Etymology Journal ยท F
For heaven's sake
Meaning
- A mild exclamation used to express frustration or urgency. It is slightly more dramatic than for goodness' sake but still remains polite.
Exasperated, dramatic
Used in a sentence
- For heaven's sake, help your brother with his homework.
- For heaven's sake, keep your voice down in the library.
- How much longer are we going to wait for heaven's sake?
The backstory
This expression invokes the heavens as a substitute for divine names. It has been used for generations to add weight to a statement without being offensive.
Heard in
Nationwide
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