saint
gb/sˈeɪnt/ us/sˈeɪnt/
B1
English
~ 2100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
Person declared holy by church
A person the Christian church says is holy and good, often after they die.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a saint
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'saint' with 'angel'; an angel is a spiritual being, not a human recognized for holiness.
Synonyms
holy person (General term for someone considered spiritually pure; not limited to official church recognition.)
Antonyms
sinner (Refers to someone who does wrong according to religious rules, opposite of a saint.)
Collocations
patron saint
|canonized saint
|saint's day
|life of a saint
Themes
religion
|history
Examples
- Mother Teresa was declared a saint by the Catholic Church in 2016.
- Saint Francis of Assisi is known for his love of animals.
- The church holds a special mass on the feast day of the saint.
Learner examples
- Mother Teresa is a saint.
- Saint Peter is important in the Bible.
- The church talks about saints.
Noun
informal
B2
entity
2
Extremely kind or patient person
A person who is very kind and patient.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a saint for [doing something]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse this sense literally; in informal English it usually means 'very kind', not an actual religious figure.
Synonyms
angel (Similar in meaning in informal use, but more figurative and warm in tone.)
Antonyms
jerk (Informal term for someone rude or unkind, opposite of a saint in this sense.)
Collocations
be a saint
|like a saint
|patience of a saint
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- You're a saint for helping me move all my furniture.
- She has the patience of a saint when dealing with her students.
- Thanks for waiting so long—you're a real saint.
Learner examples
- You are a saint for helping me.
- My mother is a saint with children.
- He is like a saint because he is very kind.
Verb
informal
C1
action
3
Declare someone to be a saint
To officially say someone is a saint in the Christian church.
Usage pattern:
to saint [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this verb form is rare and mostly replaced by 'canonize' in formal contexts.
Synonyms
canonize (Formal religious term for declaring someone a saint; more precise than 'saint' as a verb.)
Collocations
sainted by the Pope
Themes
religion
Examples
- The Pope will saint her next year.
- He was sainted after many miracles were attributed to him.
- Only the Pope can saint someone in the Catholic tradition.
Learner examples
- The church will saint her next year.
- They sainted him after his death.
- The Pope can saint people.
Grammar
Dictionary form
saint
IPA
GB/sˈeɪnt/
US/sˈeɪnt/
Syllables & stress
saint (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (saint)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: saint
- Plural: saints
Word family
Forms
saints
noun
Core family
saintly
adjective
sainthood
noun
Negative and opposite forms
unsaintly
adjective
Advanced or less common
saintliness
noun
canonize
verb
canonization
noun
Expressions
be no saint
1/bˈi nˈoʊ sˈeɪnt/
idiom
informal
Not morally perfect
To not be perfect or completely good.
Examples
- I'm no saint, but I try to do what's right.
- He’s no saint when it comes to telling the truth.
live like a saint
1/lˈɪv lˈaɪk ə sˈeɪnt/
fixed phrase
Live very morally and simply
To live in a very good and moral way, often simply and without luxury.
Examples
- He lives like a saint, giving away most of his money.
- She lived like a saint, always helping others.
patience of a saint
1/pˈeɪʃəns əv ə sˈeɪnt/
idiom
Extreme patience
To have great patience, more than most people have.
Examples
- She must have the patience of a saint to teach those kids all day.
- You need the patience of a saint to deal with that bureaucracy.