"for goodness' sake" meaning in English

See for goodness' sake in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Prepositional phrase

IPA: /fɔɹ ˈɡʊdnəs seɪk/ [Canada, US], /fə ˈɡʊdnəs seɪk/ [Received-Pronunciation, UK]
Etymology: A Minced version of for God's sake. Etymology templates: {{m|en|for God's sake}} for God's sake Head templates: {{head|en|prepositional phrase|head=for goodness' sake}} for goodness' sake, {{en-PP|head=for goodness' sake}} for goodness' sake
  1. (idiomatic, euphemistic) Used to express frustration, exasperation, annoyance. Tags: euphemistic, idiomatic Categories (topical): English minced oaths Translations (used to express frustration, exasperation, annoyance): herra paratkoon (Finnish), Herran tähden (Finnish)
    Sense id: en-for_goodness'_sake-en-prep_phrase-gUzrMIgE Disambiguation of English minced oaths: 33 32 35 Categories (other): English euphemisms, English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with language name categories using raw markup, English oaths, English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 38 37 24 Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 32 30 37 Disambiguation of English oaths: 39 40 21 Disambiguation of English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys: 32 30 38 Disambiguation of 'used to express frustration, exasperation, annoyance': 62 32 6
  2. (idiomatic, euphemistic) Used to express surprise or amazement. Tags: euphemistic, idiomatic Categories (topical): English minced oaths Translations (used to express surprise or amazement): hyvänen aika (Finnish), herra paratkoon (Finnish)
    Sense id: en-for_goodness'_sake-en-prep_phrase-l9xRmGOD Disambiguation of English minced oaths: 33 32 35 Categories (other): English euphemisms, English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with language name categories using raw markup, English oaths, English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 38 37 24 Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 32 30 37 Disambiguation of English oaths: 39 40 21 Disambiguation of English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys: 32 30 38 Disambiguation of 'used to express surprise or amazement': 31 63 6
  3. (idiomatic, euphemistic) Used for emphasis Tags: euphemistic, idiomatic Categories (topical): English minced oaths Translations (used for emphasis): Herran tähden (Finnish), herra paratkoon (Finnish)
    Sense id: en-for_goodness'_sake-en-prep_phrase-xwb38vFj Disambiguation of English minced oaths: 33 32 35 Categories (other): English euphemisms, English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with language name categories using raw markup, English oaths, English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 38 37 24 Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 32 30 37 Disambiguation of English oaths: 39 40 21 Disambiguation of English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys: 32 30 38 Disambiguation of 'used for emphasis': 12 12 76
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: for God's sake, for Christ's sake, Jesus Christ!, Christ almighty!, for fuck's sake, FFS [abbreviation], for crying out loud, for Pete's sake, for the love of God, for goodness sake [nonstandard]

Download JSON data for for goodness' sake meaning in English (8.9kB)

