angel's advocate
- noun
- /ˈeɪndʒəlz ˈædvəˌkeɪt/
:
abogado del ángel
- She acted as an angel's advocate, supporting the charity despite the criticism it received from others.
Examples
-
Being an angel's advocate for mental health awareness, he spoke passionately about the importance of support and understanding.
-
It was a happy serendipity that Kevin himself posted that link right under mine, as if an 'angel's advocate' swept down directly from above to address my devilish pose.
Blog text (6) -
The journalist invited an angel's advocate to explain the benefits of the controversial policy during the debate.
Synonyms
282
4.1
A person who supports a cause or policy in public
156
3.7
A person who strongly supports a cause or another person
104
5.2
A person who supports an idea, plan, or cause
34
7.9
A person who argues for a belief or policy
32
5.6
A person who campaigns strongly for social or political change
7
6.0
A person who strongly supports and helps spread a new idea or cause early on
1
8.7
A person who defends a belief, policy, or organization against criticism
1
7.1
A person who strongly promotes a product, idea, or cause
A person who supports and promotes an idea or cause
A person who supports and speaks for a cause
Antonyms
How Supportive
Surface Forms
Morphology
angel's + advocate
The phrase is compositionally built from 'angel's' (possessive of angel, implying something virtuous or on behalf of angels) plus 'advocate' (a supporter), so its meaning — a person who advocates for virtuous or positive causes — can be directly inferred from the parts. The possessive + noun pattern is a common, cross-linguistic construction, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand this usage.
Etymology
Angel's advocate may come from turning around the older idea of a 'devil's advocate'. The image is simple: an angel's, meaning a good figure, advocate speaks up for the good side, so it means 'someone who defends or supports a positive but sometimes unpopular cause'.