deadly sin

noun

: one of seven sins of pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth held to be fatal to spiritual progress

Examples of deadly sin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Angels oversee the shepherds on their journey to protect them from the devil’s influence and the seven deadly sins. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Nov. 2023 Amongst the revelers were a group of seven deadly sins and a couple of Queen of Hearts. Vogue, 28 Oct. 2023 Previous tours have included a riff on the seven deadly sins. Lawrence Specker | Lspecker@al.com, al, 14 Aug. 2023 In the 1995 crime thriller, Spacey plays a murderer inspired by the seven deadly sins. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 3 July 2023 As the list of victims grows, the detectives discover a sinister pattern: each murder seems to be inspired by the seven deadly sins. Claudia Guthrie, ELLE, 30 June 2023 Some of the restaurant’s pizzas are named after the seven deadly sins. Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 1 June 2023 Envy is a deadly sin. Joshua Bennett, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2022 Sloths have been maligned throughout history, with their name becoming synonymous with laziness (and even labeled a deadly sin). Darren Incorvaia, Discover Magazine, 12 Apr. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deadly sin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deadly sin was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near deadly sin

Cite this Entry

“Deadly sin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deadly%20sin. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

deadly sin

noun
: one of seven sins of pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth considered in Christianity to be very serious and believed to cause other sins

More from Merriam-Webster on deadly sin

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