δεινό
Wordform Details
Translation: calamityhardshipmisfortune
Part of Speech: noun
Inflection Type:
neutersingularaccusativeIs Dictionary Form: Yes
Dictionary Form Details
Lemma: δεινό
Translation: disaster; calamity; terrible thing; misfortune (noun)
Etymology: From Ancient Greek δεινός (deinós) meaning 'terrible, fearful, powerful'. The word shares roots with the English term 'dinosaur' (from Greek δεινός 'terrible' + σαῦρος 'lizard'). The neuter form δεινόν became the noun δεινό in Modern Greek, referring to something terrible or disastrous.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'dinosaur' (terrible lizard) to remember that δεινό means something terrible or fearsome.
- Associate with 'dino' in English, which sounds similar and can remind you of something powerful and potentially destructive.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Example Wordforms
Cultural Context
Often used in news reports and everyday speech when referring to natural disasters, accidents, or other unfortunate events. The plural form 'δεινά' is commonly used to refer to hardships or tribulations that people face collectively, such as economic crises or war.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'δεινό' means disaster or calamity, 'δειλινό' means evening or dusk. They sound similar but have completely different meanings.
This word:
Το δεινό της πυρκαγιάς κατέστρεψε πολλά σπίτια.
The disaster of the fire destroyed many houses.
Confused word:
Το δειλινό είναι η αγαπημένη μου ώρα της ημέρας.
The evening is my favorite time of day.
Notes: The stress falls on the final syllable in δεινό but on the penultimate syllable in δειλινό.
Mnemonic: Remember: δεινό has an 'ε' (epsilon) like 'emergency' for disaster, while δειλινό has 'ει' like 'late' for evening.
Explanation: 'Δεινό' is a specific disaster or calamity, while 'δείνα' (or 'ο δείνα', 'η δείνα', 'το δείνα') is an indefinite pronoun meaning 'so-and-so' or 'what's-his/her-name'.
This word:
Το δεινό της ανεργίας πλήττει τη χώρα.
The calamity of unemployment is afflicting the country.
Notes: The stress and spelling are slightly different, with δεινό having the stress on the final syllable.
Mnemonic: Think: δεινό is a definite disaster, while δείνα refers to an indefinite person.