enough to make the angels weep

noun

Something so distressing that it causes one to lose hope and faith.

“For several years the government has continuously reduced the amount of money spent on education. Now they complain that teachers are not doing their job properly- It's enough to make the angels weep.”

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Meanings

noun
  1. idiomaticSomething so distressing that it causes one to lose hope and faith.

    For several years the government has continuously reduced the amount of money spent on education. Now they complain that teachers are not doing their job properly- It's enough to make the angels weep.

Origin

From a passage in Shakespeare, Measure for Measure...man ,/Drest in a little brief authority,/plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven/As make the angels weep.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

enough to make the angels weep. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enough%20to%20make%20the%20angels%20weep

MLA

“enough to make the angels weep.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enough%20to%20make%20the%20angels%20weep. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “enough to make the angels weep,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enough%20to%20make%20the%20angels%20weep.

Source: enough to make the angels weep on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.