.BC+ (4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Rhetorica” 1397b12.)]
II.8 παντὸς μ., see at {πᾶς} [Refs (III.4.)]
III superlative μάλιστα most of all, above all, [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Homerus Epicus, etc.; πᾶσι, μάλιστα δ᾽ ἐμοί 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 21.353)]; μ. μὲν.., ἔπειτα or ἔπειτα δέ.., first and above all.., next.., [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Tyrannus” 647, compare “Ph.” 1285)]; μ. μὲν.., δεύτερον δὲ.. [Refs 4th c.BC+ (4th c.BC: Isaeus Orator 2.20)]; μ. μὲν.., εἰ δὲ μὴ.. [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 8.22, 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.40, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 590d, 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 20.25, etc.; τοῦτο δ᾽ ἐστὶ μ. μὲν θάνατος, εἰ δὲ μή, πάντα τὰ ὄντα ἀφελέσθαι [prev. author] 21.152)]; μάλιστα μὲν.., μᾶλλον μέντοι.. [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Symposium” 180b)]; μάλιστα.., εἰ μὴ δ᾽.. [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Philoctetes” 617)]; δοκέων μιν μ. ταύτης ἂν πείθεσθαι certainly, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 3.53)]; τί μ.; what precisely? [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Gorgias” 448d, compare “Men.” 80b, “Smp.” 218c: with _genitive_ _partitive_, μ. πάντων 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 2.37, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Protagoras” 327a, compare 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 4.86)]; τὸ μ. πάντων the supreme reality, [Refs 3rd c.AD+ (3rd c.AD: Plotinus Philosophus 5.5.11)]; τὸ μ. εἶναι the highest degree of being, [Refs ([prev. author] 6.2.7.)]
III.1 strengthened, ὡς μ. certainly, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Supplices” 294, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 460a, etc.; ὅσον μ. 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Prometheus Vinctus” 524; ὅσα ἐδύνατο μ. 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.185; ὡς δύναμαι μ. 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 367b; ὡς οἷόν τε μ. [prev. author] “Grg.” 510b; εἰς ὅσον ἀνθρώπῳ δυνατὸν μ. [prev. author] “Phdr.” 277a; ὅτι μ. δύνασαι [prev. author] “Sph.” 239b; μακρῷ μ. 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.171; πολλῷ μ. 2nd c.AD: Pausanias Periegeta 1.42.3; παντὸς μ. 1st c.BC: Dionysius Halicarnassensis 3.35, etc.)]
III.2 with the Article, ἐς τὰ μ. in the highest degree, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.20, 2.76, 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 6.104, 8.6, 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 21.212: without ἐς, φίλοι τὰ μ. 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 2.147, compare 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.92, 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 21.62; τά γε μ. 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Leges” 794d)]; εἰ τὰ μ. ἦσαν ἀληθεῖς if they were ever so true, [Refs 4th c.BC+ (4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 18.95)]; εἰ τὰ μ. μὴ τινές, ἀλλὰ πάντες.. if (to put an extreme case) not some, but all.., [Refs ([prev. author] 20.2; εἰ.. δοκοίη τὰ μ. [prev. author] 18.21)]; ἀνὴρ δόκιμος ὁμοῖα τῷ μ. as famous as he that is most [famous], [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 7.118, compare 3.8; τοῖς μάλισθ᾽ ὁμοίως 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator “Epistulae” 2.24.)]
III.2.b ἐν τοῖς μ. especially, as much as any, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 8.90, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Symposium” 173b, etc.)]: with a superlative, ἐν τοῖς μ. ὠμότατος [Refs 2nd c.AD+ (2nd-3rd c.AD: Aelianus “Varia Historia” 14.40; φιλτάτη καὶ ἀναγκαιοτάτη ἐν τοῖς μ. 6th c.AD: Procopius Caesariensis Historicus “Historia Arcana” 4.)]
III.3 added to a superlative (see. μάλα [Refs 8th c.BC+ (11.2, πλεῖστον), ἔχθιστος μ., μ. φίλτατος, 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 2.220, 24.334; μ. κῃ ἐμφερέστατα 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 2.76; μ. φίλτατος 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Hippolytus” 1421: to a _comparative_ (?), μ. δὴ ὀκνηρότεροι ἐγένοντο 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 4.55.)]
III.4 μάλιστα for μᾶλλον, μ. τῆς κόρης [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Iphigenia Aulidensis” [1594]; μ. ἤ ἐμοί 3rd c.BC: Apollonius Rhodius Epicus 3.91.)]
III.5 with numerals, in round numbers, about, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 3.29, 92, 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Historia Graeca (Hellenica)” 5.2.31, etc.)]; πεντήκοντα μάλιστα[Refs 5th c.BC+ (is 49 in 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.118; ἑκατοστὸς μ. 99t h, [prev. author] 8.68)]; ἐς μέσον μάλιστά κῃ about the middle, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.191, compare 76; ἥμισυ μ. 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.93)]; μ. σφᾶς μεσοῦν δειπνοῦντας that they were about the middle of supper, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Symposium” 175c; κου μ. 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 7.22; μ. πως 2nd c.BC: Polybius Historicus 2.41.13.)]
III.6 in answers, most certainly, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Plutus” 827, etc.; μ. γε 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Tyrannus” 994, 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Nubes” 253; μ. πάντων [prev. author] “Av.” 1531; πάντων μ. 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Gorgias” 453d; see above 1.4)]. (Orig. perhaps fiercely, compare μαλερός.)