What does "angel" mean?
An incorporeal and holy or semidivine messenger from a deity or other divine entity, traditionally depicted as a youthful, winged figure in flowing robes.
Angel
/ˈeɪn.d͡ʒl̩/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An incorporeal and holy or semidivine messenger from a deity or other divine entity, traditionally depicted as a youthful, winged figure in flowing robes.
- Grammar: angel is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: saint, abettor, admirer, advocate.
- Useful contrasts: ugly ogre, asshole, asur.
- Usage evidence: A boy sleeping in bed seems to be an angel.
How to use "angel"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "angel" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "angel" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "angel" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "angel" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "angel" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "saint" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "angel", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An incorporeal and holy or semidivine messenger from a deity or other divine entity, traditionally depicted as a youthful, winged figure in flowing robes.
"The dear good angel of the Spring, / The nightingale."
- 2 A person who has Angelman syndrome; often capitalized. informal
- 3 Alternative letter-case form of angel. alt-of
"When men are impatient with children, it is extremely displeasing to the Angels;"
- 4 spiritual being attendant upon God wordnet
- 5 An incorporeal and holy or semidivine messenger from a deity or other divine entity, traditionally depicted as a youthful, winged figure in flowing robes.; One of the lowest order of such beings, below virtues.
Show 12 more definitions
- 6 someone who provides financial support for some venture wordnet
- 7 A person having qualities traditionally attributed to angels.; Someone who is pure or innocent. figuratively
"Michael Brown, 18, due to be buried on Monday, was no angel, with public records and interviews with friends and family revealing both problems and promise in his young life."
- 8 a person of exceptional holiness wordnet
- 9 A person having qualities traditionally attributed to angels.; Someone who is kind or selfless. figuratively
"Thanks for making me breakfast in bed, you little angel."
- 10 A person having qualities traditionally attributed to angels.; Someone, especially a woman or child, having youthful, wholesome, or radiant beauty. figuratively
- 11 Attendant spirit; genius; demon. obsolete
"Diſpaire thy Charme, / And let the Angell whom thou ſtill haſt ſeru’d / Tell thee, Macduffe was from his Mothers womb / Vntimely ript."
- 12 An official (a bishop, or sometimes a minister) who heads a Christian church, especially a Catholic Apostolic Church. obsolete, possibly
"An apostle, or angel, or bishop, as he is now called, resided with a college of presbyters about him, in every considerable city of the Roman empire; to that angel or bishop, was committed the pastoral care of all the Christian in the city and its suburbs, extending as far on all sides as the jurisdiction of the civil magistrate extended;"
- 13 An English gold coin, bearing the figure of the archangel Michael, circulated between the 15th and 17th centuries, and varying in value from six shillings and eightpence to ten shillings. historical
- 14 An altitude, measured in thousands of feet. slang
"Climb to angels sixty."
- 15 An unidentified flying object detected by air traffic control radar. colloquial, dated
- 16 someone that funds; An angel investor.
"“Latent” angels are defined as those who have not invested capital in the past 12 months, although they likely have invested knowledge in the process of reviewing potential investments."
- 17 someone that funds; The person who funds a show.
Verb
- 1 To support by donating money. slang, transitive
"Six years ago, he lost $20,000 in the first show he angelled, a turkey called Dance Night."
Proper Noun
- 1 A male given name from Latin Angelus [in turn from Ancient Greek], used since 16th century; or an anglicized spelling of Ángel.
""What is your first name, Mr Botibol? What does the A stand for?" "Angel," he answered. "Not Angel." "Yes," he said irritably. "Angel Botibol," she murmured and she began to giggle. But she checked herself and said, "I think it's a most unusual and distinguished name.""
- 2 A surname transferred from the nickname originating as a nickname or, rarely, as a patronymic.
"At last when nothing else would do he went off to France upon the business of the firm, but we went, mother and I, with Mr. Hardy, who used to be our foreman, and it was there I met Mr. Hosmer Angel."
- 3 A female given name from English of modern usage from the English noun angel.
- 4 A player on the team the "Los Angeles Angels" or one of its predecessor "Angels" teams.
"Smith became an Angel as a result of a pre-season trade."
Example
"A boy sleeping in bed seems to be an angel."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "angel"?
Common synonyms include: saint, abettor, admirer, advocate, aficionado, almoner.
How do you use "angel" in a sentence?
A boy sleeping in bed seems to be an angel.
How do you pronounce "angel"?
Pronounced /ˈeɪn.d͡ʒl̩/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Two Baroque angels from southern Germany, from the mid-18th century From Middle English aungel, angel, from Old English anġel, either a modification of enġel after its etymon Latin angelus (through the intermediate of Proto-West Germanic *angil) or a reborrowing from the Latin, which is in turn from Ancient Greek ἄγγελος (ángelos, “messenger”); later reinforced by Anglo-Norman angele, angel, from the same Latin source. The religious sense of the Greek word first appeared in the Septuagint as a translation of the Hebrew word מַלְאָךְ (malʾāḵ, “messenger”) or מַלְאָךְ יהוה (malʾāḵ YHWH, “messenger of YHWH”). Doublet of Angelus. Use of the term in some churches to refer to a church official derives from interpreting the "angels" of the Seven churches of Asia in Revelation as being bishops or ministers rather than angelic beings.
Etymology 2
Clipping of Angelman.