Sackcloth And Ashes

Pronunciation: /sækklɔθ ənd æʃɪz/

Definitions of sackcloth and ashes

noun a coarse, rough fabric typically made of goat's hair and used for making sacks

Example Sentences

A1 She wore sackcloth and ashes to show her remorse for what she had done.

A2 In some cultures, people wear sackcloth and ashes as a sign of mourning.

B1 The politician's public apology was seen as insincere, as he did not appear in sackcloth and ashes.

B2 After the scandal broke, the CEO appeared in sackcloth and ashes, begging for forgiveness from the public.

C1 The religious leader's act of humility involved wearing sackcloth and ashes as a symbol of repentance.

C2 The artist's performance art piece involved covering herself in sackcloth and ashes to make a statement about societal guilt.

conjunction a word used to connect clauses or sentences or to coordinate words in the same clause

Example Sentences

A1 She wore sackcloth and ashes to show her remorse for what she had done.

A2 After the scandal broke, the politician was seen in sackcloth and ashes, apologizing to the public.

B1 The CEO resigned in disgrace and was forced to wear sackcloth and ashes as a symbol of his shame.

B2 The company's reputation was in tatters, and they had to go through a period of sackcloth and ashes before rebuilding trust with their customers.

C1 The artist's controversial exhibit was met with criticism, leading her to retreat into sackcloth and ashes as she contemplated her next move.

C2 The CEO's embezzlement scandal brought the company to its knees, and they had to go through a period of sackcloth and ashes to regain credibility in the market.

Examples of sackcloth and ashes in a Sentence

formal After committing the grave mistake, he wore sackcloth and ashes as a sign of repentance.

informal She was in sackcloth and ashes after failing her exam.

slang He was in sackcloth and ashes when he realized he forgot his girlfriend's birthday.

figurative The company was in sackcloth and ashes after the scandal was exposed.

Grammatical Forms of sackcloth and ashes

• plural: sackcloths and ashes
• present tense: wear sackcloth and ashes
• future tense: will wear sackcloth and ashes
• perfect tense: have worn sackcloth and ashes
• continuous tense: are wearing sackcloth and ashes
• singular: sackcloth and ash
• positive degree: sackcloth and ashes
• infinitive: to wear sackcloth and ashes
• gerund: wearing sackcloth and ashes
• participle: worn sackcloth and ashes

Origin and Evolution of sackcloth and ashes

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Hebrew/Aramaic

Story behind the word: The phrase 'sackcloth and ashes' originates from biblical times, specifically from the Old Testament as a symbol of mourning and repentance.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the phrase has evolved to represent a public display of remorse or penitence, often used figuratively to describe extreme sorrow or regret.