Sainted

/ˈseɪntɪd/ adjective, verb

Definition

Made a saint by the Christian church, or treated as if someone is a saint because they're extremely good or virtuous.

Etymology

From 'saint' (Old English 'sanct' from Latin 'sanctus' meaning holy), with the suffix '-ed' meaning made or having become. The metaphorical sense of treating someone as saintly emerged in the 17th century.

Kelly Says

We 'saint' people even without official church approval—calling someone a 'saint' for their patience or kindness is a quick way our language lets us acknowledge extraordinary virtue, which shows how much we still rely on religious vocabulary for describing moral extremes.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.