angel

angel — noun

1. in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and several other faiths, a holy being who live

1.nounB1
Definition

in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and several other faiths, a holy being who lives with God in heaven and travels down to earth to deliver messages or watch over people; in pictures, an angel usually wears white robes, has large feathered wings, and a glowing ring above the head.

Example

On the church wall, an angel knelt beside the shepherds and pointed to the bright star above Bethlehem.

religious-narrative use with named scene

Mira's grandmother told her that an angel watches over every child while they sleep.

collocation: an angel watches over

Common collocations
  • guardian angel
  • fallen angel
  • heavenly angel
  • the angel of death
  • angel of mercy
Synonyms
  • spirit

    broader term covering many supernatural beings, not only God's messengers

  • seraph

    literary; refers to a high-ranking type of angel in Christian tradition

  • cherub

    often shown as a chubby winged child in art; a specific type of angel

Antonyms
  • demon

    an evil spirit, the moral opposite in many religions

  • devil

    a powerful evil spirit, often shown with horns instead of wings

Usage Note

Frequently used with the article 'an' rather than 'the' when first mentioned. Often appears with verbs like 'appear', 'watch over', 'guard', 'send', and with descriptive adjectives such as 'guardian', 'fallen', 'heavenly'.

Common Mistakes

I saw a angel in the picture.
I saw an angel in the picture.
use 'an' before the vowel sound at the start of 'angel'.

2. someone whose thoughtfulness, generosity, or good behaviour stands out clearly —

2.nounB2
Definition

someone whose thoughtfulness, generosity, or good behaviour stands out clearly — for example a nurse who stays late with frightened patients, a friend who drives you home in a storm, or a child who plays quietly without being asked.

Example

The nurse who sat with my father all night was an absolute angel.

intensifier: 'an absolute angel'

Mr. Park has been an angel to the new families on our street.

pattern: be an angel to [someone]

Common collocations
  • an absolute angel
  • a real angel
  • little angel
  • be an angel and …
Synonyms
  • saint

    stronger praise; suggests almost perfect patience or kindness

  • darling

    warmer and more affectionate; often for someone close to you

  • gem

    informal; a person seen as rare and valuable

Antonyms
  • monster

    informal exaggeration for someone cruel or badly behaved

  • brat

    specifically of a child who behaves badly

Usage Note

Very often appears with intensifiers ('an absolute angel', 'a real angel') or in the plural 'little angels' for children. Distinguish from sense 1 by context: this sense is praise for a real person's behaviour, with no religious meaning.

Common Mistakes

She is angel.
She is an angel.
countable noun, needs an article.

3. a warm name you call a partner, child, or close friend, usually when you are ple

3.nounB2
Definition

a warm name you call a partner, child, or close friend, usually when you are pleased with them or asking a small favour — similar to calling someone 'darling' or 'sweetheart'.

Example

Be an angel and pass me the salt, would you?

formula: 'be an angel and …' for polite requests

Goodnight, my angel — sleep tight and don't worry about tomorrow.

vocative use with possessive 'my'

Common collocations
  • my angel
  • be an angel
  • you angel
  • thanks, angel
Synonyms
  • darling

    the most common everyday equivalent across British and American English

  • sweetheart

    warm and slightly old-fashioned; common between partners and to children

  • love

    British English; widely used to friends, family, and even strangers in some regions

Grammar Patterns

used as form of address

Usage Note

Only sense used as a vocative (a name you call someone directly). Often paired with the possessive 'my' or stand-alone in a comma-set phrase. The fixed expression 'be an angel and …' softens a request.

Common Mistakes

My angel is coming home tonight.' (when meaning a romantic partner — sounds odd outside direct address)
My darling is coming home tonight.' or address them directly: 'Angel, are you nearly home?
sense 3 mainly works when speaking TO the person.

4. a wealthy individual who puts their own money into a young business — usually at

4.nounC1
Definition

a wealthy individual who puts their own money into a young business — usually at an early stage, in exchange for a share of the company — to help it grow before bigger investors get involved.

Example

A retired tech executive became the angel behind Farouk's coffee delivery startup.

pattern: an angel behind [a startup]

The two founders pitched their app to twelve angels before one wrote a cheque.

plural use in business context

Common collocations
  • angel investor
  • angel funding
  • angel round
  • find an angel
  • angel network
Synonyms
  • backer

    broader; anyone giving money or support, not only at an early stage

  • patron

    older word, more common in arts and charity than tech

  • seed investor

    very close in meaning; emphasises the earliest funding round

Antonyms
  • venture capitalist

    professional investor managing other people's money in a fund, usually at a later stage

Usage Note

Almost always written 'angel investor' in formal articles; 'angel' alone is used once the topic is clear. Subject is usually a private individual, not a fund or company — that is the key contrast with 'venture capitalist'.

Common Mistakes

A bank acted as an angel for the startup.
A private investor acted as an angel for the startup.
banks and funds are not angels; the term names a wealthy individual.
Idioms

fools rush in where angels fear to tread

idiom

people without experience or thought charge into risky situations that careful, experienced people would avoid; a warning that confidence without knowledge often ends in trouble.

Buying a house in a foreign country without a lawyer? Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

Fadi invested his savings in the new crypto coin within an hour of hearing about it — fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

fools rush in (where angels fear to tread)

idiom

Inexperienced people often attempt difficult or risky tasks that wiser people avoid.

Maya tried to fix the old car's engine, but fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

Brian invested in that risky startup without research; truly, fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

Word family

  • angelic
    adjectiveC1
  • angelically
    adverbC2
  • archangel
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

When you praise someone's kindness or good behaviour, the word you choose changes the colour of the compliment. 'Angel' suggests warm, almost magical goodness — perfect for a nurse who stays late or a child who plays quietly. 'Saint' is stronger and emphasises patience under difficulty: 'You're a saint for putting up with him.' It implies the person endured something hard, where 'angel' simply notes their sweet nature. 'Darling' is the most affectionate of the four and is often used directly to the person ('You're a darling'); it emphasises closeness more than virtue. 'Gem' is the most casual and treats the person as rare and valuable rather than morally good — a reliable colleague is a gem; a hospice volunteer is more naturally an angel or a saint.

angel ↗saint ↗darling ↗gem ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • guardian angel
  • fallen angel
  • angel investor
  • angel wings
  • angel voice

Phrases

  • be an angel and …
  • on the side of the angels
  • like an angel

Prepositions

  • angel of [death/mercy]
  • angel from [heaven]

Etymology

HebrewGreekLate LatinOld EnglishEnglish

The word came into Old English as 'engel' from Late Latin 'angelus', which Latin had borrowed from Greek 'angelos' meaning simply 'messenger'. Greek-speaking Jewish writers picked 'angelos' to translate the Hebrew 'mal'akh' (also 'messenger') in early versions of the Bible, and the religious meaning travelled into Latin, French, and English with that text. The friendly senses — 'a kind person' and the affectionate name for a loved one — grew in English from the 1500s onwards. The business sense ('angel investor') is much younger and came from American theatre slang of the early 1900s, where an 'angel' was a wealthy person who quietly funded a Broadway show; tech startups borrowed it in the 1970s and 1980s.