The name God is given to the spirit or being who is worshipped as the creator and ruler of the world, especially by Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
He believes in God.
God bless you.
2. convention
People sometimes use God in exclamations to emphasize something that they are saying, or to express surprise, fear, or excitement. This use could cause offence.
[emphasis]
God, how I hated him!
Oh my God he's shot somebody.
Good God, it's Mr Harper!
God Almighty, Hart, you scared me silly.
3. countable noun
In many religions, a god is one of the spirits or beings that are believed to have power over a particular part of the world or nature.
...Pan, the God of nature. [+ of]
...Zeus, king of the gods.
Synonyms: deity, immortal, divinity, divine being More Synonyms of god
4. countable noun
Someone who is admired very much by a person or group of people, and who influences them a lot, can be referred to as a god.
To his followers he was a god.
5. See also act of God
6.
See God forbid
7.
See God's gift
8.
See God help
9.
See God help
10.
See God help us
11.
See God knows/God only knows/God alone knows
12.
See God knows
13.
See a man of God
14.
See in God's name
15.
See play God
16.
See please God
17.
See to God
18.
See God willing
19. to put the fear of God into someone
20. honest to God
21. in the lap of the gods
22. for God's sake
23. thank God
god in British English
(ɡɒd)
noun
1.
a supernatural being, who is worshipped as the controller of some part of the universe or some aspect of life in the world or is the personification of some force
▶ Related adjective: divine
2.
an image, idol, or symbolic representation of such a deity
3.
any person or thing to which excessive attention is given
money was his god
4.
a man who has qualities regarded as making him superior to other men
5. (in plural)
the gallery of a theatre
Word origin
Old English god; related to Old Norse goth, Old High German got, Old Irish guth voice
God in British English
(ɡɒd)
noun
1. theology
the sole Supreme Being, eternal, spiritual, and transcendent, who is the Creator and ruler of all and is infinite in all attributes; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
2. play God
exclamation
3.
an oath or exclamation used to indicate surprise, annoyance, etc (and in such expressions as My God! or God Almighty!)
god in American English
(gɑd; gɔd)
noun
1.
any of various beings conceived of as supernatural, immortal, and having special powers over the lives and affairs of people and the course of nature; deity, esp. a male deity: typically considered objects of worship
2.
an image that is worshiped; idol
3.
a person or thing deified or excessively honored and admired
4. [G-]
in monotheistic religions, the creator and ruler of the universe, regarded as eternal,infinite, all-powerful, and all-knowing; Supreme Being; the Almighty
interjection
5. [usuallyG-]
used variously, and in interjectional phrases, as an oath and as an expression ofrelief, determination, surprise, anger, etc.
God, I'm glad that's over! I'll see this through, by god! God almighty! my God!
Idioms:
God willing
Word origin
ME < OE, akin to Ger gott, Goth guth, prob. < IE base *ĝhau-, to call out to, invoke > Sans havaté, (he) calls upon
More idioms containing
god
behave like a little tin god
More idioms containing
god
play God
Quotations
As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; They kill us for their sportWilliam ShakespeareKing Lear
Heaven always bears some proportion to earth. The god of the cannibal will be a cannibal, of the crusader a crusader, and of the merchants a merchantRalph Waldo EmersonThe Conduct of Life
If the triangles were to make a god, he would have three sidesMontesquieuLettres Persanes
Bacchus: a convenient deity invented by the ancients as an excuse for getting drunkAmbrose BierceThe Devil's Dictionary
It is convenient that there be gods, and, as it is convenient, let us believe that there areOvidArs Amatoria
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in troubleBible: Psalms
God is seen God In the star, in the stone, in the flesh, in the soul and the clodRobert BrowningMen and Women
You cannot plumb the depths of the human heart, nor find out what a man is thinking; how do you expect to search out God, who made all these things, and find out his mind or comprehend his thoughts?Apocrypha: Judith
If God did not exist, man would have to invent himVoltaireEpître CIV à l'auteur du livre des trois imposteurs
God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to performWilliam CowperLight Shining Out of Darkness
The voice of the people is the voice of GodAlcuinEpistles
God is but a word invented to explain the worldLamartineNouvelle harmonies poétiques et religieuses
Thou shalt have one God only; who Would be at the expense of two?Arthur Hugh CloughThe Latest Decalogue
God is subtle, but he is not maliciousAlbert Einstein
God, to me, it seems, is a verb not a noun, proper or improperR. Buckminster FullerNo More Secondhand God
Theist and Atheist: The fight between them is as to whether God shall be called God or shall have some other nameSamuel ButlerNotebooks
It is an insult to God to believe in GodGalen Strawson
God and the doctor we alike adore But only when in danger, not before; The danger o'er, both are alike requited, God is forgotten, and the Doctor slightedJohn OwenEpigrams
Any God I ever felt in church I brought in with meAlice WalkerThe Color Purple
God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant, and the cat. He has no real style. He just goes on trying other thingsPablo Picasso
In other languages
god
British English: God /ɡɒd/ NOUN
The name God is given to the spirit or being who is worshipped as the creator and ruler of the world, especially by Christians, Jews, and Muslims.
