God knows
Idioms-
Also, goodness knows; heaven knows.
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Truly, certainly, definitely, as in God knows I need a winter coat . This expression, which originated about 1300 as God wot , does not necessarily imply that God is all-knowing but merely emphasizes the truth of the statement it accompanies. The variants using goodness and heaven are euphemisms that avoid taking God's name in vain. [Second half of 1500s]
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Also, God only knows . Only God knows, that is, neither I nor anyone else knows, as in God knows where I've stored those photos , or God only knows how many people will join the march . [Second half of 1500s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And they chuck it together and it looks pretty if you’re photographing it and it tastes like God knows what.
From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2026
For God knows what reason, the Stones offer up a faithful rendition of Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good” with Jagger on harmonica.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
“None of the charges brought against me are true. They know it, and God knows it. I am innocent.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
"It's ruined my life - we're going to be in debt for God knows how long paying it off," she says.
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2026
They saved the whole line, God knows, and now I can’t even feed them.
From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
