sackcloth

American  

[sak-klawth, -kloth] / ˈsækˌklɔθ, -ˌklɒθ /

noun

1. sacking.

2. coarse cloth worn as a sign of mourning or penitence.

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idioms

1. in sackcloth and ashes, in a state of repentance or sorrow; contrite.

   She would be in sackcloth and ashes for days over every trifling error she made.

sackcloth British  

/ ˈsækˌklɒθ /

noun

1. coarse cloth such as sacking

2. garments made of such cloth, worn formerly to indicate mourning or penitence

3. a public display of extreme grief, remorse, or repentance

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Other Word Forms

• sackclothed adjective

Etymology

Origin of sackcloth

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; sack ¹, cloth

Example Sentences

One common answer notes that sackcloth and ashes have been since biblical times a sign of repentance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

Catholic saints practiced self-mortification, such as wearing itchy sackcloth, to encourage humility and to create greater compassion for the suffering of others.

From Salon • Jan. 9, 2023

It would be safe to amble down dark alleys or across parks, whether sporting a diamond-encrusted miniskirt and platinum noise-cancelling headphones or a sackcloth boiler suit and an air of high alert.

From BBC • Sep. 24, 2021

Young men in dark suits danced in front, carrying a metal pole with a heart-shaped standard that had been wrapped in sackcloth, doused in kerosene and set alight.

From New York Times • May 11, 2020

There are the tone cults, of course, dressing in sackcloth and worshiping sonic vibrations—but like so many things in our world, they seek to imitate what once was.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman