godsend
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of godsend
1805–15; earlier God's send, variant (by influence of send 1 ) of God's sond or sand, Middle English Godes sand ( sand Old English: message, service)
Explanation
A godsend is something very lucky or helpful — some event or item for which you're incredibly thankful. If you don't have time for breakfast and forget to bring your lunch to school, your friend's extra slice of pizza is a godsend. If you're grateful for something, you can call it a godsend. A school snow day is a godsend if you're not quite ready for your chemistry midterm, and your homeowner's insurance is a godsend when a huge tree falls on your roof. In both of these examples, you are relieved and happy, and if you're a believer, you might say, "Thank God." In Middle English, it's Godes sonde, "gift from God."
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.
Sure, your emergency fund is $20,000, uncomfortably low for you, probably regarded as a godsend for the average Joe.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
He added that he feared that "the entire village would be lost" and said it was an "absolute godsend" that the rains came to help dampen the flames.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
In a GoFundMe to raise money for a memorial service following the boy’s death, Legend was remembered as a “bright light in so many lives” and “a true godsend to those who loved him.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
By drawing on video archives and integrating holograms and agentic AI, teams or athletes from any era can be revived to compete against each other—a godsend for NFL fans when the season ends.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
I can hear Mrs. Hannon through the window, Your little Frankie is a godsend to John for ’tis the climbing up and down on that float that was ruining his legs entirely.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
