saint

saint — noun

1. a person who the Christian Church officially recognizes as having lived an excep

1.名詞B2
釋義

a person who the Christian Church officially recognizes as having lived an exceptionally holy life, and who is therefore believed to be in heaven and able to help people on earth

例句

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, celebrated every year on March 17.

title St. + name; patron saint + of + place

The Vatican officially declared Mother Teresa a saint in 2016 after confirming two miracles.

declare + [person] + a saint

同義詞
  • holy person

    general term without the official church recognition

  • martyr

    a person who dies for their faith, sometimes but not always declared a saint

  • patron saint

    a saint believed to protect a particular place, group, or activity

反義詞
  • sinner

    a person who does wrong or immoral things

文法句型

St. + [name]

the saint of [place/group]

[name] is a saint

用法筆記

When used as a title before a name, write 'St.' (abbreviation) or 'Saint' (full form) with a capital letter — for example, St. Peter or Saint Francis.

常見錯誤

❌Mother Teresa was saint in 2016.
✅Mother Teresa was made a saint in 2016.
💡'to be a saint' describes a state; 'to be made a saint' or 'to be declared a saint' describes the official act.
❌She prayed to saint Patrick.
✅She prayed to St. Patrick.
💡When used as a title before a name, it must be capitalized and often abbreviated as St.

2. a very patient, generous, or helpful person, especially someone who tolerates a

2.名詞B1
釋義

a very patient, generous, or helpful person, especially someone who tolerates a difficult situation without complaining

例句

Ramón's aunt is a real saint — she raised three children while working full-time and never complained.

be a real saint (emphatic informal usage)

You are an absolute saint for driving me to the airport at five in the morning.

absolute saint (colloquial intensifier)

同義詞
  • angel

    also informal; emphasizes kindness and helpfulness more than patience

  • darling

    affectionate term; less about moral goodness and more about being lovable

  • gem

    informal British English; emphasizes someone rare and valuable

反義詞
  • devil

    informal; describes someone who is mean or difficult

  • monster

    stronger negative; describes a cruel or evil person

文法句型

be a saint

nobody's saint / no saint

have the patience of a saint

用法筆記

This sense is strongly informal and often used in everyday speech. The fixed phrase 'no saint' means someone has faults, while 'a saint' emphasizes someone's kindness or tolerance. 'Have the patience of a saint' is a common collocation meaning enormous patience.

常見錯誤

❌He is a St.' (meaning a kind person).
✅He is a saint.
💡The capitalized 'St.' is only used as a title before a name in the religious sense; for the figurative meaning, use lowercase 'saint'.
❌She became a saint after helping me.
✅She was a saint for helping me.
💡This sense does not describe an official process; use 'be a saint' or 'act like a saint', not 'become a saint'.

saint — verb