Meaning & use
patience of Job
Last updated
Meaning
phraseidiomapprovingfigurative
Extraordinary patience, the ability to put up with long suffering, delay or irritation without complaining.
Grammar: Usually follows have or need: you need the patience of Job to teach him.
Patterns
- have the patience of Job
- need the patience of Job
You need the patience of Job to wait for that printer to warm up.
The kindergarten teacher has the patience of Job with the noisiest children.
It takes the patience of Job to deal with that slow internet connection.
Common combinations
- have the patience of Job
- My mother has the patience of Job when she helps me with maths.
- need the patience of Job
- You need the patience of Job to untangle these cables.
- the patience of a saint
- He has the patience of a saint, or perhaps the patience of Job.
- try the patience of Job
- This traffic would try the patience of Job.
Synonyms and how they differ
- forbearance
- Forbearance is a formal word for restraint towards others, while patience of Job is a colorful spoken phrase about enduring trouble.
- endurance
- Endurance focuses on lasting through hardship, not on staying calm and uncomplaining.
- the patience of a saint
- The patience of a saint is a close idiom with no biblical figure, so it is a bit more general and common.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: patience of Job or the wisdom of Solomon? patience of Job or patients?
patience of Job vs the wisdom of Solomon
This idiom comes from another biblical figure and means great wisdom in judging, not patience.
patience of Job vs patients
Patients are people receiving medical care; the idiom uses patience, the quality of waiting calmly.
Practice
Teaching my uncle to use a smartphone took the ___.
Choose one answer.
The patience of Job means enormous patience. The other biblical idioms refer to wisdom, strength or courage, which do not suit a slow, frustrating task.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “patience of Job”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.