From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsinsin1 /sɪn/ ●●○ noun 1 [countable, uncountable]RRBAD BEHAVIOUR OR ACTIONS an action that is against religious rules and is considered to be an offence against Godsin of the sin of pride She needed to confess her sins and ask for forgiveness. He knew that he had committed a terrible sin.the seven deadly sins (=seven bad feelings or desires, in the Christian religion)2 → a sin3 → live in sin4 → as miserable/ugly/guilty as sin5 → for my sins → sinful → cover/hide a multitude of sins at multitude(4), → cardinal sin, mortal sin, original sinCOLLOCATIONSverbscommit a sinHe has committed a grave sin.confess your sinsHe knelt and confessed his sins to God.forgive sinsGod has forgiven all my sins.repent (of) your sins (=be sorry you committed them)I sincerely repent of my sins.phrasesthe seven deadly sins (=seven bad feelings or desires, in the Christian religion, for example greed or too much pride)adjectivesa great sinPossibly the greatest sin you can be guilty of is not speaking out against cruelty or injustice when you see it.a besetting sin literary (=one that you keep committing)Drunkenness was his besetting sin.
Examples from the Corpus
sin• The Bible says adultery is a sin.• All things were possible; anyone could get rich; the cardinal sin was doubt.• I wanted to confess my sin.• Death and darkness can be experienced as guilt because of sin or depression and paralysing imprisonment of spirit.• Like conscientious believers everywhere they confess a wide range of sins of omission and commission.• the sin of greed• All the same, as Father Peter said, even the neediest people must not have their sins condoned.• These sins may be seen to menace lineage identity and solidarity - the paramount Nuer virtues.• No one is completely without sin.• Self-interest was the worst sin and slaveholding was the worst form of self-interest.the seven deadly sins• I noticed with amusement that the tapestries hanging there illustrated the seven deadly sins.• One of the Seven Deadly Sins and the one most often fatal to the great ones.• He felt as if he had been led through the seven deadly sins one by one, with lust leading the way.sinsin2 verb (sinned, sinning) [intransitive] 1 RRBAD BEHAVIOUR OR ACTIONSto do something that is against religious rules and is considered to be an offence against Godsin against You have sinned against God.2 → be more sinned against than sinning→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
sin• I sinned and brought shame down on all of us.• Paul is saying to an engaged couple that neither the man nor the woman sins if they marry.• You have sinned, Jimbo, I told myself out loud, but it is never too late to repent.• She had sinned so much, could she ever find salvation?sin against• He has sinned against God.sinsin3 technical the written abbreviation of sineOrigin sin1 Old English synn 