sackcloth
noun
sack·cloth
ˈsa(k)-ˌklȯth 
1
: a coarse cloth of goat or camel's hair or of flax, hemp, or cotton
2
: a garment of sackcloth worn as a sign of mourning or penitence
Examples of sackcloth in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The tradition of receiving ashes originates from biblical times when wearing sackcloth and ashes symbolized repentance.
—
Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025
The travails of these people, including a suspenseful interrogation sequence sending Eunice and her adolescent daughter, their heads wrapped in black sackcloth, to the very place Rubens was seen recently.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2025
In the end, de Hales agreed to abjure the realm, which meant walking, barefoot, to the port of Chester, a hundred and thirty miles away, holding a wooden cross and wearing sackcloth, and taking a ship across the Irish Sea, never to return.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2024
While sackcloths have fallen out of use, the meaning of wearing ashes on Ash Wednesday has stayed the same.
—Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 14 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for sackcloth
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Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025
The travails of these people, including a suspenseful interrogation sequence sending Eunice and her adolescent daughter, their heads wrapped in black sackcloth, to the very place Rubens was seen recently.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2025
In the end, de Hales agreed to abjure the realm, which meant walking, barefoot, to the port of Chester, a hundred and thirty miles away, holding a wooden cross and wearing sackcloth, and taking a ship across the Irish Sea, never to return.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2024
While sackcloths have fallen out of use, the meaning of wearing ashes on Ash Wednesday has stayed the same.
—Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 14 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for sackcloth
Cite this Entry
“Sackcloth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sackcloth. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sackcloth
noun
sack·cloth
ˈsak-ˌ(k)lȯth
1
: rough cloth for sacks
2
: a garment of sackcloth worn as a sign of sorrow
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