god

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gods

1) N-PROPER 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 (emphasis) 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.

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) N-COUNT 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.

...Zeus, king of the gods.

4) N-COUNT 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) PHRASE: PHR with cl (feelings) If you say God forbid, you are expressing your hope that something will not happen.

If, God forbid, something goes wrong, I don't know what I would do.

Syn:

heaven forbid

7) PHRASE: v-link PHR If a person thinks they are God's gift to someone or something, they think they are perfect or extremely good. [INFORMAL]

Are men god's gift to women? Some of them think they are.

8) PHRASE: PHR n You use God help you to warn someone that something unpleasant will happen to them if they do a particular thing. [INFORMAL]

God help him if he gets in my way...

The boss says you must wear a tie. And God help you if you don't.

Syn:

heaven help

9) PHRASE: PHR n (feelings) If you feel sorry for someone because they are in a difficult or unpleasant situation, especially if you think that nobody can help them, you can say God help them. [INFORMAL]

`God help them,' he said. `They're beyond help.'

Syn:

heaven help

10) PHRASE: PHR with cl (disapproval) If you say God help us, you mean that you have negative feelings about the person or situation you are talking about. [INFORMAL]

The first song is 11 minutes long, the last nearly the same, and, God help us, there's a drum solo along the way.

Syn:

heaven help

11) PHRASE: PHR wh (emphasis) You can say God knows, God only knows, or God alone knows to emphasize that you do not know something.

Gunga spoke God knows how many languages...

God alone knows what she thinks.

12) PHRASE (emphasis) If someone says God knows in reply to a question, they mean that they do not know the answer.

`Where is he now?' `God knows.'

13) PHRASE The term a man of God is sometimes used to refer to Christian priests or ministers.

I am a man of God.

14) PHRASE (emphasis) 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. [INFORMAL]

What in God's name do you expect me to do?...

Why in God's name did you have to tell her?.

15) PHRASE: V inflects (disapproval) If someone plays God, they act as if they have unlimited power and can do anything they want.

You have no right to play God in my life!

16) PHRASE: usu PHR with cl (emphasis) You say please God to emphasize a strong hope, wish, or desire that you have.

Please God, let him telephone me now.

17) PHRASE: usu v PHR that (emphasis) 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.

I hope to God they are paying you well...

I wish to God I hadn't met you.

18) PHRASE If you say God willing, you are saying that something will happen if all goes well.

God willing, there will be a breakthrough.

19) put the fear of God into someone → see fear

honest to God → see honest

in the lap of the gods → see lap

for God's sake → see sake

thank God → see thank