Lexical Definition

‎κακός‎ kakós (kak-os') evil/harm: evil ^G:A
apparently a primary word

bad, evil, harm, ill, noisome, wicked.

• worthless (intrinsically, such
• whereas ‎πονηρός‎ properly refers to effects), i.e. (subjectively) depraved, or (objectively) injurious

Abbott-Smith

κακός, -ή, -όν, [in LXX chiefly for רַע, רָעָח;]
1. in general, opp. to ἀγαθός, καλός, in various senses, bad, mean, base, worthless (cl.).
2. In ethical sense, base, evil, wicked: of persons, Mt 21:41 24:48, Phl 3:2, Re 2:2; διαλογισμοί, Mk 7:21; ὁμιλίαι, I Co 15:33; ἐπιθυμία (Pr 12:12), Col 3:5; ἔργον, Ro 13:3; neut., κακόν, τὸ κ., evil: Jo 18:23, Ac 23:9, Ro 7:21 14:20 16:19, I Co 13:5, He 5:14, I Pe 3:10, 11, III Jo 11; pl., Ro 1:30, I Co 10:6, I Ti 6:10, Ja 1:13; κ. (τὸ, τὰ κ.) ποιεῖν (πράσσειν), Mt 27:23, Mk 15:14, Lk 23:22, Jo 18:30, Ro 3:8 7:19 13:4, II Co 13:7, I Pe 3:12; κατεργάζεσθαι, Ro 2:9; of wrongs inflicted, Ac 9:13, Ro 12:17, 21 13:10, I Th 5:15, II Ti 4:14, I Pe 3:9.
3. pernicious, harmful, evil: Lk 16:25, Ac 16:28 28:5, Tit 1:12, Ja 3:8, Re 16:2 (Cremer, 325, 741).†
SYN.: v.s. ἄθεσμος.

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

κακός, ή, όν,

__A bad:
__A.I of persons,
__A.I.1 of appearance, ugly, εἶδος μὲν ἔην κακός [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__A.I.2 of birth, ill-born, mean, γένος ἐστὲ διοτρεφέων βασιλήων.., ἐπεὶ οὔ κε κακοὶ τοιούσδε τέκοιεν [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__A.I.3 of courage, craven, base, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Ἕκτωρ σε κ. καὶ ἀνάλκιδα φήσει [Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὐδαμῶν κακίονες[Refs 5th c.BC+]
__A.I.4 bad of his kind, i. e. worthless, sorry, unskilled, ἡνίοχοι [Refs 8th c.BC+]; [τοξότης] ἢ κ. ἢ ἀγαθός[Refs 8th c.BC+]; κ. ἀλήτης a bad beggar,[Refs 4th c.BC+]; κυβερνήτης, ναύτης, [Refs 5th c.BC+] I am not bad in all things, [Refs 8th c.BC+]: with infinitive, κ. μανθάνειν [Refs]; [νῆσος] φυτεύεσθαι κακή [Refs]; compare 11.
__A.I.5 in moral sense, base, evil, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; opposed to Χρηστός, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__A.I.6 wretched, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]
__A.II of things, evil, pernicious, frequently in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Χόλος, ἔρις, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; πόλεμος, ἔπος, ἔργα, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἦμαρ, ἄνεμος, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of omens and the like, unlucky, ὄρνις, ὄναρ, σῆμα, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of words, abusive, foul, κ. λόγοι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κ. ποιμήν, i.e. the storm, [Refs 4th c.BC+]: Astrology texts, unlucky, τόποι [Refs 4th c.AD+]; κ. τύχη, name for the sixth region, [Refs 4th c.AD+]
__B κακόν, τό, and κακά, τά, as substantive, evil, ill, δίδου δ᾽ ἀγαθόν τε κακόν τε [Refs 8th c.BC+]; so κ. ἄμαχον, ἄπρηκτα, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἔκπαγλον, ἄφερτον, ἀμήχανον, etc., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κακὸν ἥκει τινί there's trouble in store for some one, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; δυοῖν ἀποκρίνας κακοῖν the least of two evils, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κακῶν Ἰλιάς, see at {Ἰλιά; κακόν τι ῥέξαι τινά} to do harm or ill to any one, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; κακὰ φέρειν, τεύχειν τινί, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; κακόν τι (or κακὰ) ποιεῖν τινα (see. δράω, ποιέω, ἐργάζομαι); κακὸν πάσχειν ὑπό τινος to suffer evil from one, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.2 κακά, τά, evil words, reproaches, πολλά τε καὶ κακὰ λέγειν [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.3 Philos., κακόν, τό, Evil, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]
__B.4 of a person, pest, nuisance, τουτὶ παρέξει τὸ κ. ἡμῖν πράγματα [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also, comically, ὅσον συνείλεκται κακὸν ὀρνέων what a devil of a lot of birds, [Refs]
__C degrees of Comparison:
__C.1 regular comparative in Epic dialect, κακώτερος [Refs 8th c.BC+]: also in late Prose, [Refs 4th c.AD+]: irregular κακίων, ον [with ῐ], [Refs 8th c.BC+], with ῑ in Trag., except [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__C.2 superlative κάκιστος [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__D adverb κακῶς ill, ἢ εὖ ἦε κακῶς [Refs 8th c.BC+]; κακῶς ποιεῖν τινα to treat one ill; κακῶς ποιεῖν τι to hurt, damage a thing; κακῶς ποιεῖν τινά τι to do one any evil or harm; κ. πράσσειν to fare ill, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of illness, [NT+4th c.BC+]; Χρῆν Κανδαύλῃ γενέσθαι κ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; with play on two senses, ὡς κ. ἔχει ἅπας ἰατρός, ἂν κ. μηδεὶς ἔχῃ [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; κ. ἐρεῖν τινά, λέγειν τὴν πόλιν, [Refs 6th c.BC+]; κ. εἰδότες, ={ἀγνοοῦντες}, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κακῶς ἐκπέφευγα I have barely escaped, [Refs 4th c.BC+]: comparative κάκιον [Refs 5th c.BC+]: superlative κάκιστα [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__D.2 adverb and adjective frequently coupled in Trag., Attic dialect, etc., κακὸν κακῶς νιν.. ἐκτρῖψαι βίον [NT+5th c.BC+]; in reversed order, ὥσπερ ἀξία κακῶς κακὴ θανεῖται [Refs 5th c.BC+]; with intervening words, κακῶς.. ἀπόλλυσθαι κακούς [Refs 5th c.BC+]. (Perh. cognate with Avest. kasu-, comparative kasyah-, superlative kasišta- 'small', Lithuanian nukašëti 'grow feeble, thin', [Refs 1st c.BC+] hager.)

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: Matt.4.24 ☩ Matt.21.41}