godsend

American  

[god-send] / ˈgɒdˌsɛnd /

noun

1. an unexpected thing or event that is particularly welcome and timely, as if sent by God.

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godsend British  

/ ˈɡɒdˌsɛnd /

noun

1. a person or thing that comes unexpectedly but is particularly welcome

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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

See Examples For:

godsend

“Larger cargoes are a godsend to smugglers,” said Zuñiga, the former State Department official.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

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

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

"This treatment was an absolute godsend," he added.

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026

The atmosphere of non-thinking had been a godsend when it allowed me to forget my own failures as a teenager.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers

Related Words

• boon
• windfall