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

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

I would absolutely beg on my hands and knees in the Senate chamber or anywhere else, in sackcloth and ashes and on broken glass, if I thought it would help.

From Los Angeles Times

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

“Your worst enemy is your body,” Benedetta is told when she arrives at the convent as a child and must exchange her fine silks for a scratchy sackcloth shift.

From New York Times

“It’s premature to pop open the champagne, and also too early to wear sackcloth,” he said, questioning whether Yamina’s lawmakers could withstand pressure from the right against a deal with Lapid.

From Reuters