saintsaint /seɪnt/ ●●○ noun [countable] 
Word Origin
Saint Patrick Statues of saints lined the walls of the church.2informal someone who is extremely good, kind, or patient: His wife must have been a saint to put up with him for all those years.3the patience of a saint a very large amount of patience: You need the patience of a saint for this job.
Word OriginWORD ORIGINsaint
ExamplesOrigin:
1100-1200 Old French, Late Latin sanctus, from Latin, ‘holy’, from the past participle of sancire ‘to confirm, make holy’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- I always thought she was a selfish woman but she was an absolute saint compared to Abigail.
- Thanks so much for doing that. You're a saint.
- Your mother's a saint. She's done so much to help us.
- Among all the saints sat an unbeliever.
- As he marched south Clovis was careful not to alienate the catholic Church or its saints.
- Dagobert receives no entry in the dictionaries of saints and no trace of him is on public view at Stenay.
- Members of the family, coached by Nicholas, would relate stories from secular histories or the lives of saints.
- Ordination doesn't make you a saint.
- The statue of the patron saint, Francis Xavier, oversees all from behind the altar.
- The tall, narrow windows each had a saint in stained glass.
- Was I not right about the wee lass, saints preserve her!
Longman Language Activatormorally good person► good
Collocations kind, honest, and helpful: · Jean's a very good person - she's always ready to help.· He had always tried to lead a good life.· I wish I could be a better person.· There are good and bad people wherever you go.
► decent someone who is decent is good and honest according to the normal standards of society: · Decent citizens have nothing to fear from the police.· a decent, honest, hard-working woman· Decent members of the public will be outraged by this decision.
► respectable behaving and living your life in a way that is considered morally correct by society, especially because of the family you come from: · Tony was always in trouble with the police when he was young, but now he's a respectable married man.· The girls in the school all come from very respectable families.
► upright written someone who is upright is honest, obeys the law, and behaves according to the moral standards of society: · Most upright, law-abiding citizens have very little contact with the police.· Maggie's parents set her a good example, being upright and hard-working people.
► virtuous formal very good and honest and always behaving according to the highest moral standards: · Father Tom was a hard-working, virtuous man, liked and respected by everyone.· They wanted him to marry a virtuous young woman from a respectable family.
► saint someone who is unusually kind, generous, helpful etc and is therefore considered to be very special: · Your mother's a saint. She's done so much to help us.· I always thought she was a selfish woman but she was an absolute saint compared to Abigail.
► saintly behaving in a very good way, especially by living your life in a very pure and holy way: · He was a saintly man who always put others before himself.· There were aspects of her life that were not as saintly as the Victorians liked to believe.
► be an example to to be so good or to have achieved something so good that other people would improve if they tried to be like you: · You're a very brave young man. An example to all of us!· His discipline and organization should be an example to teachers everywhere.
WORD SETS► Christianityabbess, nounabbey, nounabbot, nounabsolution, nounAdvent, nounalleluia, interjectionaltar boy, nounAnglican, nounAnglo-Catholic, nounapocalyptic, adjectiveapostle, nounapostolic, adjectivearchbishop, nounarchbishopric, nounarchdeacon, nounarchdiocese, nounArk of the Covenant, nounAsh Wednesday, nounAuthorized Version, banns, nounbaptism, nounBaptist, nounbaptize, verbbasilica, nounbeadle, nounbeatify, verbBenedictine, nounbenediction, nounbenefice, nounbiblical, adjectivebiretta, nounbishop, nounbishopric, nounblaspheme, verbblasphemy, nounbrother, nounbull, nounCalvinism, nounCalvinist, adjectivecanon, nouncanonical, adjectivecanonize, verbcanon law, nouncantor, nouncardinal, nouncardinal sin, nouncarol, nouncatechism, nouncathedral, nounCatholic, adjectivechantry, nounchapel, nounchaplain, nounchaplaincy, nounchapter, nounchapterhouse, nouncherub, nounChrist, nounchristen, verbChristendom, nounchristening, nounChristian, nounChristian, adjectivechurch, nounchurchgoer, nounchurchman, nounChurch of