Quick Definition
ὀλίγος, η, ον Adj & Adv. small, brief, few, soon
Strong's Definition
of uncertain affinity; puny (in extent, degree, number, duration or value); especially neuter (adverbially) somewhat
KJV Usage: + almost, brief(-ly), few, (a) little, + long, a season, short, small, a while
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
adjc. | -η, ον | ὀλιγωρέω
59.3 · Quantity · Many, Few [Countables]
few, less a relatively small quantity on any dimension
MAT 7:14 · MAT 9:37 · MAT 15:34 · MAT 22:14 · MAT 25:21 · MAT 25:23 · MRK 6:5 · MRK 8:7 · LUK 10:2 · LUK 12:48 · LUK 13:23 · ACT 17:4 · ACT 17:12 · 1PE 3:20 · REV 2:14 · REV 3:4
78.8 · Degree · Much, Little [Positive-Negative Degree]
little, to a small degree, slight a relatively low point on a scale of extent The first ὀλίγον in LUK 7:47 is an expression of quantity (see 59.13), while the second ὀλίγον indicates degree. Accordingly, in some languages it may be necessary to translate LUK 7:47 as ‘but whoever has been forgiven only a few things loves only a little bit.’
In a number of languages, however, it is impossible to speak of ‘not a little’ (a case of litotes or purposeful understatement). The appropriate equivalent in ACT 12:18 would be simply ‘there was great confusion among the guards’ or ‘the guards were intensely disturbed’ or ‘the guards were in tremendous confusion.’
LUK 7:47 · ACT 12:18 · ACT 15:2 · ACT 19:23 · ACT 27:20 · 1TI 4:8
59.13 · Quantity · Much, Little [Masses, Collectives, Extensions]
little, small amount a relatively small quantity
MRK 1:19 · MRK 6:31 · LUK 5:3 · LUK 7:47 · ACT 14:28 · ACT 19:24 · 2CO 8:15 · 1TI 5:23 · JAS 4:14 · REV 12:12
67.106 · Time · Duration of Time without Reference to Points or Units of Time: Time, Spend Time, Always, Eternal, Old, Immediately, Young
Collocation: δι᾽ ὀλίγων · ἐν ὀλίγῳ · πρὸς ὀλίγον
a little while, for a little while, a short time, brief, briefly pertaining to a relatively brief extent of time It is also possible to interpret ἐν ὀλίγῳ in ACT 26:28 as meaning ‘easily’ or ‘without difficulty’ (see 22.41).
In some languages it may be best to translate the phrase in 1PE 5:12 as ‘I have written a brief letter.’
ACT 26:28 · ACT 26:29 · EPH 3:3 · HEB 12:10 · JAS 4:14 · 1PE 1:6 · 1PE 5:10 · 1PE 5:12 · REV 17:10
1 The series of expressions indicating relative shortness of time may very well differ slightly, at least in connotative meaning, but on the basis of existing NT contexts it is not possible to determine significant denotative differences. The phrases in this series may be technically regarded as idioms, but functionally they are better classed as frozen phrases, which act essentially like morphological units.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ὀλίγος, τη, τον, [on its occasional aspiration (od.) see WH. App. p. 143; Tdf. Proleg. pp. 91,106; Scrivener, Introd. p. 565, and reff. 5. v. ov init.], Sept. for on, [fr. Hom. down], little, small, few, of number, multitude, quantity, or size: joined to nouns [ef. W. § 20, 1 b. note; B. § 125, 6], Mt. ix. 37; xv. 34; Mk. vi.5; viii. 7; Lk. X. 2; xii. 48 (ὀλίγας se. πληγάς [cf. B. § 134, 6; W. § 32, 5, esp. § 64,4], opp. to πολλαί, 47); Acts xix. 24; 1 Tim. vy. 23; Heb. xii.10; Jas. 111.5 RG; 1 Pet. iii. 20 RG; Rey. iii. 4; of time, short: χρόνος, Acts xiv. 28; καιρός, Rev. xii. 12; of degree or intensity, light, slight: τάραχος, Acts xii. 18; xix. 23; στάσις, xv. 2; χειμών, xxvii. 20. plur. w. a partitive gen.: γυναικῶν, Acts xvii. 4; ἀνδρῶν, ib. 12. ὀλίγοι, absol.: Mt. vii. 14; xx. 16; ΓΤ WH om. Tr br. the cl.]; xxii. 14; Lk. xiii. 23; 1 Pet. iii. 20 LT Tr WH; neut. sing.: Lk. vii. 47; τὸ ὀλίγον, 2 Co. viii. 15; πρὸς ὀλίγον ὠφέλιμος, profitable for little (Lat. parum utilis); [ef. W. 213 (200); some, for a little (sc. time) ; see below], 1 Tim. iv. 8; ἐν ὀλίγῳ, in few words [ οἵ. Shakspere’s in a few], i. 6. in brief, briefly (γράφειν), Eph. iii. 3; easily, without much effort, Acts xxvi. 28 sq. on other but incorrect interpretations of this phrase cf. Meyer ad loc. [see μέγας, 1 a. y.]; πρὸς ὀλίγον, for a little time, Jas. iv. 14; simply ὀλίγον, adverbially: of time, a short time, a (little) while, Mk. vi. 81; 1 Pet. i. 6; v. 10; Rey. xvii. 10; of space, a little (further), ΜΚ. 1. 19; Lk. y. 8. plur. ὀλίγα, a few things: [Lk. x.41 WH]; Rev. ii. 14, 20 [Rece.]; én’ ὀλίγα ([see init. and] ἐπί, C. I. 2 e.), Mt. xxv. 21, 23; δύ ὀλίγων, briefly, in few words, ypadew, 1 Pet. ν. 12 [see διά, A. 1Π. 3] (ῥηθῆναι, Plat. Phil. Ρ- 31 d.; legg. 6 p. 778 c.).
