Meaning & use
angel
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Meanings
nouncountablereligion
A heavenly being in several religions that carries messages from God or watches over people, often pictured with wings.
Grammar: Countable: an angel, two angels.
Patterns
- an angel of something
- guardian angel
In the story, an angel appears to the shepherds at night.
The painting shows an angel with golden wings.
Many believers say a guardian angel watches over children.
nouncountableinformalfigurative
A very kind, patient or helpful person.
Grammar: Often used in direct address or praise: you are an angel.
Patterns
- be an angel and do something
- an angel of mercy
Be an angel and pass me that folder.
The nurse who stayed late with him was an angel.
Thanks for picking up the kids, you're an absolute angel.
nouncountablebusinessinformal
A wealthy person who gives money to a new business in its early days, often in return for a share.
Grammar: Used as a short form of angel investor.
Patterns
- an angel in something
- angel funding
An angel put up the first fifty thousand dollars for the startup.
She found an angel willing to back her bakery.
The founders pitched to several angels before closing the round.
Word forms
| plural | angels |
|---|
Common combinations
- guardian angel
- He felt a guardian angel had saved him from the crash.
- fallen angel
- The poem describes a fallen angel cast out of heaven.
- angel investor
- An angel investor funded the company's first prototype.
- angel of mercy
- Patients called the night nurse their angel of mercy.
- look like an angel
- The sleeping baby looked like an angel.
- angel's wings
- The child wore angel's wings in the school play.
Synonyms and how they differ
- seraph
- Seraph names a specific high rank of angel and is much more specialized and literary.
- saint
- A saint is a holy person, often once human, while an angel is a spiritual being; in the kind-person sense saint is stronger.
- darling
- Darling expresses affection, whereas angel praises kindness or a favor done.
- backer
- Backer is a neutral word for someone funding a project, and angel suggests early-stage business investment.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: angel or angle?
angel vs angle
An angle is the space between two lines meeting at a point; an angel is a spiritual being. Only the spelling and the e/l order differ.
Practice
"Be an angel and hold the door," she said. What does angel mean here?
Choose one answer.
In a polite request, angel flatters someone as helpful. The religious and investor senses do not fit a door.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “angel”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.