Meanings
present singular third person wears sackcloth and ashes · participle present wearing sackcloth and ashes · past wore sackcloth and ashes · participle past worn sackcloth and ashes
- idiomaticTo publicly express regret for something done wrong.
Origin
From the Bible Book of Esther 4:1 "When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly".
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Danish klæde sig i sæk og aske
- klæde sig i sæk og asketo publicly express regret for something done wrong
Finnish pukeutua säkkiin ja tuhkaan
- pukeutua säkkiin ja tuhkaanto publicly express regret for something done wrong
German sich Asche aufs Haupt streuen
- sich Asche aufs Haupt streuento publicly express regret for something done wrong
Irish caith sacéadach agus luaithreach
- caith sacéadach agus luaithreachto publicly express regret for something done wrong
Italian cospargersi il capo di cenere
- cospargersi il capo di cenereto publicly express regret for something done wrong
Polish posypywać sobie głowę popiołem, posypać sobie głowę popiołem
- posypywać sobie głowę popiołemto publicly express regret for something done wrong
- posypać sobie głowę popiołemto publicly express regret for something done wrong
Russian посыпа́ть го́лову пе́плом
- посыпа́ть го́лову пе́плом (posypátʹ gólovu péplom)to publicly express regret for something done wrong
Cite this entry
wear sackcloth and ashes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wear%20sackcloth%20and%20ashes
“wear sackcloth and ashes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wear%20sackcloth%20and%20ashes. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wear sackcloth and ashes,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wear%20sackcloth%20and%20ashes.
Source: wear sackcloth and ashes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.