there are no atheists in foxholes

proverb

In times of extreme stress or fear, even those who do not believe in a benevolent higher power will hope that one exists.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

proverb
  1. In times of extreme stress or fear, even those who do not believe in a benevolent higher power will hope that one exists.

Origin

In reference to the use of foxholes as a shelter in wartime.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

there are no atheists in foxholes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/there%20are%20no%20atheists%20in%20foxholes

MLA

“there are no atheists in foxholes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/there%20are%20no%20atheists%20in%20foxholes. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “there are no atheists in foxholes,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/there%20are%20no%20atheists%20in%20foxholes.

Source: there are no atheists in foxholes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.