benediction

/ˌbenɪˈdɪkʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌbenɪˈdɪkʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌbe-nə-ˈdik-shən/ (ame, mw)

benediction — noun

  • benedictionsingular
  • benedictionsplural

1. a short spoken prayer in which God's help, care, and safety are requested for a

1.名詞C1
釋義

a short spoken prayer in which God's help, care, and safety are requested for a person or group, often marking the end of a religious service

例句

At the close of the Sunday service, the priest gave a benediction to bless the congregation.

gave a benediction

Hiroshi's grandmother whispered a quiet benediction over him before he left for his exams.

whispered a quiet benediction

同義詞
  • blessing

    the everyday word for asking for divine favour; broader and less formal than benediction

  • prayer

    any communication with God, not necessarily a blessing; benediction is a specific type of prayer

  • invocation

    a prayer calling upon God's presence, typically at the beginning of a service, whereas a benediction comes at the end

反義詞
  • curse

    a prayer or statement calling for harm on someone; the opposite of blessing

  • malediction

    the formal counterpart of benediction; from Latin 'male-' (bad) + 'dicere' (to say)

文法句型

give/pronounce + benediction

benediction for/over [person/group]

用法筆記

Frequently occurs in Christian worship contexts, especially at the end of a service. For non-religious expressions of good wishes, use 'blessing' instead.

常見錯誤

My boss gave a benediction at our team meeting.
My boss gave a blessing at our team meeting.
💡'benediction' is a religious prayer, not a general expression of good wishes.