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ὀλίγος oligos 40x
little, small, in number, etc.; pl. few, Mt. 7:14; 9:37; 20:16; Lk. 13:23; δι’ ὀλίγων, i.e. λόγων, in a few words, briefly, 1 Pet. 5:12; little in time, short, brief, Acts 14:28; Rev. 12:12; πρὸς ὀλίγον, i.e. χρόνον, for a short time, for a little while, Jas. 4:14; little, small, light, etc., in magnitude, amount, etc., Lk. 7:47; Acts 12:18; 15:2; ἐν ὀλίγῳ, concisely, briefly, Eph. 3:3; almost, Acts 26:28, 29
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ὀλίγος, -η, -ον
(on οὐχ ὁλ., v. infr.), [in LXX chiefly for מְעַט;]
of number, quantity, size, few, little, small, slight: Mt 9:37 15:34, Mk 6:5 8:7, Lk 10:2 12:48 (sc. πληγάς, opp. to πολλάς), I Ti 5:23, He 12:10, Re 3:4 12:12; οὐκ ὀ. (in the best uncials written οὐκ ὀ.; v. WH, App., 143; M, Pr., 44; Thackeray, Gr., 126 f.), Ac 12:18 14:28 15:2 (c. gen. part.) Ac 17:4, 12 19:23, 24 27:20; pl., absol., Mt 7:14 20:16 (WH, txt., RV, om.) Mt 22:14, Lk 13:23, I Pe 3:20. Neut. sing. (τὸ) ὀ.: Lk 7:47, II Co 8:15; πρὸς ὀλίγον, I Ti 4:8, Ja 4:14; ἐν ὀ., Ac 26:28, 29 (with little effort; v. Page, in l.); id., in brief, Eph 3:3; adverbially, ὀλίγον, of time, Mk 6:31, I Pe 1:6 5:10, Re 17:10; of space, Mk 1:19, Lk 5:3; pl., ὀλίγα, Lk 10:42, Re 2:14; ἐπ’ ὀλίγα, Mt 25:21, 23; δι’ ὀλίγων, in few words, briefly, I Pe 5:12 (cf. Plat., Legg., vi, 778 e).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ὀλίγος. The following are exx. of the varied uses of this common adj. with reference to (1) ¢¢me, as in Ac 1428, P Petr II. 40(a)4 (iii/B.c.) (= Witkowski*, p. 41) ἀνδρίζεσθε, ὀλίγος yap χρόνος ὑμῖν ἐστιν, P Fay 1231 (c. A.D. 100) ἡμέρας ὀλίγας, (2) xumber, as in Mt 957, P Ryl 11. 130! (A.D. 31) οὐκ ὀλίγην ἐλᾶν, ‘Ca quantity of olives,” and (3) degree, as in
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ὀλίγος (oligos) — little/few. ὀλίγος [ῐ], η, ον, later ὀλίος (which see), of Size, little, small, frequently in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὀλίγῃ ὀπί with small, low voice, [Refs]; of stature,[Refs 3rd c.BC+]; of Space, ὀ. χῶρος [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of Time, χρόνος [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. sometimes in a sense between that of Size and Quantity, ὀ. δόσις [Refs 8th c.BC+]not copious, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὑποστάσιες ὀλίγαι slight sediments, [Refs]; ὀ. καὶ οὐδέν little or nothing, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
3. of Degree, ὀ. καὶ μέγας of low and high degree, [Refs 7th c.BC+]
4. weak, ἀθυμοτέρη καὶ ὀλιγωτέρη φύσις [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II. of Number, few, or of Quantity, little, not in [Refs 8th c.BC+], frequently in Attic dialect, [Refs 5th c.BC+], but rare in Trag., as ὀλίγα κακά [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἡ ὑπὸ τῶν ὀ. δυναστεία, αἱ διὰ τῶν ὀ. δυναστεῖαι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.2. with infinitive, ὀλίγους.. στρατιῇ τῇ Μήδων συμβαλεῖν too few to engage.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]
III. neuter ὀλίγον as adverb, a little, slightly, little, with Verbs, ὀ. παρακλίνας [Refs 8th c.BC+]
III.2. with comparative adjectives, ὀλίγον προγενέστερος [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὀ. τι πρότερον, variant for{ὀλίγῳ}, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but ὀλίγῳ is more frequently in Prose, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV. special Phrases:
