شحح

Root entry · 26 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns stinginess, avarice, and intense greed. It extends to related concepts like being reluctant to give, holding back, and being miserly. Figuratively, it can describe things that are scarce, difficult to access, or slow to yield.

Derived headwords

الشَّحُّnoun

1.
stinginess, avariceboth
Intense stinginess and greed, considered stronger and more encompassing than mere stinginess (بخل). It implies a reluctance to give both money and favors.
2.
reluctance to giveclassical
A general reluctance to part with possessions or offer help.

شَحَّverb

1.
to be stingy, greedyboth
To be characterized by intense stinginess and avarice, holding back possessions or favors.

شَحَّ به وعليه — He was stingy with it and towards him.

يَشِحُّverb

1.
to be stingy, greedyboth
The present tense form of 'to be stingy', indicating ongoing stinginess or avarice.

شَحَّحْتُverb

1.
to be stingy, greedyclassical
An alternative pronunciation/conjugation for the past tense of being stingy.

تَشِحُّverb

1.
to be stingy, greedyclassical
An alternative pronunciation/conjugation for the present tense of being stingy.

شَحَّاحadjective

1.
stingy, avariciousboth
An adjective describing someone who is intensely stingy or greedy.
2.
reluctant to yield fireclassical
Used to describe a flint (زند) that is difficult to ignite, as if it is reluctant to give off sparks.
3.
scarce waterclassical
Describing water that is scarce or difficult to access, or a small wadi that only flows after heavy rain.

زند شحاحا — A flint that yields little fire.

شَحِيحadjective

1.
stingy, avariciousboth
An adjective describing someone who is stingy or greedy.
2.
scarceclassical
Describing something that is scarce or in short supply.

نفس شحة، أي شحيحة — A stingy soul.

شَحْشَحadjective

1.
eloquent, strong speakerclassical
Describing a powerful and eloquent orator who is skilled and forceful in their speech.
2.
brave, jealousclassical
Describing someone who is courageous or intensely protective/jealous.
3.
fast, quickclassical
Describing something that is fast or quick, such as a bird or a person's movement.
4.
loud-voiced (raven)classical
Describing a raven that is particularly noisy.
5.
wide, desolate (desert)classical
Describing a vast and barren desert area.
6.
persistent, diligentclassical
Describing someone who is persistent and diligent in pursuing something.
7.
bad-temperedclassical
Describing someone with a poor disposition or bad temper.

خطيب شحشح — An eloquent orator.

شَحْشَاحadjective

1.
eloquent, strong speakerclassical
Similar to شحشح, describing a powerful and eloquent orator.
2.
brave, jealousclassical
Similar to شحشح, describing someone brave or jealous.
3.
fast, quickclassical
Similar to شحشح, describing something fast or quick.
4.
long, strongclassical
Describing someone or something as tall and strong.

شَحْشَاحَانadjective

1.
brave, jealousclassical
Used to describe someone who is brave or jealous.
2.
long, strongclassical
Used to describe someone or something as tall and strong.

شِحَاحnoun

1.
stingy peopleclassical
A plural noun for stingy people.

أَشِحَّةnoun

1.
stingy peopleclassical
A plural noun for stingy people, often used in the context of being greedy for worldly gains.

أَشِحَّة على الخير — Greedy for good (i.e., wealth and spoils).

أَشْحَاءnoun

1.
stingy peopleclassical
A plural noun for stingy people.

الشَّحْشَحnoun

1.
wide desertclassical
A vast, desolate, and distant desert area.
2.
persistent personclassical
Someone who is diligent and persistent in an endeavor.
3.
bad-tempered personclassical
Someone with a poor disposition.
4.
eloquent speakerclassical
A powerful and skilled orator.
5.
brave personclassical
A courageous individual.
6.
jealous personclassical
Someone who is intensely protective or jealous.
7.
noisy ravenclassical
A raven known for its loud vocalizations.
8.
land with scarce waterclassical
Land where water only flows after abundant rain.
9.
fast animalclassical
Describing a fast animal, like a gazelle or a swift bird.
10.
tall, strong personclassical
A person who is tall and strong.

الشَّحْشَاحَةnoun

1.
caution, warinessclassical
The state of being cautious or wary.
2.
sound of a shrikeclassical
The cry or sound made by a shrike bird.
3.
hesitant camel's cryclassical
The sound a camel makes when its bellowing is hesitant or unclear.
4.
fast flightclassical
Rapid or swift flight, often used metaphorically.

وشحشح الصرد، إذا صات — And the shrike made its sound, when it cried.

المُشَاحَّةnoun

1.
dispute, contentionclassical
A dispute or contention over something, often implying a desire not to miss out.
2.
stinginessclassical
The act of being stingy or holding back.

لا مشاحة في الإصطلاح — There is no contention in terminology (i.e., it is agreed upon).

تَشَاحَّاverb

1.
to contend for, vieclassical
To dispute or vie for something, with each party wanting to obtain it.

تشاحا على الأمر — They contended for the matter.

شِحَverb

1.
to contend for, vieclassical
To contend or vie for something, often out of fear of missing it.

شح به بعضهم على بعض — Some of them contended for it against others.

تَشَاحَّverb

1.
to contend for, vieclassical
To dispute or vie for something, often out of fear of missing it.
2.
to be stingy withclassical
To be stingy or reluctant to give something to someone.

