angel

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noun an·gel \ ˈān-jəl \

Definition of angel

1 a :a spiritual being superior to humans in power and intelligence; especially :one in the lowest rank in the celestial hierarchy

b angels plural :an order of angels — see celestial hierarchy

2 :an attendant spirit or guardian

guardian angels who watch over us

3 :a usually white-robed winged figure of human form in fine art

4 :messenger, harbinger

an angel of death

5 :a person who is like an angel (as in looks or behavior)

Your son is such an angel.

She's no angel.

Be an angel and get me a cup of tea, would you?

6 Christian Science :inspiration from God

7 :one (such as a backer of a theatrical venture) who aids or supports with money or influence

Angels funded the start-up company.

8 :angelfish

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angelic

play \an-ˈje-lik\ or angelical play \-li-kəl\ adjective

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angelically

play \-li-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See angel defined for English-language learners

See angel defined for kids

Recent Examples of angel from the Web

Of the 21 films screening at the Venice Film Festival, only one—Vivian Qu's Angels Wear White—was directed by a woman.

— claire zillman, Fortune, "Ivanka Trump on Obama’s Equal Pay Rule, Venice Film Fest Lacks Women, and Female Farmers in India," 31 Aug. 2017
And who can forget Beyoncé showed up looking like a literal angel? (

— lindsay schallon, Glamour, "VMAs 2017: Best Hair and Makeup on the Red Carpet," 28 Aug. 2017
The last Angels position player to pitch was Chili Davis in 1993.

— tyler kepner, New York Times, "Paul Goldschmidt’s Teammates Cheer His M.V.P. Campaign," 26 Aug. 2017
He was regarded by his devotees as alternately a sinister force and an avenging angel.

— ivan moreno, The Seattle Times, "Teen pleads guilty to lesser charge in Slender Man attack," 21 Aug. 2017
Added 2 more angels to my cleats in respect to families who loss Two HEROS in the community.

— mark inabinett, AL.com, "Ha Ha Clinton-Dix remembers fallen officers during NFL preseason game," 20 Aug. 2017
Soothing, perfectly hot, and full of surprising angel-hair-like strands of vermicelli, the entree had a delicate charm.

— anna caplan, star-telegram, "Pandan Thai spices up Burleson dining scene, and brings the heat," 16 Aug. 2017
After some initial angel funding that allowed Oasis to expand and move its headquarters from Argentina to Miami, last year Oasis raised a $10.6 million Series B round, said Stanberry.

— nancy dahlberg, miamiherald, "Miami travel-tech startup grows to 150 employees, sets sights on Asia," 7 Aug. 2017
Then there are the show’s other heroes who aren’t vying to rule the continent: Arya Stark has become an avenging angel, an assassin who broke free from her training with the Faceless Men but retained their stealthy skills.

— david sims, The Atlantic, "How Will the Game of Thrones Be Won?," 14 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'angel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of angel

Middle English, from Old English engel & Anglo-French angele; both from Late Latin angelus, from Greek angelos, literally, messenger

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

angel Synonyms

Synonyms

lamb, dove, innocent, sheep

Antonyms

wolf

Related Words

babe, colt, cub, fledgling, greenhorn, ingenue (or ingénue), naïf (or naif), newbie, tenderfoot, virgin; cherub, saint; mollycoddle, sissy, softy (or softie), weakling, wimp; dupe, pigeon, sap, sucker

Near Antonyms

bully, roughneck, rowdy, tough; beast, boor, cad, churl, clown, creep, cretin, cur, heel, jerk, joker, louse, lout, slob; shark, skunk, snake, stinker; devil, knave, miscreant, no-good, rapscallion, rascal, reprobate, rogue, scalawag (or scallywag), scamp, scoundrel, varlet, villain

Other Christian Religious Terms

Pentateuch, blasphemy, curate, doxology, eremite, iconoclasm, liturgy, orison, pneuma, reliquary

ANGEL Defined for English Language Learners

angel

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noun

Definition of angel for English Language Learners

: a spiritual being that serves especially as a messenger from God or as a guardian of human beings
: a person (such as a child) who is very good, kind, beautiful, etc.