IV.1. ὀλίγου δεῖν almost (see. δεῖ II); ὀλίγου ἐδέησε καταλαβεῖν wanted but little of overtaking, [Refs 5th c.BC+] alone, within a little, allbut, almost, ὀλίγου σεκύνες διεδηλήσαντο [Refs 8th c.BC+]close upon [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὀ. ἦλθεν ἑλεῖν[Refs 2nd c.AD+]
IV.2. δι᾽ ὀλίγου at a short distance, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; for (during) a short time, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; within or after a short time, [Refs]; but
IV.2. b δι᾽ ὀλίγων in few words, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV.3. ἐν ὀλίγῳ (χώρῳ is added in [Refs 5th c.BC+] in a small space, within small compass, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κυκλωθέντων ἐν ὀ.[Refs 4th c.BC+]; also ἐν ὀ. (i.e. χρόνῳ) for a brief time, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but also, in a short time, quickly, ἔγνων καὶ περὶ τῶν ποιητῶν ἐν ὀ. τοῦτο [NT+5th c.BC+]
IV.3. b ἐν ὀλίγοις one among few, i.e. exceedingly, remarkably, ποταμὸς ἐν ὀ. μέγας [Refs 5th c.BC+]: frequently in later writers, [Refs 1st c.AD+]
IV.4. ἐξ ὀλίγου at short notice, suddenly, ἐξ ὀ. καὶ δι᾽ ὀργῆς [Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV.5. ἐς ὀλίγον, like{παρ᾽ ὀλίγον}, within a little, ἐς ὀ. ἀφίκετο τὸ στράτευμα νικηθῆναι [Refs]
IV.6. ἐπ᾽ ὀλίγον for a short time, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; a little at a time, [Refs 5th c.BC+]a little way on, near the beginning, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
IV.7. κατ᾽ ὀλίγον by little and little, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: but the adjective frequently takes the gender and number of its substantive, κατ᾽ ὀλίγους [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὗτοι κατ᾽ ὀλίγους γινόμενοι ἐμάχοντο fought few at a time, in small parties, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κατ᾽ ὀλίγον μαχεῖται (i.e. τὸ πλῆθος αὐτῶν) [Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV.8. μετ᾽ ὀλίγον τούτων shortly after.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV.9. παρ᾽ ὀλίγον with little to spare, only just, ἀπέφυγες [Refs 5th c.BC+]; to within a short distance of, παρ᾽ ὀ. ἦλθε.. ἐκπεσεῖν [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; but
IV.9. b παρ᾽ ὀ. ποιεῖσθαι hold of small account, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV.10. σὺν ὀλίγοις, ={ἐν ὀλίγοις, ἐπαινεθῆναι} [Refs 1st c.AD+]
V. regular adverb ὀλίγως is rare, [NT+2nd c.AD+]
VI. Comparison:
VI.1. the comparative is commonly supplied by μείων, ἥσσων, or ἐλάσσων (which see); the older form ὀλείζων (from *ὀλειγ-yων) is found in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; so in Attic dialect Inscrr., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; so in Alexandrian Poets, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; ἐς ὀλίζονας ἀστέρας ἄρκτου poetical cited in [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; ὀλιζότερος is found in [Refs 3rd c.AD+], compare ὀλιζό; ὀλιγώτερος is found in [Refs 5th c.BC+] (with the sense weaker, see[Refs 2nd c.AD+]
VI.2. superlative ὀλίγιστος, η, ον, always of Number or Quantity, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὀλιγίστου, superlative of ὀλίγου (cf. IV. I), very nearly, [Refs 5th c.AD+]; ὀλίγιστον as adverb, least, very little, [Refs 5th c.BC+]at least, [Refs]; ἐν ὀλιγίστῳ διασαφῶν [Refs 5th c.BC+]