for God's sake

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for God's sake

1. An exclamation of anger, surprise, or impatience.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:for the love of God

   For God's sake, don't scare me like that!

   Put some pants on, for God's sake!

   • 2001, Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, “Not Buried But In Turd”, in Gone Tomorrow, London: Little, Brown and Company, →ISBN, page 203:

     ‘Look,’ he began, and she flapped a hand to stop him. ‘For God’s sake don’t say anything that starts with “look”. Sentences like that lead anywhere and they’re always fatal.’

   • 2023 January 30, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Mark Walker, quoting Joe Biden, “Biden Visits Decrepit Rail Tunnel to Promote $1 Trillion Infrastructure Law”, in The New York Times (Politics section)‎^[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 30 January 2023‎^[2]:

     “The structure is deteriorating. The roof was leaking. The floor is sinking,” Mr. Biden said in a speech in front of the tunnel, the oldest in the Northeast, where the crowd included dozens of union workers. “This is the United States of America, for God’s sake. We know better than that.”

2. Indicating a heartfelt or urgent request.

   Synonym: please

   • 1850 [1845], Edgar Allan Poe, “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar”, in The works of the late Edgar Allan Poe:

     “For God's sake!—quick!—quick!—put me to sleep—or, quick!—waken me!—quick!—I say to you that I am dead!”

   • 1886, Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde:

     ‘Utterson,’ said the voice, ‘for God's sake, have mercy!’

• Sometimes, though not always, made plural to for God's sakes in American usage.
• There are many variants which use euphemisms or dysphemisms in place of God, e.g. for fuck's sake.