in heaven's name

See also: in Heaven's name

English

Alternative forms

• in Heaven's name

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Prepositional phrase

in heaven's name

1. (idiomatic) An intensifier, chiefly used with questions.

   What in heaven's name are you doing?

   Who in heaven's name told you to do that?

   Where in heaven's name are my darn shoes?

   • 2017 March, Jacky Dahlhaus, “Freedom”, in Raising a Vampire (Suckers; 2), 2nd edition, Folla Fiction Publishing, →ISBN, page 256:

     In heaven’s name, get your hair out of his face! I pushed my hair behind my ears.

Synonyms

• in the name of heaven; see Thesaurus:the dickens

Translations

intensifier

• Dutch: in hemelsnaam
• Finnish: taivaan tähden
• French: au nom du ciel (fr), pour l’amour du ciel
• Italian: in nome del cielo
• Polish: na miłość boską (pl)
• Scottish Gaelic: an ainm an àigh
• Swedish: i fridens namn, i hela fridens namn (sv)