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Glite Dictionary
for the love of Christ

for the love of Christ

9.7
A strong spoken request or cry that shows shock and anger
  • idiom
  • Offensive
translation icon : por el amor de Cristo
  • No, no, please, for the love of Christ, no, no Kyle stuff.

Examples

  • For the love of Christ, can we please start the meeting on time?

  • He said, for the love of Christ, I can't believe you forgot my birthday!

  • For the love of Christ, just tell me what's wrong!

Synonyms

for Christ's sake
vsfor the love of Christ
  • Offensive
62 9.2

A strong word that shows annoyance and makes a request urgent

is the same but slightly more emotional and personal in tone
for heaven's sake
vsfor the love of Christ
  • Informal
45 7.6

People say it to show impatience or anger

is stronger and directly tied to a specific religious name
for fuck's sake
vsfor the love of Christ
  • Offensive
33 9.9

A very rude phrase people say to show strong anger or annoyance

is similarly strong but uses sacred wording rather than crude words
for crying out loud
vsfor the love of Christ
  • Informal
31 8.2

You say this when you feel very annoyed or impatient

is similar but usually framed with religious intensity
for chrissake
vsfor the love of Christ
  • Offensive
24 9.9

Say it to show strong anger, frustration, or urgency, and it is rude

is more emphatic and often feels more emotional
for Pete's sake
vsfor the love of Christ
  • Informal
21 9.0

Shows someone is annoyed, impatient, or in a hurry when spoken

is more intense and carries stronger emotional force
fucking hell
vsfor the love of Christ
  • Offensive
14 9.9

A strong rude shout people use when they feel very angry or shocked

expresses the same feelings but via religious emphasis rather than profanity
for the love of
vsfor the love of Christ
  • Informal
13 7.5

To show strong feeling, often as an urgent plea

is more explicitly tied to religious wording and intensity
for goodness' sake
vsfor the love of Christ
  • Informal
10 7.6

Say it when you are annoyed to ask someone to do or stop something

is harsher and expresses more intense disbelief or plea
for chrissakes
vsfor the love of Christ
  • Offensive
9 9.9

To show strong frustration and make a request sound urgent

is more formal in wording while keeping strong emotion
for pity's sake
vsfor the love of Christ
  • Informal
2 8.2

A person asks angrily and urgently for someone to act now

leans more toward strong disbelief and urgent emotional plea
in heaven's name
vsfor the love of Christ
  • Informal
1 7.3

People say it to show surprise, anger, or a strong need for an answer

is less formal and more common in everyday complaints
for the love of Mike
vsfor the love of Christ
  • UK
1 9.9

Words people say when they are very annoyed or want something done quickly

uses a specific sacred reference and feels stronger or more intense
in God's name
vsfor the love of Christ
  • Informal
1 7.9

Words people say to show strong surprise, anger or urgency in a question

is more casual and used more for strong emotional exclamations
for mercy's sake
vsfor the love of Christ
  • Informal
9.3

To ask or beg strongly when you are upset

is more emotionally charged and often less formal

How Emphatic

for the love of Christ
  • Offensive
9.7
for the love of
  • Informal
13 7.5
please
1.0

Surface Forms

for the love of Christ main

Morphology

for + the + love + of + Christ

The phrase literally invokes 'for' + 'the love' + 'Christ', so a learner who knows the words can infer an appeal or plea directed to a religious figure and thus guess it is an emphatic exclamation. However, its conventionalized use to express exasperation, disbelief, or an emphatic demand rather than a literal appeal is idiomatic and culturally marked, so the connection is only partially predictable despite cross-linguistic parallels (e.g. 'por el amor de Dios').

Etymology

For the love of Christ may come from people calling on the love of Christ in moments of strong feeling. By naming Christ and his love, the speaker makes a powerful, emotional plea, so today it is used to show 'exasperation', 'disbelief', or to make an 'urgent request'.