Word
sin
/ˈsɪn/
Definitions
01religious/moral wrong
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Religion
n. an action that breaks a religious law or is considered very morally wrong.
n. an offence against divine law or a violation of a moral principle.
“In many religions, lying is considered a serious sin.”
“The theologian argued that the nature of sin lies not just in the action itself, but in the conscious intent to defy moral authority.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02a mistake or shame
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal
n. a bad mistake or something that is a great pity.
n. a regrettable action or a serious shortcoming in judgment or behavior.
“It is a sin to waste all that delicious food when people are hungry.”
“The critic remarked that it was a sin to hide such a talented musician in a mediocre backing band.”
03sports penalty area
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Sports Informal · British English
n. a short name for the 'sin bin', where players must sit after breaking a rule.
n. a colloquial shortening of 'sin bin', referring to the penalty box where players are temporarily sidelined.
“The captain spent ten minutes in the sin for a dangerous tackle.”
“After a series of technical fouls, the referee sent the scrum-half to the sin to cool off for the remainder of the half.”
Synonyms
04to do something wrong
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to do something that is against religious or moral laws.
v. to commit an offence against a religious or moral code; used intransitively.
“He felt that he had sinned by not helping his friend in need.”
“The protagonist spends the final chapters of the novel attempting to atone for having sinned against his family's trust.”
Usage
This verb is intransitive and does not take a direct object.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “sin” in context.
Verb
01. atone for your sins
“He spent the rest of his life performing acts of charity to atone for his sins.”
verb + prep + possessive + noun
02. commit a sin
“In many traditions, to commit a sin is to distance oneself from the divine.”
verb + noun
03. confess your sins
“The penitent knelt in the small wooden booth to confess his sins to the priest.”
verb + possessive + noun
04. forgive a sin
“She found it difficult to forgive the sin of betrayal, even after many years.”
verb + noun
Adjective
05. cardinal sin
“In the world of professional cooking, over-seasoning the meat is considered a cardinal sin.”
adj + noun
06. mortal sin
“In certain doctrines, a mortal sin is a grave action that leads to spiritual death.”
adj + noun
07. unpardonable sin
“He felt that lying to his parents was an unpardonable sin that could never be fixed.”
adj + noun
Noun
08. remission of sins
“The congregation prayed for the remission of sins during the Sunday service.”
noun + of + noun
09. wages of sin
“The preacher warned the youth that the wages of sin would eventually lead to ruin.”
noun + of + noun
Preposition
10. in sin
“In the Victorian era, couples living together without being married were said to be living in sin.”
prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“And one of my friends had her sister tell her it’s a sin to do anything about taking care of the earth.” “Is she guilty of some obvious sin which is being punished?” Etymology
Transliteration of Akkadian 𒀭𒂗𒍪 (Sîn).
From Cantonese 單 /单 (sin6) or 冼 (sin2).
From Hebrew סִין.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
Idioms
01. live in sin
02. sin tax
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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