Word
saint
Phoneticssaint
US/ˈseɪnt/
UK/sˈeɪnt/
Definitions
01religious figure
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Religion
n. a person who is officially recognized by a church as being very holy after they die.
n. a deceased person officially recognized by a religious body, such as the Catholic Church, as having lived a life of eminent piety and virtue.
日本語:聖人※
“Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland.”
“The process of canonization requires evidence of a life of heroic virtue before a person can be formally declared a saint.”
Synonyms
02kind/patient person
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal
n. a person who is extremely kind, helpful, or patient with others.
n. a person of exceptional patience, charity, or selflessness; used figuratively in secular contexts.
日本語:聖人※
“My mother was a saint for putting up with all my noise when I was a child.”
“You must be a saint to work in such a high-pressure environment without ever losing your temper with the clients.”
Synonyms
03sports team member
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Sports
n. a player or fan of a sports team called the Saints.
n. a member, coach, or supporter of a professional sports team whose nickname is the Saints.
“The Saints won their home game last night with a last-minute goal.”
“As a lifelong Saint, he never missed a home game, regardless of the team's standing in the league.”
04to canonize
C2 · Proficiency Religion Formal
v. to officially name someone as a saint.
v. to formally recognize or revere a person as a saint; to canonize.
“The church decided to saint the monk for his life of service to the poor.”
“The council met to discuss whether the historical figure should be sainted, given the recent discovery of his charitable works.”
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “saint” in context.
Verb
01. canonize a saint
“The Catholic Church officially canonized the local martyr as a saint in the seventeenth century.”
verb + noun
02. venerate a saint
“Many pilgrims travel to the cathedral to venerate the patron saint of lost causes.”
verb + noun
Adjective
03. living saint
“After decades of selfless charity work, she was regarded by the community as a living saint.”
adj + noun
04. patron saint
“Saint Jude is widely known as the patron saint of desperate situations.”
adj + noun
Noun
05. life of a saint
“The biography details the ascetic life of a saint who gave away all his worldly possessions.”
noun + of + noun
06. patience of a saint
“Dealing with such rowdy toddlers all day requires the patience of a saint.”
noun + of + noun
Preposition
07. like a saint
“He behaved like a saint throughout the entire ordeal, never once complaining about the pain.”
prep + noun
Usage
Often used as a title before a name, in which case it is capitalized and frequently abbreviated to 'St.'
Real-World Examples
“Pretsell, you would think, has to have the patience of a saint to put up with this, but allows Gordon the time and space to get his point across.” “They live by a shrine to a saint.” Etymology
From saint.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Idioms
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/saint
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0