saint, pure, sinful, mystical, desire: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Intermediate set 65. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. saint · noun/seɪnt/

   a person officially recognized by a religious tradition as especially holy

   He was an important person in Christianity and the Pope made him a saint after death.

   Synonyms: holy person

   Origin: Middle English, from Old French seint, from Latin sanctus ‘holy’, past participle of sancire ‘consecrate’

2. pure · adjective/pjʊr/

   not mixed with anything else or morally innocent

   Young children have pure and innocent thoughts.

   Synonyms: clean, unmixed, innocent

   Origin: Middle English: from Old French pur ‘pure’, from Latin purus

3. sinful · adjective/ˈsɪnf(ə)l/

   considered morally wrong according to a religion

   When a lot of people are starving, it is sinful to waste food.

   Synonyms: immoral, wicked, wrong

   Origin: Old English synfull(see sin, -ful)

4. mystical · adjective/ˈmɪstək(ə)l/

   related to religious or supernatural powers.

   Tribal or choral music often affects people deeply with its mystical power.

   Synonyms: supernatural, spiritual

5. desire · noun/dəˈzaɪ(ə)r/

   a strong wish to have or do something

   People's desire for peace in Syria is understandable.

   Synonyms: wish, longing, want

   Origin: Middle English: from Old French desir (noun), desirer (verb), from Latin desiderare (see desiderate)