in God's name
English
Adverb
in God's name (not comparable)
- (colloquial) Used as an intensifier.
- In God's name, what do you think you are you doing?
- What in God's name are you doing?
- 1886 January 5, Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., OCLC 762755901:
- "...And in the meantime, if you can sit and talk with me of other things, for God's sake, stay and do so; but if you cannot keep clear of this accursed topic, then in God's name, go, for I cannot bear it."
- 1897, Bram Stoker, chapter 21, in Dracula, New York, N.Y.: Modern Library, OCLC 688657546:
- "In God's name what does this mean?" Harker cried out. "Dr. Seward, Dr. Van Helsing, what is it? What has happened? What is wrong? Mina, dear what is it? What does that blood mean? My God, my God! Has it come to this!" And, raising himself to his knees, he beat his hands wildly together. "Good God help us! Help her! Oh, help her!"
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see in, God, name.
Alternative forms
- (obsolete) a God's name, a' God's name
Synonyms
- See Thesaurus:the dickens
Translations
intensifier
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Anagrams
- Mandingoes