sin

sin¹ S2 [sın] n

[: Old English; Origin: synn]

1.) [U and C]

an action that is against religious rules and is considered to be an offence against God

sin of

▪ the sin of pride

▪ She needed to confess her sins and ask for forgiveness.

▪ He knew that he had committed a terrible sin .

the seven deadly sins

(=seven bad feelings or desires, in the Christian religion)

2.) informal a sin

something that you think is very wrong

it is a sin (to do sth)

▪ There's so much lovely food here, it would be a sin to waste it.

3.) live in sin

old-fashioned if two people live in sin, they live together in a sexual relationship without being married

4.) as miserable/ugly/guilty as sin

especially BrE spoken very unhappy, ugly, or guilty

▪ I saw Margaret this morning looking as miserable as sin.

5.) for my sins

especially BrE spoken an expression used to suggest jokingly that you have to do something as a punishment

▪ I work at head office now, for my sins.

→↑sinful

→cover/hide a multitude of sins at ↑multitude, ↑cardinal sin, ↑mortal sin, ↑original sin

sin ²

sin² past tense and past participle sinned present participle sinning

v

1.) to do something that is against religious rules and is considered to be an offence against God

sin against

▪ You have sinned against God.

2.) be more sinned against than sinning

[i]old-fashioned used to say that someone should not be blamed for what they have done wrong, because they have been badly treated by other people

sin ³

sin³ technical

the written abbreviation of sine