wear sackcloth and ashes
English
Etymology
From the Bible Book of Esther 4:1 "When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly".
Verb
wear sackcloth and ashes (third-person singular simple present wears sackcloth and ashes, present participle wearing sackcloth and ashes, simple past wore sackcloth and ashes, past participle worn sackcloth and ashes)
- (idiomatic) to publicly express regret for something done wrong.
Translations
to publicly express regret for something done wrong
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See also
Further reading
- “sackcloth and ashes”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
- “sackcloth and ashes”, in Collins English Dictionary.
- “wear sackcloth and ashes”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.
- “wear sackcloth and ashes”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
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