England, nounchurchwarden, nounchurchwoman, nounchurchyard, nounclergyman, nounclergywoman, nouncleric, nounclerical, adjectiveclerk, nouncloister, nouncollect, nouncommandment, nouncommunicant, nouncompline, nounconfess, verbconfession, nounconfessional, nounconfessor, nounconfirmation, nouncongregation, nounCongregationalism, nounconsecrate, verbcope, nouncreationist, nouncreche, nouncrib, nouncrosier, nouncrozier, nouncrucifix, nouncrucifixion, nouncrusade, nouncrusade, verbcrypt, nouncuracy, nouncurate, noundeacon, noundeaconess, noundean, noundeanery, noundiocese, noundisciple, noundisestablish, verbdispensation, noundog collar, nounDominican, nounEaster, nounecclesiastic, nounecclesiastical, adjectiveecumenical, adjectiveEden, nounelder, nounencyclical, nounEpiphany, nounepiscopal, adjectiveEpistle, nounevangelical, adjectiveevangelist, nounevangelize, verbevensong, nounexcommunicate, verbexegesis, nounfellowship, nounflagellant, nounflagellate, verbflock, nounfont, nounFr, friar, nounfrock, nounfundamentalist, noungargoyle, noungenuflect, verbgodfather, nounGod-fearing, adjectivegodless, adjectivegodly, adjectivegodmother, noungodparent, noungodson, nounGood Friday, noungrace, noungracious, adjectiveHail Mary, nounharvest festival, nounHigh Church, nounHigh Mass, nounHoly Communion, nounHoly Father, nounHoly Spirit, nounHoly Week, nounHoly Writ, nounhomily, nounhymn book, nounimprimatur, nounincarnation, nouninduct, verbindulgence, nouninquisitor, nouninterdenominational, adjectiveinterdict, nounJehovah, Jesuit, nounJesus, judgment day, nounlay, adjectivelay reader, nounlectern, nounlesson, nounlitany, nounLow Church, nounlychgate, nounMadonna, nounmanna, nounmanse, nounmatins, nounmeeting-house, nounmessianic, adjectiveMethodist, nounminister, nounministerial, adjectiveministry, nounminster, nounmiracle, nounmissal, nounmissionary, nounmitre, nounmoderator, nounMonsignor, nounMorning Prayer, nounmortal sin, nounMother of God, nounMother Superior, nounname day, nounNativity, nounNativity play, nounnave, nounNegro spiritual, nounNoah's ark, nounNonconformist, adjectivenuncio, nounoffertory, nounoratory, nounordination, nounoriginal sin, nounOur Father, nounOur Lady, Our Lord, padre, nounPalm Sunday, nounpapacy, nounpapal, adjectivepapist, nounparable, nounparish, nounparish church, nounparish clerk, nounparishioner, nounparochial, adjectiveparochial school, nounparson, nounparsonage, nounpassion play, nounpastor, nounpatriarch, nounpatron saint, nounpenance, nounpenitent, nounPentecost, nounPentecostal, adjectiveperdition, nounPlymouth Brethren, nounpontiff, nounpontifical, adjectivepontificate, nounPope, nounprayer book, nounpredestination, nounprelate, nounPresbyterian, nounpresbytery, nounpriest, nounPrimate, nounprior, nounprioress, nounpriory, nounPromised Land, the, Protestant, nounpsalm, nounpsalmist, nounpsalter, nounpulpit, nounQuaker, nounRC, rector, nounrectory, nounredeem, verbredemption, nounrequiem, nounRev, Revd, Reverend, nounReverend Mother, nounrevival, nounrevival meeting, nounRoman Catholic, adjectiverood screen, nounrosary, nounsacrament, nounsacristan, nounsacristy, nounsaint, nounsainted, adjectivesainthood, nounsaint's day, nounsalvation, nounsanctuary, nounSatan, nounsave, verbschism, nounscriptural, adjectivesecular, adjectivesee, nounseminary, nounseraph, nounsermon, nounsexton, nounShrove Tuesday, nounsister, nounsisterhood, nounSJ, special licence, nounsteeple, nounstigmata, nounstoup, nounSunday school, nounsurplice, nounsynod, nountabernacle, nountestify, verbtransubstantiation, nounTrappist, noununfrock, verbUnitarian, nounvenial, adjectivevespers, nounvestment, nounvestry, nounvicar, nounvicarage, nounvotive, adjectivevow, nounVulgate, the, nounWhitsun, nounwimple, nounXmas, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► the patience of Job/a saint
Phrases (=very great patience)· Those children would try the patience of a saint.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN► patron· Andrew Carnegie has been called the patron saint of compassionate capitalism.· He said the date was chosen to coincide with the feast of St Teresa of Lisieux, patron saint of the missions.· The family patron saints men feel drawn to are distinct from those chosen by women.· Perseus was the patron saint of poets.· Every trade took a holiday on the day of its patron saint.· And the ultimate irony about Saint-Mames is that that particular saint Saint-Mames is the patron saint of the stomach.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► the patience of a saint
1 (written abbreviation St or St.) someone who is given the title ‘saint’ by the Christian Church after they have died, because they have been very good or holy: - My husband, who has the patience of a saint, has helped me a great deal.
- In contrast, Travis must have been blessed with the patience of a saint.
Saint Patrick Statues of saints lined the walls of the church.2informal someone who is extremely good, kind, or patient: His wife must have been a saint to put up with him for all those years.3the patience of a saint a very large amount of patience: You need the patience of a saint for this job.