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          "text": "For goodness' sake, get off the computer! You've been on there for ages!"
        },
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          "text": "You're 47, for goodness' sake. Too old for this!",
          "type": "quotation"
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          "ref": "2017 May 1, Dana Johannsen, “What happens when you watch six hours of ANZ Premiership netball?”, in New Zealand Herald",
          "text": "She's 1.98m for goodness sake! How can you not find her!?",
          "type": "quotation"
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      "id": "en-for_goodness'_sake-en-prep_phrase-gUzrMIgE",
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        "(idiomatic, euphemistic) Used to express frustration, exasperation, annoyance."
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        {
          "text": "For goodness' sake, I spelled that word correctly. I never knew I could do that."
        },
        {
          "ref": "1921, Printers' Ink Monthly - Volumes 3-4, page 42",
          "text": "No salesman is ever a bore if he can make us throw up our hands and say, \"Well, for goodness' sake! What do you know about that ?\" Yes, surprise is the thing.",
          "type": "quotation"
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        {
          "ref": "2008, Walter Isaacson, Einstein: His Life and Universe",
          "text": "“For goodness' sake,” Einstein exclaimed. “So that was the famous caviar!\" He paused for a moment, then added, \"Well, if you offer gourmet food to peasants like me, you know they won't appreciate it.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014, Louise Millar, The Hidden Girl: A Novel, page 179",
          "text": "For goodness' sake, we go to Spain for a week and get new next-door neighbors! How lovely!",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2016 November 24, Te Ahua Maitland, “Woman celebrating 100th birthday receives 50 double-ups on cards”, in The Southland Times",
          "text": "I thought, for goodness' sake, fancy them being the same!",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
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        "(idiomatic, euphemistic) Used to express surprise or amazement."
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        {
          "ref": "1888, Harrison and Morton, The Tippecanoe Campaign Songster",
          "text": "They'll try all they can to deceive and to cheat, But for goodness sake don't say I told you.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012 -, Hazel Holt, No Cure for Death",
          "text": "Well, for goodness sake let me know if I can do anything.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2013 August 26, Bryony Gordon, “'I am not normally a stickler for tradition – I had a baby out of wedlock, for goodness sake'”, in The Telegraph",
          "text": "I am not normally a stickler for tradition – I had a baby out of wedlock, for goodness sake – but for some reason I want Harry to be my husband.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2017 May 9, “Time for former champions to start again”, in Taranaki Daily News",
          "text": "But for goodness sake, please review the plan and come up with detail that distinguishes each groups cultural identity and is something that the players can own.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2017 May 14, Susan Estrich, “Mothers and memories”, in The Exponent Telegram",
          "text": "These young women are busy, for goodness' sake, tired and overworked, stressed, trying to find time for themselves in days that have too little.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
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        "Used for emphasis"
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      "id": "en-for_goodness'_sake-en-prep_phrase-xwb38vFj",
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        "(idiomatic, euphemistic) Used for emphasis"
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          "_dis1": "12 12 76",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "used for emphasis",
          "word": "Herran tähden"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 12 76",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "used for emphasis",
          "word": "herra paratkoon"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
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    {
      "ipa": "/fɔɹ ˈɡʊdnəs seɪk/",
      "tags": [
        "Canada",
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/fə ˈɡʊdnəs seɪk/",
      "tags": [
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  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "34 27 39",
      "word": "for God's sake"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "34 27 39",
      "word": "for Christ's sake"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "34 27 39",
      "word": "Jesus Christ!"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "34 27 39",
      "word": "Christ almighty!"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "34 27 39",
      "word": "for fuck's sake"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "34 27 39",
      "tags": [
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      "word": "FFS"
    },
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      "word": "for crying out loud"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "34 27 39",
      "word": "for Pete's sake"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "34 27 39",
      "word": "for the love of God"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "34 27 39",
      "tags": [
        "nonstandard"
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      "word": "for goodness sake"
    }
  ],
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  "word": "for goodness' sake"
}
{
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        },
        {
          "ref": "2015 April 28, Tracey Spicer, “Taming tiny terrors: How to have a happy family holiday”, in The Press",
          "text": "You're 47, for goodness' sake. Too old for this!",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2017 May 1, Dana Johannsen, “What happens when you watch six hours of ANZ Premiership netball?”, in New Zealand Herald",
          "text": "She's 1.98m for goodness sake! How can you not find her!?",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
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        "Used to express frustration, exasperation, annoyance."
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          "exasperation#English"
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          "annoyance#English"
        ]
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      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, euphemistic) Used to express frustration, exasperation, annoyance."
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        },
        {
          "ref": "1921, Printers' Ink Monthly - Volumes 3-4, page 42",
          "text": "No salesman is ever a bore if he can make us throw up our hands and say, \"Well, for goodness' sake! What do you know about that ?\" Yes, surprise is the thing.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008, Walter Isaacson, Einstein: His Life and Universe",
          "text": "“For goodness' sake,” Einstein exclaimed. “So that was the famous caviar!\" He paused for a moment, then added, \"Well, if you offer gourmet food to peasants like me, you know they won't appreciate it.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014, Louise Millar, The Hidden Girl: A Novel, page 179",
          "text": "For goodness' sake, we go to Spain for a week and get new next-door neighbors! How lovely!",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2016 November 24, Te Ahua Maitland, “Woman celebrating 100th birthday receives 50 double-ups on cards”, in The Southland Times",
          "text": "I thought, for goodness' sake, fancy them being the same!",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
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        "Used to express surprise or amazement."
      ],
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          "amazement#English"
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        "(idiomatic, euphemistic) Used to express surprise or amazement."
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          "text": "They'll try all they can to deceive and to cheat, But for goodness sake don't say I told you.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012 -, Hazel Holt, No Cure for Death",
          "text": "Well, for goodness sake let me know if I can do anything.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2013 August 26, Bryony Gordon, “'I am not normally a stickler for tradition – I had a baby out of wedlock, for goodness sake'”, in The Telegraph",
          "text": "I am not normally a stickler for tradition – I had a baby out of wedlock, for goodness sake – but for some reason I want Harry to be my husband.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2017 May 9, “Time for former champions to start again”, in Taranaki Daily News",
          "text": "But for goodness sake, please review the plan and come up with detail that distinguishes each groups cultural identity and is something that the players can own.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2017 May 14, Susan Estrich, “Mothers and memories”, in The Exponent Telegram",
          "text": "These young women are busy, for goodness' sake, tired and overworked, stressed, trying to find time for themselves in days that have too little.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used for emphasis"
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        "(idiomatic, euphemistic) Used for emphasis"
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      "ipa": "/fɔɹ ˈɡʊdnəs seɪk/",
      "tags": [
        "Canada",
        "US"
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    {
      "ipa": "/fə ˈɡʊdnəs seɪk/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation",
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  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "for God's sake"
    },
    {
      "word": "for Christ's sake"
    },
    {
      "word": "Jesus Christ!"
    },
    {
      "word": "Christ almighty!"
    },
    {
      "word": "for fuck's sake"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "abbreviation"
      ],
      "word": "FFS"
    },
    {
      "word": "for crying out loud"
    },
    {
      "word": "for Pete's sake"
    },
    {
      "word": "for the love of God"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "nonstandard"
      ],
      "word": "for goodness sake"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "used to express frustration, exasperation, annoyance",
      "word": "herra paratkoon"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "used to express frustration, exasperation, annoyance",
      "word": "Herran tähden"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "used to express surprise or amazement",
      "word": "hyvänen aika"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "used to express surprise or amazement",
      "word": "herra paratkoon"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "used for emphasis",
      "word": "Herran tähden"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "used for emphasis",
      "word": "herra paratkoon"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Minced oath"
  ],
  "word": "for goodness' sake"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (93a6c53 and 21a9316). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.