He believes in God.
American English: God
Arabic: الله
Brazilian Portuguese: deus
Chinese: 上帝
Croatian: bog
Czech: bůh
Danish: gud
Dutch: god
European Spanish: dios
Finnish: jumala
French: dieu
German: Gott
Greek: θεός
Italian: Dio
Japanese: 神
Korean: 신
Norwegian: gud
Polish: bóg
European Portuguese: deus
Romanian: Dumnezeu
Russian: бог
Latin American Spanish: dios
Swedish: gud
Thai: พระเจ้า
Turkish: tanrı
Ukrainian: Бог
Vietnamese: thượng đế
All related terms of 'god'
to God
You can use God in expressions such as I hope to God , or I wish to God , or I swear to God , in order to emphasize what you are saying .
God man
a person, such as Jesus Christ , who unites humanity with God
sea god
a god of the sea
sex god
a man, esp a film star , whom many people consider to be sexually attractive
sun-god
the sun considered as a personal deity
tin god
a self-important dictatorial person
goat God
a deity with the legs and feet of a goat , as Pan or a satyr
god-awful
If someone says that something is god-awful , they think it is very unpleasant. This word could cause offence .
god game
a computer roleplaying game in which the player controls the destiny of one or more avatars within a large virtual environment
God-given
given by God
God help
You use God help you to warn someone that something unpleasant will happen to them if they do a particular thing.
God knows
If someone says God knows in reply to a question , they mean that they do not know the answer .
Greek god
a male deity from the ancient Greek pantheon , taken, from classical sculpture , as the archetype of male beauty
play God
If someone plays God , they act as if they have unlimited power and can do anything they want .
God bless!
may God bestow blessings on you
God-fearing
A God-fearing person is religious and behaves according to the moral rules of their religion .
God forbid!
If you say God forbid , you are expressing your hope that something will not happen.
God willing
If you say God willing , you are saying that something will happen if all goes well .
please God
You say please God to emphasize a strong hope , wish , or desire that you have.
act of God
An act of God is an event that is beyond human control, especially one in which something is damaged or someone is hurt .
God-botherer
an over-zealous Christian
God particle
an elementary particle with zero spin and mass greater than zero, predicted to exist by electroweak theory and other gauge theories, discovered in 2012
God's acre
a churchyard or burial ground
God's gift
If a person thinks they are God's gift to someone or something, they think they are perfect or extremely good .
man of God
a saint or prophet
son of God
an angelic being
City of God
heaven conceived of as the New Jerusalem
God help us
If you say God help us , you mean that you have negative feelings about the person or situation you are talking about.
house of God
A Christian church is sometimes referred to as a house of God .
Lamb of God
a title given to Christ in the New Testament , probably with reference to his sacrificial death
rod from God
a weapon , currently in the development stage, that consists of a metal cylinder that is fired from an orbiting spacecraft at a target on earth. The cylinder is calculated to reach speeds in excess of 7000 mph, hitting its target with the power of a small atomic weapon
the goat god
the god of fields , woods , shepherds , and flocks , represented as a man with a goat's legs, horns , and ears
Word of God
the Bible
a man of God
The term a man of God is sometimes used to refer to Christian priests or ministers .
honest to God
Some people say ' honest to God ' to emphasize their feelings or to emphasize that something is really true .
