Godsends

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A serendipitous event or person that provides great help or support at a crucial time
2. An unanticipated benefit or assistance occurring just when most needed
3. A fortunate surprise that offers significant support during a critical moment

Etymology: "Godsends" is the plural of "godsend," a noun for welcome, unexpected help. The singular is a variant of the older phrase "God's send," in which "send" was an obsolete noun meaning an act of sending. The phrase thus named something or someone sent by God, and the apostrophe-s was a possessive marking that the two words eventually fused into one. Over time the phrase lost its sense of divine dispatch and came to mean any stroke of good fortune or timely assistance. Someone arriving just when you needed them, or a rain that broke a drought, could each be called a godsend without any theology implied. The plural simply counts such moments: a run of good luck, or several helpers appearing at once.

Synonyms: blessings, boons

Antonyms: curses, misfortunes