sin1 /sɪn/ ●●○ noun 1 [countableC, uncountableU]RRBAD BEHAVIOUR OR ACTIONS an action that is against religious rules and is considered to be an offence against God 〔违犯宗教法规的〕罪,罪恶,罪孽 She needed to confess her sins and ask for forgiveness. 她需要忏悔罪过,请求宽恕。
He knew that he had committed a terrible sin. 他知道自己犯下了可怕的罪行。
the seven deadly sins (=seven bad feelings or desires, in the Christian religion) 〔基督教里的〕七大罪,七宗罪
2 a sin informal something that you think is very wrong 过错,罪过it is a sin (to do something) There’s so much lovely food here, it would be a sin to waste it. 这里有这么多的美食,浪费的话真是罪过。
3. live in sin old-fashionedRELATIONSHIP if two people live in sin, they live together in a sexual relationship without being married 〔未婚男女〕同居,姘居live in sin• We were, after all, living in sin, and she was a devoted Catholic.
4 as miserable/ugly/guilty as sin spokenVERY very unhappy, ugly, or guilty 非常不愉快/难看/内疚 I saw Margaret this morning looking as miserable as sin. 今天早晨我看见玛格丽特很不高兴的样子。
5 for my sins British EnglishBrE spokenXX an expression used to suggest jokingly that you have to do something as a punishment 自作自受,活该,自作孽〔用于自嘲〕 I work at head office now, for my sins. 现在我到总部上班了,真是自作自受。
for my sins• I am Araminta Merchiston, Lady Merchiston's daughter - for my sins!• And because of this he has paid the price for my sins and your sins. → sinful → cover/hide a multitude of sins at multitude(4), → cardinal sin, mortal sin, original sinn COLLOCATIONSverbscommit a sinHe has committed a grave sin.
confess your sinsHe knelt and confessed his sins to God.
forgive sinsGod has forgiven all my sins.
repent (of) your sins (=be sorry you committed them)I sincerely repent of my sins.
phrasesthe seven deadly sins (=seven bad feelings or desires, in the Christian religion, for example greed or too much pride)
adjectivesa great sinPossibly the greatest sin you can be guilty of is not speaking out against cruelty or injustice when you see it.
a besetting sin literary (=one that you keep committing)Drunkenness was his besetting sin.