Mother of God
In Christianity , the Mother of God is another name for the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ .
walk with God
to lead a godly , morally upright life
goddam
an oath expressing anger, surprise , etc
in God's name
If someone uses such expressions as what in God's name , why in God's name , or how in God's name , they are emphasizing how angry , annoyed , or surprised they are.
so help me (God)
I swear
the Word of God
the 2nd person of the Trinity
(God) save the mark!
an exclamation of humorous astonishment , irony , contempt, etc.
goddaughter
A goddaughter is a female godchild.
godforsaken
If you say that somewhere is a godforsaken place, you dislike it a lot because you find it very boring and depressing .
honest-to-goodness
genuine ; real; authentic
put the fear of God into
to frighten
take God's name in vain
to use God's name disrespectfully, especially by swearing
behave like a little tin god
to behave as if you are much more important and powerful than you really are
God knows/God only knows/God alone knows
You can say God knows , God only knows , or God alone knows to emphasize that you do not know something.
heaven/god/lord/christ etc knows
People use expressions such as goodness knows , Heaven knows , and God knows when they do not know something and want to suggest that nobody could possibly know it.
Chinese translation of 'god'
god
(ɡɔd)
n(c)
天神 (tiānshén) (个(個), gè)
the god of thunder雷神 (léishén)
God
(ɡɔd)
n
上帝 (Shàngdì)
int
天啊 (tiān'ā)
to play God (pej) 以上帝自居 (yǐ Shàngdì zìjū)
All related terms of 'god'
act of God
( Law ) 不可抗力 bù kě kàng lì
Almighty God
全能的上帝 quánnéng de Shàngdì
to play God
( pej ) 以上帝自居 yǐ Shàngdì zìjū
is there a God?
存在上帝吗(嗎)？ cúnzài Shàngdì ma?
God save the Queen!
上帝保佑(祐)女王！ Shàngdì bǎoyòu nǚwáng!
the god of thunder
雷神 léishén
OMG
oh my god 我的天哪 wǒ de tiān na
thank God, thank Goodness, thank heavens
感谢(謝)上帝 gǎnxiè Shàngdì
(noun)
Definition
a supernatural being, worshipped as the controller of the universe or some aspect of life, or as the personification of some force
Zeus, king of the gods
Synonyms
deity
an omnipotent, benevolent and omniscient deity
immortal
In the legend, the fire is supposed to turn him into an immortal.
divinity
The three statues are Roman divinities.
divine being
supreme being
atua (New Zealand)
subject word lists
See GreekSee RomanSee AztecSee CelticSee EgyptianSee HinduSee IncanSee MayanSee Norse
Quotations
As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; They kill us for their sport [William Shakespeare – King Lear]Heaven always bears some proportion to earth. The god of the cannibal will be a cannibal, of the crusader a crusader, and of the merchants a merchant [Ralph Waldo Emerson – The Conduct of Life]If the triangles were to make a god, he would have three sides [Montesquieu – Lettres Persanes]Bacchus: a convenient deity invented by the ancients as an excuse for getting drunk [Ambrose Bierce – The Devil's Dictionary]It is convenient that there be gods, and, as it is convenient, let us believe that there are [Ovid – Ars Amatoria]
related words
related adjectivedivine
related phobiatheophobia
Quotations
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble [Bible: Psalms]God is seen God In the star, in the stone, in the flesh, in the soul and the clod [Robert Browning – Men and Women]You cannot plumb the depths of the human heart, nor find out what a man is thinking; how do you expect to search out God, who made all these things, and find out his mind or comprehend his thoughts? [Apocrypha: Judith]If God did not exist, man would have to invent him [Voltaire – Epître CIV à l'auteur du livre des trois imposteurs]God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform [William Cowper – Light Shining Out of Darkness]The voice of the people is the voice of God [Alcuin – Epistles]God is but a word invented to explain the world [Lamartine – Nouvelle harmonies poétiques et religieuses]Thou shalt have one God only; who Would be at the expense of two? [Arthur Hugh Clough – The Latest Decalogue]God is subtle, but he is not malicious [Albert Einstein]God, to me, it seems, is a verb not a noun, proper or improper [R. Buckminster Fuller – No More Secondhand God]Theist and Atheist: The fight between them is as to whether God shall be called God or shall have some other name [Samuel Butler – Notebooks]It is an insult to God to believe in God [Galen Strawson]God and the doctor we alike adore But only when in danger, not before; The danger o'er, both are alike requited, God is forgotten, and the Doctor slighted [John Owen – Epigrams]Any God I ever felt in church I brought in with me [Alice Walker – The Color Purple]God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant, and the cat. He has no real style. He just goes on trying other things [Pablo Picasso]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of divinity
Definition
a god or goddess
The three statues are Roman divinities.
Synonyms
deity,
spirit,
genius,
guardian spirit,
daemon,
god or goddess,
atua (New Zealand)
in the sense of immortal
Definition
an immortal being
In the legend, the fire is supposed to turn him into an immortal.