تشاح الخصمان في الجدل — The two litigants contended in the debate.

شَحْشَاحadjective

1.
strong womanclassical
Describing a woman who possesses strength comparable to a man.

المِشْحَشِحadjective

1.
stingy, little goodclassical
Describing someone who is stingy and possesses little goodness or generosity.

شَحَّتِهِnoun

1.
state of stinginessclassical
The state or condition of being stingy or avaricious.

أوصى في صحته وشحته — He made a will in his health and his state of stinginess.

شَحَائِحadjective

1.
low-milk (camels)classical
Describing camels that produce very little milk.

إبل شحائح — Camels with little milk.

شِحَاحadjective

1.
flint that yields little fireclassical
Describing a flint that is difficult to ignite.
2.
scarce waterclassical
Describing water that is scarce or brackish.

زند شحاح — A flint that yields little fire.

شَحَّاحadjective

1.
scarce waterclassical
Describing water that is scarce or brackish.

ماء شحاحا — Brackish water.

شِحَّةnoun

1.
stinginessclassical
The quality of being stingy or avaricious.

ونفسك شحة — And your soul is stingy.

Parallel reading

البخل في أفراد الأمور وآحادها، والشح عام.

Stinginess pertains to individual matters and single instances, while avarice is general.

وقيل: البخل بالمال. والشح بالمال والمعروف.

And it was said: Stinginess is with money. Avarice is with money and favors.

شَحَّ به وعليه تشح

He was stingy with it and towards him, he is stingy.

فإن الباء يتعدى بها لما يعز عليه ولا يريد أن يعطيه من مال ونحوه مما يجود به الإنسان؛ و (على) يتعدى بها للشخص الذي يعطى، يقال: بخل على فلان: إذا منعه فلم يعطه مطلوبه.

For the preposition 'bi' is used for what is dear to one and one does not wish to give of money or the like that a person might be generous with; and 'ala' is used for the person to whom it is given. It is said: 'He was stingy towards so-and-so' if he withheld from him and did not give him what he sought.

وشح بالشيء وعليه، يشح، بكسر الشين، وكذالك كل فعيل من النعوت إذا كان مضاعفا على فعل يفعل، مثل خفيف وذفيف وعفيف.

And he was stingy with the thing and towards it, he is stingy, with a kasra on the shīn, and likewise every adjective derived from fa'īl that is doubled on the pattern fa'ala yaf'ulu, like khafīf, dhfīf, and 'afīf.

بعض العرب يقول: شححت، بالفتح، تشح، بالضم، وتشح، بالكسر.

Some Arabs say: shahahtu (with fatḥa), tashuḥḥu (with ḍamma), and tashuḥḥu (with kasra).

أَشِحَّة على الخير

Greedy for good (i.e., wealth and spoils).

وفلاة شحشح جرد

And a vast, barren desert.

كأن المطايا ليلة الخمس علقت بوثابة تنضو الرواسم شحشح

As if the mounts on the night of the fifth were caught by a swift runner, shedding the tracks, persistent.

هاذا الخطيب الشحشح

This eloquent orator.

وهو الماهر بالخطبة الماضي فيها.

And he is the one skilled in oratory, who proceeds swiftly in it.

وغراب شحشح.

And a noisy raven.

ما لا يسيل إلا من مطر كثير، كالشحاح

That which does not flow except from abundant rain, like shahaḥ.

شعاب صغار لو صببت في إحداهن قربة أسالته، وهو من الأول، (ضد).

Small ravines, if you poured a waterskin into one of them, it would make it flow, and it is the opposite of the first meaning.

تقدمها شحشح جائز لماء قعير

It preceded it, a swift gazelle going to a deep water source.

قطاة شحشح، أي سريعة

A swift partridge, meaning fast.

كالشحشحان

Like the tall and strong one.

إذا ما شحشح الصرد

When the shrike made its sound.

وشحشح الصرد، إذا صات.

And the shrike made its sound, when it cried.

فردد الهدر وما إن شحشحا

And he repeated the bellowing, and he did not make it clear.

لا مشاحة في الإصطلاح

There is no contention in terminology.

تشاحا على الأمر

They contended for the matter.

شح به بعضهم على بعض

Some of them contended for it against others.

وتشاح الخصمان في الجدل كذالك، وهو منه.

And the two litigants contended in the debate likewise, and it is from this root.

وفلان يشاح على فلان، أي يضن به.

And so-and-so is stingy with so-and-so, meaning he hoards him.

وامرأة شحشاح: كأنها رجل في قوتها.

And a strong woman: as if she were a man in her strength.

والمشحشح: البخيل القليل الخير.

And al-mishḥashḥ: the stingy, with little good.

وأوصى في صحته وشحته، أي حالته التي يشح عليها.

And he made a will in his health and his state of stinginess, meaning the state he was stingy about.

إبل شحائح، إذا كانت قليلة الدر

Camels with little milk, if they were low-yielding.

وزندا شحاحا كتاركة بيضها في العراء وملبسة بيض أخرى جناحا

And flints that yield little fire, like one who leaves her eggs in the open and covers another's eggs with her wing.

ولقيت ناقتي به وبلقف بلعدا مجدبا وماء شحاحا

And my she-camel met it in a barren, dry place, and brackish water.

ولسانك معسول ونفسك شحة

Your tongue is sweet, and your soul is stingy.